Sometimes circumstances prevent you from attending corporate worship. It happens. Even in the lives of pastors, retired or otherwise. Today was one of those occasions for me. Our youngest daughter and her two children are here with us for a few days. But the fact that we could not attend corporate worship did not mean we “skipped” worship. We had church at home.

Being Pentecost, we sang some songs about the Holy Spirit. We read from Acts 2. I shared some thoughts from an old sermon about the Spirit working in us to lead us to faith in Christ and to help us live lives of response. I even had a children’s message using baking soda and vinegar to show how the Spirit should overflow in us to take the message of Jesus to others.  We confessed our sins and heard of the forgiveness we have for Jesus sake. We had church at home.

You might think, “That was easy for you. You’re a pastor!” But what I did anyone could do. Read or sing a hymn or song. Read God’s Word. Confess your sins. Remind each other God forgives you for Jesus’ sake. Talk about what God’s Word says to you in your life. Worship together. Have Church at home.

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

While “Church at Home” is not our preferred manner of corporate worship, it was nonetheless valid. Lots of folks discovered they were able to do this during the pandemic. Some did something similar to what I described. Others participated in online worship with their congregations when they were unable to be physically present. Some of them are still doing so.

One of the things we did not have was the Lord’s Supper. There was a lot of discussion in our church body about whether or not that would be appropriate during the pandemic. Given the way the world is going, I think our Synod  should take a long, hard look at this, on the basis of God’s Word, as to whether or not Communion in “Church at Home” is a valid option.

My preference is to gather together with other believers for regular worship, to be fed the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Altar with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to hear a message about the forgiveness and life I have because of what Jesus did for me through His life and suffering and death and resurrection. I enjoy being in that fellowship of faith and will do so as often as I am able. It is for my benefit.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24–25