Is it fine to worship online?

This may be your summer vacation plan. You look at your destination, and you discover no churches close by that share your public confession of faith. What do you do? You could use your regular style of family devotion or even prepare a special Sunday morning family worship service with materials from your pastor. But you might also gather around a computer and watch the service from your home church, even singing the hymns because the service folder is online.

You are worshiping the Lord, and you are doing it online.

Would it be fine if we always worshiped online?

Building a Christian family

Some don’t have a choice because health keeps them from traveling to church. They thank the Lord for visits from their pastor or fellow members, but for regular Sunday worship, they see technology as a gift from God.

But what if someone is able to come to church but just prefers worshiping online instead of being together with other people?

We all have different personalities. Some prefer being alone, while others thrive when surrounded by others. When we think of coming together as a Christian family, however, there is something more in play than just personality preferences.

The Christian family is the focus of Ephesians chapter 4. In that chapter the apostle Paul explains that the Christian family has a purpose. Since the lies of the devil surround us in so many ways, Christians serve the family by speaking the truth in love to one another. As Christians serve one another in that way, the members of the Christian family grow even closer to Christ. Yes, from Jesus “the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).

Speaking God’s truths

Each part works to serve the larger body of believers. This work is a speaking work.

Christians do many things to serve one another, but speaking the truth of God’s Word is of central importance. Christians have conversations. Christians can speak to other Christians in a Bible study. Christians stand around in the back of church after worship, asking brothers or sisters in Christ how they are doing, hearing fears and sharing comfort. Christians run into each other in the parking lot after church, finding that a quick good-bye can turn into a few more minutes, some words of encouragement, and a more optimistic look on the week to come.

God is using Christians to build one another up.

Yes, it is important to grow in your own personal faith. Yes, it is a joy for you as an individual to hear godly instruction in a sermon or Bible study. You are a receiver of God’s truth, but you are also a speaker of it. You are a gift to your Christian family, speaking God’s truth in love so that your Christian friends are not tricked by every wind of false teaching and by the “cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

But that makes me feel like I need to know a lot about the Bible. Isn’t the pastor best positioned to speak God’s truth to Christians?

Actually, the pastor does have a very important role. His job is to equip you to be a speaker of God’s truth to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have you thought of yourself that way? When you go to church, do you think of yourself as the one who is going to do the talking? When you go to church, are you looking to connect with fellow Christians, discover what they might be struggling with, and kindly speak a word of God’s truth?

But what if I really don’t feel equipped? What if I don’t feel qualified?

As a child of God who knows what Christ has done for you, you already have much to share. At the same time, what a blessing that you can make personal study of the Bible a regular part of each day.

What a blessing that sermons in person and devotions online are there to help you grow. What a gift that Bible studies with gifted leaders open doors for your tough questions, preparing you to answer someone else’s tough questions.

That growth in God’s Word is critical for your own personal battles against the sinful flesh. But those words of God do something more. They equip you to proclaim God’s truth to fellow members of your Christian family.

Connecting in person

But if the question is whether I can worship online instead of in person, can’t I encourage a fellow Christian remotely? Can’t I use e-mail or send a text?

Of course.

But there is something special about being in the same place.

Grandparents realize this. If the choice is between a video call or being with grandchildren in person, it’s not a choice. Young people who are dating realize this. Technology is awesome, but when they have the chance, they want to talk in person. Technology is powerful, but it does not replace the uniqueness of being in the same place with another human being.

So many doors can open when you are looking someone in the eye. So many subtle feelings can become obvious when you’re having a conversation face-to-face. So much Christian love can be shown when humans are together.

This dilemma of technology over physical presence is not new to the 21st century. The apostle Paul had technology too. He was able to connect with believers far away through the technology of letter writing, but he did not see high tech as the ultimate. “Out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).

Our enemy does not want us to connect with fellow believers. We, on the other hand, can’t wait to be with each other. We can’t wait to hear their encouragement and offer the same back to them. We rejoice to hear the Word with them, to receive the Lord’s Supper with them, to experience life with them.

We want to grow with them, as each part of the family shares with each other God’s truth spoken in love.

Technology is powerful, but it does not replace the uniqueness of being in the same place with another human being. . . . Christian love can be shown when humans are together.

If you’re going on vacation, thank the Lord for the online option. But even on vacation, look for the chance to worship in person with brothers and sisters. Then, when you’re back home in your own congregation, look for those who might seem alone. Be brave and share a kind word with them. Think through how your congregation can make it easier for relationships to develop so that more Christian encouragement can happen. Finally, grow in your own understanding of Scripture, so that when you do have the chance to speak to a fellow believer, your words are powerful truths that shine light on the love of Christ.

Distance sometimes separates us. What a blessing when the body of Christ comes together.

Ask a question at forwardinchrist.net/submit.

Author: Stephen Geiger
Volume 113, Number 07
Issue: July 2026