Where Two or More Are Gathered: The Church We’ve Forgotten
So often in our Western world, we’ve confused “church” with faith. We’ve been taught, sometimes subtly and other times not so subtly, that attending a church building equals having a relationship with God. But when we stop and look at both scripture and our own lived experiences, we begin to see how far we’ve drifted from what was intended.
Many of us especially those who have been hurt, betrayed, or made to feel unworthy, have found “church” spaces to be unsafe.
Somewhere along the way, church became more about performance than presence. More about being told what to believe than being supported as we wrestle with it. And more about a schedule than a sanctuary.
But faith was never meant to be confined to a building or boxed into Sunday mornings.
When Jesus said to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church,”
The word He used wasn’t about a physical structure. The original Greek word in Matthew is ekklesia, which means “called-out ones,” an “assembly” or “gathering.” Not a building but a people. Not passive attendees, but active participants.
What does it mean to be “called out”? Not just from the world, but into something into community, into purpose, into presence with one another. The early ekklesias were gatherings of people coming together to live out the way of Christ daily. Not just to hear a sermon but to live as the body of Christ embodying love, justice, hospitality, and mission.
Scripture paints this picture beautifully:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27
“For just as each of us has one body with many members... so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5
We all have different functions. Different perspectives. Different roles. And just like any meaningful relationship, marriage, friendship, family those differences help us sharpen, grow, and learn.
Ephesians 4:16 in The Passion Translation says it so well:
“For his ‘body’ has been formed in his image and is closely joined.”
This isn’t just spiritual poetry. It reflects a deeper truth about how we are made. Our physiology yes, our very bodies are designed for connection. Our nervous systems crave co-regulation.
The way we experience safety, love, and belonging is through presence. Through eye contact. Through shared space. Through touch. Through being with others.
We are wired for connection. And yet our culture has taught us independence over intimacy, productivity over presence. So many of us live, work, eat, and even worship alone.
But what we often don’t realise is that without this shared connection, we don’t access oxytocin the hormone of trust, bonding, and safety.
Even our energy what we bring into a room, what we offer when we truly show up can be felt. It helps us know we’re not alone. It supports our emotional and physical health. This isn’t just spiritual, it’s scientific.
Connection heals.
So yes, church matters. But not in the way we’ve been sold.
Church is not about being preached at. It’s about being held. It’s about holding space for grief, for celebration, for doubt, for healing. It’s where we come together to remind each other who we are and whose we are. Where we offer physical, emotional, and spiritual shelter to one another.
When Jesus said “where two or more are gathered, there I am,” He was speaking to something holy, something intimate, something accessible.
We are the church. And in this world that so often isolates,
what a beautiful and radical thing it is to show up to gather, to be present, to belong.
Are you longing to connect with other Christian women who desire more than just Sunday faith?
Come join us whether through our Renew Within Retreat or our Gather + Grow community as we return to the heart of church: connection, healing, and walking together in faith.
