Church Buildings

Church attendance has been a troubling concern for many during the covet-19 pandemic. People have been cautioned not to attend church because of the infectious character of the virus. In some cases, forbidden to gather together in groups of 10 or more. The restrictions have caused much grief to millions of people who depend on each other for comfort and guidance. The church embodies many things, but unfortunately, social activities have become the primary purposes of the brick and mortar church. Jesus had an encounter with a woman who was confused about where she could go to worship God. She was a Samaritan by birth and knew very little about God. She sensed that Jesus was a prophet because he knew all about her tainted life. Jesus spoke to her about the need for a personal relationship with God and she got excited about the prospects for a new beginning. She asked Jesus where she should go to worship the God of forgiveness.   The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.”(John 4:19,20) Jesus explained that it wasn’t where you worship but how you worship that counts. “Jesus replied, “The time is coming, ma’am, when we will no longer be concerned about whether to worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. For it’s not where we worship that counts, but how we worship” (John 4:21-22)

Worship should be a reflection of our relationship with a personal God that knows us better than we know ourselves. Our most intimate concerns are sometimes difficult to shared with friends or even family members. The true church is a spiritual body of believers who worship in spirit and truth. This means our spirit connects with God who is a spirit being. Our relationship with God relies on faith and trust. We expect God to keep His word. We live according to His instruction. We love God because He first loved us. “The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. That time is now. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers.  God is a spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,24) If you have been locked out of your church building set aside time at home to spend with your personal God. Find a quiet place with bible in hand and worship Him in spirit and truth. To have the kind of relationship God desires does not require a church building. It simply requires an open heart where faith and prayer are the means to every end. For more about a personal relationship with God, read “Study More” It's free.