Presence, Absence, And Church Online

by Travis Lowe on March 25, 2020

Over the last five to seven years, I've been fascinated by the Lord's Supper. As I've gone through graduate school, I've looked for every conceivable opportunity to write about this topic. My co-workers can attest to the fact that a sure-fire way to get me distracted and off-topic is to bring it up. As I've studied, read, and wrestled with all that scripture says, I've become convinced that The Lord's Supper is more than just a convenient method of remembering Jesus.

In some mysterious way, Christ is spiritually present in the bread and in the cup. It seems like the only way to make sense of all that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:14-21. At the table, through the power of the Spirit, we encounter the risen Christ in a way that would not otherwise occur. This is why those who approach the table in an unworthy manner are in very real danger, according to 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. The fancy theological term for this is, "Spiritual Presence."

But 1 Corinthians 11 also forces me to acknowledge that Jesus is absent in some way. I cannot affirm the view of my Roman Catholic friends. How can we celebrate the Lord's supper, "Until he comes again" when he is fully present at the table in front of us? The spiritual presence of Jesus at the communion table should also fill our hearts with longing for the day when he is once again among us, and can wipe every tear from our eye. One thousand communion tables is no substitute for the physical presence of Jesus.

So the supper works in at least in two ways, we encounter Christ by the Spirit, but it also teaches us to long for his bodily presence. It brings comfort and it fills us with a yearning for something more concrete.

Which brings me to our present cultural moment. For the second week in a row we have gathered around our computer screens and worshipped from our homes.

As a staff, we have been so unbelievably encouraged to see our church unite online. We're lucky to live in an age where the body of Christ can engage with one another in the midst of an unprecedented level of isolation. What we are experiencing right now is of historical significance. I'm inclined to think that when the next round of church history textbooks are written, March 22, 2020 will be an important day. It will be the day that Christians the world over were unable to gather together physically.

Of course, there were times in the past when Christians were kept apart. This separation came as a result of famine, disease, persecution, or just plain old mileage. It is here that believers have Been comforted by the mysterious unity of the church, which cannot be severed by time or by distance. That’s what Paul had in mind when he told the Church in Colossians that though he was absent from them in the body, he was present with them in Spirit, and rejoiced to see them growing in grace. No doubt many of us have felt that unity over the past few weeks, as we interacted with brothers and sisters, and worshipped in our living rooms alongside Christians across the city.

At the same time, Paul understood that his spiritual presence with other believers was no substitute for his physical presence. This is why he can tell the churches in Rome, Philippi, and even Timothy that he longed to see them face to face. Yes, he was with them in Spirit, but the Christian life is more than spiritual, it is physical. Our faith is not disembodied, how could it be when our Lord was raised bodily from the dead?

Which brings us to the meeting point between online service and the Lord's supper. When we gather around the table, the spiritual presence of Christ is meant to both comfort us and offer a foretaste of the day when Jesus will be physically among us once again. What might it look like for us to adopt the same perspective when we gather around the computer? Certainly, doing church online is not the same thing as a sacrament. But I've found my own heart following a similar pattern every time I log on to stream our service. As we join in together in worship digitally, we enjoy the comfort of the spiritual unity we have as the body of Christ. But it should also fill our hearts with longing for the day when this pandemic has passed, and we can be together once again physically. It's something to consider as you and your family join us for worship this weekend from your living rooms.

That screen in front of you is a sign of the church's spiritual unity; no disease or distance can separate us from one another.  Yet, it should also fill your heart with a deep desire to gather once more in the house of the Lord, with all God’s people and sing his praises anew.  

Let’s pray for that day to come quickly

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