On my way home each day I pass by a house that has a volleyball net in the front yard. Volleyball is a game that
requires multiple players for it to make sense. I’ve never seen an individual serving and returning the ball to
himself at that (or any other) volleyball net. Sure there are times someone may work on a particular skill or
movement while alone, but to play the game requires more participants.
Over the past two millennia, we see among faithful believers a pattern of obediently and expectantly gathering
weekly for prayer, singing, instruction in the Word of God, and building of fellowship among believers (see
Colossians 3:16-17; Ephesians 5:19; Hebrews 10:22-25; 1 Corinthians 14:12 – 26). The desire of those early
believers and even contemporary followers of Christ is that together we would receive and respond to
the revelation of God in the Scriptures resulting in the edification of the saints and the exaltation and exultation of
Christ.
Those of us who are called as followers of Christ are called to walk in this pattern of life together. We see this
pattern most faithfully lived out in our weekly worship gathering. Old Testament scholar Allen Ross has stated,
“One of the most frequent occasions in which He [God] has made Himself known by coming near to us has been
and still is in corporate worship.”
Eastmont faith family, we have been called to worship together for the glory of God and the edification of one
another. Let us then walk according to the pattern laid out before us.