Home » Thoughts for the Week » Who or what are we gathered around? (18 August)

Who or what are we gathered around? (18 August)

It was like a scene from a science fiction movie with a group of apparently unconnected people gathering on a remote beach just before sunset and looking out to sea, waiting for something to happen.

We had made the 30-minute drive from Inverness and arrived at 8.30pm, before joining the others on the beach at Chanonry Point. Our arrival time had been planned carefully as we wanted to arrive 1 hour after low tide, and we had even cut short a visit to some nearby waterfalls to get to the beach at this exact time.

We had travelled to Chanonry Point to see dolphins and while they can appear there at any time of the day, they are most likely to be seen as the tide turns and they start to chase fish in.

Unfortunately for us, it was getting dark when we first spotted a dolphin fin in the distance and so on this occasion, we didn’t get to see the dolphins up close ☹.

As I stood waiting, I was struck by the random nature of the group of people that we found ourselves in. We were a group of strangers drawn by the opportunity to see dolphins only a few metres away.

I was thinking about this a few days ago and it led me to consider who or what what we are gathered around as church. Jesus said that where 2 or 3 people are gathered in his name that he is in the midst. I don’t think that Jesus was saying that if there are at least 2 of us then he will turn up and incidentally, we really need to stop using language that says that we are coming into God’s presence when we gather to worship! I believe that Jesus was reminding his disciples that when they gathered that they should remember who they are gathered around.

Who or what do we gather around?

What is our purpose when we gather (either online or onsite) as church? What draws us? Are we gathering with friends and acquaintances? Are we gathering for a good sing? Are we gathering to learn more about the Bible? Ate we gathering for some free childcare?

It strikes me that unless our primary reason for gathering is to look to and listen to Jesus in the midst then we have really missed the point. When we gather, it is easy to place the emphasis on what we want when we should be looking to Jesus and listening to him.

Gathering together around Jesus is important and, in our interactions, we will learn and grow more, but only if we keep the focus on Him.

When you meet with God’s gathered people, what is your purpose for joining? I hope it is for some of the other reasons that I mentioned, but it if looking to Jesus in the midst isn’t at the top of our list then it’s time to reconsider our priorities.