Well, it’s another Sunday during the pandemic. Across the nation there are empty churches, churches led by pastors who have chosen to heed the warnings from local authorities and cancel services. But, here and there, there are full churches, led by pastors who are defying those authorities. Which pastors are doing the right thing?
Hebrews 10:24-25 contains what may be the New Testament’s only command to go to church. The writer, addressing Christians who were wavering in their commitment to Christ, says, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the habit of some is.” I’ve little doubt that verse is being invoked to persuade people to ignore warnings about COVID-19 and attend church. But what does this verse actually say? Does it demand your presence in a church service?
Before I answer, let me offer a brief historical note. One of the hallmarks of Protestantism is the idea of “sola scriptura,” the Bible alone as the church’s authority. But very soon after the Reformation, Protestants discovered the principle was easier stated than practiced. Even though Protestants agree to take seriously what the Bible says, they don’t always agree on what the Bible means by what it says. The quest for clarity demanded a process by which individuals and churches can discern answers to troublesome questions.
As a result, many of those Protestants began asking three questions when dealing with an issue. First, what does the Bible say on the matter? This most important question is not answered by a cursory reading of the Scripture. Instead, we must bring the best scholarly resources to the text to try to determine what the author intended to say to his audience (readers). Second, what does tradition say? Here we attempt to discover what Christians in the past have said about the issue. Third, what does reason say? By applying the canons of commonsense we judge the reasonableness of our answers. In the late eighteenth century, John Wesley added a fourth question: What does my experience say? (Thus, forming what historians call The Wesleyan Quadrilateral.)
Now, keeping those criteria in mind, what can we say to those church leaders who insist on having church during this pandemic?
First, what does Hebrews 10:24-25 actually say? While we don’t know as much about the writer (his name, for instance) and his audience, we can surmise he was writing to a group of Christians who were tempted to abandon their faith, perhaps in the face of persecution. Apparently, some of these had already abandoned getting together with fellow believers, either in homes or in local synagogues where some Christians with Jewish backgrounds still met. If that’s the case, the writer is addressing a situation where Christians had permanently forsaken or abandoned meeting with other Christians. Weymouth’s translation puts the writer’s admonition this way: he warned them against “neglecting--as some habitually do--to meet together.” He was not addressing Christians who still desired to meet together but were unable to. Doubtless, many a first-century Christian missed an occasional “Lord’s Day” meeting because he or she was a slave and had been commanded by his or her master to be somewhere else.
Second, what does church tradition say to us? Generally, the church has encouraged believers to participate in Christian fellowship (usually on Sunday, but sometimes on other days). But, at the same time, the church acknowledges spiritual growth can take place outside the confines of formal worship services. The most radical practitioners of this extra-community discipleship are hermits and anchorites. In fact, their devotion to prayer and piety has sometimes been legendary; the fourteenth century’s Julian of Norwich is, perhaps, the best known of such Christians. By no means are their pilgrimages typical or even recommended, but they remind us that spiritual growth does not demand we sit in a pew every Sunday.
Third, what does reason tell us on the matter? The formal study of logic can be quite complicated, but I think simple commonsense is all we need to address the question of attending church during a pandemic. Christians in previous centuries knew nothing of germs, microbes, bacteria, or viruses. If they flocked to churches during plagues, they did so without knowing they might be spreading a disease. We know more now. We have no reason to believe God suspends the laws of nature from 10:00 am to Noon on Sunday mornings. Sadly, we are hearing reports of COVID-19 victims among those who recklessly attended church services despite warnings by local authorities.
I can’t help but wonder how those pastors would respond to this scenario. Let us suppose I have a daughter is going to have a baby. Let us further suppose, she has learned that some of the children who attended our Sunday school last week now have measles (their parents being anti-vaxxers) and others may have contracted the disease but don’t yet show symptoms. Would anyone question my daughter’s commitment to Christ if she chose to stay at home? What am I saying? Of course, some would. But I’m talking about reasonable people. Certainly, most would understand her decision.
Finally, what does experience tell us? I won’t talk about my own experiences—I spent most of my life going to church on Sunday morning; it was almost like a job. Instead, let me cite an example from the Bible. Near the end of the first century, the Apostle John, longtime pastor at Ephesus, was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. While the conditions on this island are not entirely clear, we know political prisoners were sent there to limit their contact with their followers. John, quite likely, was separated from other Christians. Did his faith shrivel during the experience? No. His wondrous vision of God’s ultimate victory over evil begin, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:9-10) Though he was separated from other Christians, he was able to enjoy fellowship with God and make himself available to be used by God.
If you stay home on Sunday mornings, you aren’t revealing your lack of love for God’s people. You’re showing that love. You don’t have to be spiritually famished. Read your Bible and pray; download a thoughtful Christian book. You don’t have to be alone. If you miss your fellow believers, contact them by phone or computer (Patmos had no WIFI). You don’t have to feel guilty.
