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As a kid, I loved church. Bill Parker - an airline pilot with Ansett - used to draw pictures of planes for me and secretly pass them back through the pew. I bounced from one person to the other after the service soaking up the fellowship. For me, it was all about relationships and meeting together was the best way to develop them. My theology may have needed some tweaking but my experience of church told me it was about people! Whilst the Greek word for "church" (ekklesia) literally means; assembly / gathered, congregation or council - many wonder why translators' chose the word "church" as an English equivalent.   The word "church" is from the Old English word cirice which (in turn was from the West Germanic Kirika from the Greek kuriake) meaning "of the Lord".   It was probably a shortening of kuriake oikia meaning "congregation of the Lord". Whilst there didn't seem to be an exact equivalent, translators were keen to capture both elements.

We can learn at least two things from their efforts.   Firstly, we are defined by our coming together - the unity of two or three gathering - more than the actual place or time. Secondly, we belong to the Lord.   Whilst we may or may not own the "space" where we meet (the bible seems to be silent about this as a preference) we know we are never to be owned.   Why? Because we belong to our Lord.

Since the bible is essentially a book about relationships - God with people and people with one another - it's perhaps not surprising that a lot of meeting goes on.  Adam and Eve had a regular meeting with God and they would walk together through the garden in the cool of the evening.   No mention that it was planned but certainly it was anticipated.   Then, there was the Tent of Meeting (early Tabernacle) where meetings were frequently scheduled.   So, meeting together is as old as time itself.

Of course, there was that time when Adam and Eve hid.   Their anticipation of that particular meeting was one of dread.   Why? Things were not right in the relationship.   The easiest solution (in their minds) was to avoid meeting together.   Avoidance it seems is also as old as time itself.  

 

As a kid my focus was mainly on what I received - I've since discovered the joy of giving in relationships. Building others up or as the Apostle Paul would say, "edify". Imagine a church where -whether we had arranged to meet or we "ran into one another" - we were all totally focused on how we could build one another up. Each meeting becoming an opportunity to bless others. Let it be Lord.