Locked Down Church by Tina English

What’s been your experience of locked down church? I guess it may largely depend on the type of church you go to, or how tech-savvy you and your leaders are. For some it’s been an opportunity to build relationships with new people through Zoom room small groups. Other, long-term housebound folk have found a new way of connecting with their church family. But for some it may have left you feeling disconnected and isolated. I empathise.

I’m actually quite a competent IT user and I go to a large church in West London that has a very able staff team. I’ve been impressed with their ability to put together a virtual worship ensemble and stream pre-recorded services. And yet, I feel more disconnected from church than ever. A spectator rather than an active participant: very few real connections being nurtured with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, ‘The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength’. Perhaps that explains my lament at its absence.

I’ve read a few blogs recently questioning whether we need to hurry to open up our church buildings. They rightly point out that the church is not the building but rather the people. They declare that our buildings may be closed but the Church is very much alive, and has a renewed sense of mission to the world, serving those so desperately in need during this time of crisis.

Perhaps I’m cynical, and please forgive me if I am, but I have pondered these musings and been questioning what they mean. I wholeheartedly agree that the Church is the people rather than the building, and I completely understand the need to be cautious about spreading the virus and creating a second peak. And I love that previously housebound people have found new ways to plug in. There is much we can learn as we move forward.

But what does it mean to say that the Church is very much alive? What does a very much alive church look like? Is it lively worship services? Is it having lots of people watch our online services? Is it a church that has a strong social action programme and is meeting the needs of its local community? I’ve seen that we’ve been quick to congratulate ourselves for our ability to love our neighbours in a time of crisis with food parcels and other initiatives. As someone who founded a charity dedicated to supporting older people, social action is close to my heart. But I fear we (and by that I mean the Church) may be prematurely patting ourselves on the back for this renewed focus on social action. We can’t assume that our ability to distribute food to the needy is a sign of us relearning what it means to be the Church, or that it signals a renewed emphasis on mission. Maybe it is, but we have witnessed a huge surge in community caring and volunteering in local neighbourhoods during this pandemic, not just in the church. Times of crisis seem to cause people to look beyond themselves, whether they are people of faith or not.

Our ability to move online and create streamed services is impressive, but let’s not confuse our ability to go digital with ‘being alive’. Am I being too harsh? Probably. Interactive online alpha courses, prayer meetings and small groups are sure signs that the Church is indeed alive and we should definitely be loving our neighbours through social action. I’m not knocking these things in and of themselves, but I think if we’re too quick to congratulate ourselves, if we think we’re learning how to be church by these actions when our buildings are shut, then we are missing something fundamental.

I’m not a theologian, but it seems to me to boil down to the basic question of, ‘What does it mean to be the Church?’ I am sure there are weighty tomes written on this subject by people far wiser and more scholarly than myself, so I just want to make one simple point. Church is plural. My understanding is that the word ‘church’ comes from the Greek word ‘ekklesia’, meaning ‘called out ones’. I alone am not the Church. Together we are the Church.

I love the apostle Peter’s idea of ‘living stones’ being built together. I, for one, am missing that togetherness during lockdown. Pre-recorded online services, however digitally impressive, where I merely watch rather than participate, do not nurture togetherness in the same way as an interactive Zoom meeting. Togetherness, fellowship, is a fundamental part of who we are. When we lose that, we lose the core of who and what the church is. Online services, especially ones without any interaction, can become a spectator sport, and don’t reflect the true heart of who we are as God’s people. In fact, I fear they may promote a culture of couch potato Christianity where we are merely consumers of online spirituality.

Perhaps the best example of a very much alive church is the description of the Early Church at the end of the Acts chapter two. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer. They shared what they had and met together daily. They were one in heart and mind: living stones, built together. And they experienced all the other things that we are so keen to congratulate ourselves about, such as numerical growth, social action, etc.

I don’t want to appear unappreciative of all the time and skill that go into producing polished pre-recorded services, but if we’re going to relearn what it means to be church during this lockdown period, I think we need to focus more on cultivating meaningful fellowship and togetherness. Of course, that doesn’t require a building – a socially distanced gathering of six people in a local outdoor space might be a good start. But let’s not be too slow in safely opening up our community space to facilitate togetherness.

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This is the latest Lockdown Blog article by one of Darton, Longman and Todd’s amazing authors, offering a personal reflection on our current situation in life. These blogs post are written sometimes in reference to one of the writer’s books, and sometimes about how they are living in response to the coronavirus and our current world situation. We hope it will give you a taste of the depth and diversity of DLT’s list – books for heart, mind and soul that aim to meet the needs and interests of all.

Today’s post is by Tina English, author of A Great Place to Grow Old: Fresh perspectives on ministry among older people, which will be published by DLT next year.