Is online church good? (Or at least good enough?)

Online church can be good, gathered church should be better.

Definition of church:

The community of people redeemed by Christ. —Scott Merriner

Biblical Metaphors for Church:

The Bride of Christ
(Rev 19:7-8, Rev 21:9, 2 Cor 11:12,
Eph 5:31-32)

The Body of Christ
(Rom 12:4-5, 1 Cor 10:17, 12:12, 12:27, Eph 4:12, 5:23, 5:30)

The Family of God
(Matt 12:49-50, 2 Cor 6:18, Eph 2:19, Gal 6:10, 1 Tim 5:1)

The Temple of the Spirit
(1 Cor 3:11-17, 6:19, Eph 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:5-7)

Church as temple with Christ as the cornerstone.

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.” —1 Peter 2:1-6

How People see God at church.
1. Hear the word preached.
2. See the word demonstrated.

How to do church online the good way:

Be the temple of living stones, but do it online.

Questions to consider:

1. Is my participation in church online bringing me closer to the community of faith? Or pushing me further away?

2. If I’m not attending worship services in person, where do I find a community to be living stones to me? With whom will I be a living stone for others?

3. Regardless of where you worship, how can you be a living stone through the way you interact online?