Church - Sunday only?

Last week at 'connecT' we kicked around the idea of church gathering on any day, at any time. Some churches are gathering on Friday or Saturday nights; others during the week at lunchtime. Does church have to be on a Sunday? Some say yes; others, maybe not. If the basis of church is 'when 2 or 3 are gathered' does that have to be on Sunday morning. Did Jesus set a special time? I don't think so. With the society around us having moved to 24/7 activity, work and entertainment, it seems odd that the church keeps to a rural time frame from another era. But, on the other hand, with all this frenetic activity, is the concept of 'sabbath - 24 hours of rest, relaxation and worship' being lost. Who sets the agenda for 'sabbath' keeping, church (or synagogue, mosque, temple - depending upon your faith) or world? And what about community? How do we gather together as one church - albeit a bit factionalised anyway - when we gather separately in smaller more specialised groups? Is the church in danger of even more fragmentation. Good questions; no immediate answers. However, you might have some. What do you think?

The Church

Over the last few weeks at 'connecT' we have been looking at what it means to be church and where the 'emergent church' fits into the discussion. Some in my tradition (Anglican) say it is not really church because it sits loose with denominational ties and clergy, and encourages strong lay leadership and decision making. Others find it a bit uncomfortable because it is seen to be loose with the christian tradition, scripture and liturgy. Others, like me, see it as a global expression of the search for a deeper ecclesial experience that is not stitched up over rules and regulations. By the way, I love the Anglican tradition, being a priest and working within denominational structures, but, at the same time, there is always room for a creative response to the Holy Spirit as it blows where it wills (Jn 3:8) and thinking about what the Spirit might be saying to the churches (Rev 2: 7).

But, what is church for you? 2 or 3 gathered, or more?

Chris