You can see them on the floors of convenient stores, supermarkets, doctor’s offices and churches. Old “social distancing” signs reminding you to stay 6 feet apart from other people. Funny how quickly those signs have become relics of another age.

Well, I’m here today to promote the latest rage: Social Closenessing.

It’s the exact opposite of social distancing. The goal is to get as many people all together in one place as possible.

I’m talking about church. In a building. In person. All in one place.

The Holy Spirit is kind of finicky. That’s what I’ve decided. Sometimes it only takes 2 or 3 for the Holy Spirit to do its thing, but other times it takes everybody together in one place. So which is it? How many does it actually require to be a church?

The answer? 2 or 3.

But the next question is–how many does it require to be a thriving, growing church? To that I would say as many as possible. All gathered together in one place.

Let’s face it, most churches haven’t bounced back after Covid. In person attendance is frequently a fraction of what it once was. Some of that is because people just got out of the habit of coming to church, so they drifted away. Some of it is that people got into the habit of watching church online in their jammies.

What will it take to bring everybody back? Maybe nothing will. Christendom is in a different place than it once was, and we should face the facts. Except that I don’t want to.

I want to raise the roof with singing. I want to shake so many hands that I get sore. I want to hear a congregation laugh, or wipe a tear, and feel the power of many people experiencing God together.

That’s what I want. But not just for me. I want that for the Kingdom. I want us to all be together, as much as possible. I think we need that.

So I’m asking you, who enjoy rolling out of bed and turning on morning services, what would it take to get you to set your alarms on Sunday morning and roll into church? Better coffee? Terrific nursery? The best sermons you’ve ever heard?

Well…we’ll work on those, I promise. But the main reason to be together is because that’s what magnifies the power of the Holy Spirit. Physical bodies in the same physical space getting physical about praising God.

Sorry if I sound like I’m nagging. That isn’t my intent, I promise. I’m happy that people are tuning in online, if that’s the way they have to do it. But social closenessing is the concept that we should try to be at least within 6 feet of each other. It’s a way of life that we shouldn’t let slip away from us.

So here’s your invitation: Would you come back to church? Please?

We won’t be putting signs on the floor advertising social closenessing.

Instead, we’ll come together

to be the sign.

Have a great week,

Mitch