Gathering: A Verb

I love that the powers that be have retained the title "Gathering" for what the ELCA does each year at these things. Often it is described as "the Gathering," as in a noun, which is fine. However, I like to think of it more as a verb.

We gather, we assemble, we constitute the church as we gather as the church in San Antonio from all over the nation.

The word coined in the New Testament to describe the gathering of the church, indeed the church itself, is ekklesia, meaning "assembly." It is the same word used for public gatherings, such as a town meeting.

As we assemble from near and far and descend on this part of Texas, we do what Christians do best, we gather, we assemble as church. We are Tex-Ekk (Texas Ekklesia).