God, remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Psalm 74:2  

Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

What is God’s congregation In the Psalm, it can mean a community or assembly and probably refers to the people of Israel as the religious community. ? If you look the word up in the dictionary, it says “people attending worship.” That might mean it’s a bunch of people, all together, in a church building, attending a worship service. However, that is not a complete picture of congregations yesterday or today. We have just come through a couple of years of COVID restrictions when there was a period of time that no one came into the sanctuary. We did continue to have worship, in a different form. The congregation also encompasses more than just gathering for worship, important as that is. There are also a variety of activities and tasks during the rest of the week that are essential to a congregation.  

We now have a variety of ways of worshipping. We can come to the usual Sunday morning service which has a large number of people. Or we might come on Wednesday nights, with about a dozen people. Many congregants are homebound but thanks to livestreaming they can be part of the congregation while staying in their home. Then, we have some who travel or its just more convenient to watch the livestream from wherever they are. Jesus tells us that where even two or three are gathered, in HIS name, He will be there.  

So the person alone at home, can watch the livestream and be with two or three others in Jesus’ name. We can come together in large groups, and even very large groups at some gatherings such as the Youth Gathering next summer. No matter how or where we gather, or how many are there, we can be assured of God’s loving and saving presence with us.

Gathering God, Saints who surround us daily. Whether we gather online, in-person, or outdoors, we know you are with us. You are there when broken Saints and blessed sinners gather. Forgive us for not always seeing you in the midst of the people who you call to your church. Thank you for your everlasting presence that can transcend any form of communication. Be present in our pews, our classrooms, and our virtual spaces. Amen.  

Chris Gabel 

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party