In my first real swim practice – the kind that makes you think you might take up some other hobby – my coach stopped me and asked a question: “When your face is in the water, are you holding your breath?” I hadn’t thought about it, but I told him, yes, I had been.

He noticed this because in the half-second I was turning to breathe, I was exhaling and inhaling. “You don’t have time for both, Casey! You don’t hold your breath when you run. Don’t hold your breath when you swim. Swimming 101!”

My fundamentals were off and I never would have noticed. I would have struggled to improve as a swimmer without fixing the basics.

This morning, we are gathering for worship in the fellowship room while some needed repairs and improvements are taking place upstairs. The seats will be different; the sound will be different. In many ways it will not feel like church.

It is at these unique times that we should be asking, “What do we need for a time of worship? What takes this from a few dozen people hanging out together into an assembly that pleases God?” These questions help us get back to basics:

1. We gather in the name of Jesus. In a moment of teaching that focused beyond the apostles to the time of the church, Jesus reminds his followers, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20, ESV) Many groups meet every week, but this group gathers to honor one man as Lord and Savior.
2. We gather around the Lord’s Table. Following the example of the early church (I Corinthians 11:17-34), we include a remembrance of Jesus’ death in the form of the bread and the cup. His sacrifice for us is the rich center of who we are as God’s forgiven children.
3. We gather to sing. We lift up our voices in praise to God for all of the reasons we find in His Word. Some songs help us consider biblical truths. Other songs urge us to take action. God does not seem to care about technical perfection, but about the heart.
4. We gather to pray. Assemblies in the early church were times of prayer (Acts 4:23-31, 12:12). We pray together for encouragement, guidance, and to offer praise.
5. We gather to learn. The first Christians learned from the apostles (Acts 2:42), Paul (Acts 20:7), and others (II Timothy 4:2). We are not the church unless we are allowing God’s Word to speak to us, transform us, and give us the assurance we need.
6. We gather to give. Paul describes giving as a fragrant offering we make to God (Philippians 4:18). This sacrificial language is fitting – with cheerful hearts, we give back to God as a sign of gratitude and adoration.

These are the basics. No matter where we gather, no matter where we sit, the essentials of worship transform a simple group of people into the worshiping church. Our aim is to please Him. Let’s get back to basics.