““You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. “And you shall tear down their altars and shatter their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut the graven images of their gods in pieces and destroy their name from that place. “You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God. “But you shall seek Yahweh at the place which Yahweh your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. “And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock……“You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;” (Deuteronomy 12:2–6,8 LSB) https://accordance.bible/link/read/LSB#Deut._12:2

It was a common thing for men to worship their god wherever and however seemed appropriate to them. I suppose that is still true of so very many today. This is not the One True God’s way. Israel, and Christians, are to worship God where and how He determines. Certainly, we may pray, read and study the Scriptures whenever and wherever we are, and we should, but we are not to be isolated self-sufficient worshippers of God. And this is the point of God’s command. God calls Himself Father and us His children. The Father desires His children to come to His house weekly, to gather for encouragement of each other in their most holy faith and to praise Him together, acknowledging the goodness of their Father and their great love for Him as well as His love for them. Covid restrictions isolated the people of God far too much and for far too long. Some have chosen to stay isolated, doing ‘church’ at home. We cannot do church at home for this is not God’s way. God’s way is for God’s people to gather, to hear the word proclaimed together so together they can obey the word. They are to break bread together, remembering together the work of their Savior so that they can together rejoice in His work. They are to encourage one another, to pray for one another, and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. The church meeting together is essential for the healthy Christian life and all who call themselves Christians are to gather with those who do the same.