You learn something new every day... like this new fact, from a colleague, one day this past week:
The Latin word that we translate as "church" is "ecclesia", which comes from the Greek word "ἐκκλησία" (ekklesia), which stems from the word "αλέω" (kaleo), or "calling".
An "ekklesia", in ancient Greece, was an assembly of people called together. It wasn't necessarily religious - often just a gathering called to make community decisions.
That linguistic realization sparked a train of thought: When we're trying to raise our thoughts above the mundane quest for food and shelter, and thinking about what the Lord is really calling us to do -- does it help to do it together, or by ourselves?
What does the Bible say about it? There are definitely some "together" passages. Here are a few:
"Where two or three are gathered together, there am I, in the midst of them". (Matthew 18:20).
"To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write..." (Revelation 3:7)
I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you. (Psalms 22:22)
And, too, there are some "solitary" passages. Here are two examples:
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:6)
When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. (Daniel 6:10)
The Bible's answer seems to be that we need BOTH. There's a strength and inspiration that comes from gathering together, and worshipping with each other. There's also a time when we've each got to really dig down deep and do it on our own. Nobody else can ultimately make those course-changing decisions for you.
But... at this writing, it happens to be a Sunday. The Lord has called us to an ekklesia. Sometimes you can tap into divine love and wisdom more readily, or in a new way, in an ekklesia. It's a form of loving the neighbor, of seeking conjunction with the good loves and true ideas of other people.
Probably for that very reason, it's a deeply ingrained part of being human. Imagine... human beings have, for tens of thousands of years, been gathered together around campfires - talking, singing, making music, dancing - often seeking the Divine.
