What's Attendance Got to Do With It?

[The following is excerpted from the book, Gather: Getting to the Heart of Going to Church, Copyright © 2021 by M. Hopson Boutot. Click here to download the entire book for free.]  

This week on the blog we’ve discussed the sacramental view of preaching espoused by Martin Luther and others. When faithful preachers rightly proclaim God’s Word, God Himself is speaking through the sermon. But what does any of this have to do with showing up to church? What are the implications on church attendance if God has chosen to meet with and speak to His people through the faithful preaching of His Word? 

One implication is clear: every failure to gather with God’s people is a missed opportunity to hear from God. Let that sink in for a moment. God has chosen the sermon as the regular time when He promises to meet with His people. Missing the gathering is missing out on God Himself.

Wait just a minute! What about listening to the recording later? What about the livestream? While sermon recordings and livestreams can be helpful tools to expand the impact of a preacher’s message, I am not alone in wondering what impact this has on the preaching event as a means of grace. Yes, God can still speak through a recorded message. But I’m not sure He does in the same way. 

Can the presence of God in the preaching moment be transmitted via livestream or recording? Can it be paused while you go to the refrigerator for a mid-sermon snack? Can it be muted while you tell your children to sit still and listen? Does God’s presence buffer or lag when the internet connection is poor? Forgive the sarcasm, but I hope you get the point. While modern technologies are beneficial in many ways, they are no substitute for the gathered saints encountering the presence of God through the preached Word. 

If we truly understood what happens when God’s Word is preached, we would treasure the gathering more than we often do. We wouldn’t be like Ferris Bueller, looking for another day off. We would want to attend. We would feel rightly about gathering with God’s people.