Lack of God? I don’t think so. God says clearly that he’s everywhere. What’s lacking is the people of God responding to God: are we praying, do we have faith, are we being diligent in the “mechanics” of church building such as follow-up, hospitality, teaching, encouragement, do we tithe?
And yes, there are plenty of christians who (for whatever reason, laziness, apathy, lack of vision etc) don’t seem to want growth.

I think that the question is worded wrongly. I do not believe that God is not present in church because he is not ‘invited’ to church. He is not some emotional wreck who feels left out because we have forgotten to invite him. His word says that when two or three are gathered, then he is there. It does not say if two or three are gathered…and he is invited!

I think that the problem does not rest with programs or the ‘mechanics’ of church (”hospitality, teaching, encouragement, do we tithe?”) but rather with the human construct which we has surrounded ourselves with. We are more concerned with having the latest greatest service to attract the people to come to our services. We are more concerned about how many people are filling seats than how many people are absent. People do not come to church because we try to entertain. We call it many things, be it ’seeker sensitive’ or whatever. We try to attract. We put on the glitz and the glam. We try to put on our best clothes, have the best band singing the lastest christian worship, with the funniest and most engaging sermons.
Sorry guys, but that just isnt going to cut it in the real world. I know some people come and are saved, but the truth is that we cannot compete with the world. The worlds glitz and glamour is much more enticing. The good thing for us is that we are not called to compete. Whilst our programmes and ’seeker senstive’ services may work for some, the truth is that the Gospel is an offense to the world. People reject it because it does not make sense.
We need to be building strong relationships. That cannot happen for a few hours on Sunday. How can we hope to get to know someone when we are passivley sitting in a service, not interacting with those around us. Church services these days are by and large an individual affair. I connect with God… I worship God… The pastor really spoke to me…etc. It is only for about the last half hour or so we connect with those around us, and then thats it for another week.
We need to be connecting with people outside of ‘church’. Building and forming relationships with people. In fact, I’ll be bold and say that someone should be pretty well already saved by the time he comes to ‘church’.
Also our services need to change and be more interactive. Less performance and more relational. Could you imagine what would happen if the whole service was about people getting to know people, instead of the 2 minutes between worship and announcements?
I do not see the church of the New Testament reflected very well in the church we have today. The church of today has been overly influenced by the world, to the point where it is exceptionally compromised. We have big time preachers reducing the gospel to feelings and self esteem. ‘Getting what you want out of life is God’s purpose’ they would say. What a load of rubbish!!
Lets get back the bible, and teach what it teaches. Lets get relational, because thats where God is. He is not in the programs, the seminars or the structures which we have created. If God is not in our churches, then maybe our churches are not relational. If God is not where we are, who moved? It is a question worth asking ourselves.

I think, Jermayn, that you made a distiction that is not there. It seems that you make a distiction between God at ‘church’ when he is ‘invited’, and God at other times.
I would assume that you believe that God is with you always, where ever you are, no matter what you are doing. If you really, truly believe that, then God is at the football game, even when the Eagles lose Jesus did not wait to be invited anywhere before he did things. He did what his Fathers will. That is to say, before he did anything, he looked to the Father.
The danger I see is when we make God sacred and seperate and only accessable at certain times. Our lives should be lived according to how our Father directs us.
Could you imagine what would happen if – to carry on the analogy- we ‘took’ Jesus to the footy with us. I certainly think that God can work through us in life as we live it. I think that God is there when we beleivers are gathered at a footy match. If we lived each moment thinking how we can minister Jesus to these people around me now, instead of wondering how we can get these people to church so they can meet God, I think we would really see people come to faith in Jesus.
You said that ‘Its when you are gathered together in the one accord that God moves.’ I couldnt agree more. Let me take that up a notch. Imagine if the ‘one accord’ was everyday andin everything that we do. I dnot think anyone will acheive this 100% of the time, but imagine if it was 80-90% instead of only at ‘church’ or ‘christian’ gatherings. I think we would touch a lot more people and also I think it would be live closer to how Jesus wants us to live. Rob Bell put it this way- Everything is Spiritual