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What is the difference in meaning between the following sentence?
I am in church.
I am in a church.
I am at church.
I am at a church.
I am aware that in a church means being inside the building called church. And being at church can mean near a church or inside church. And being at church means being in attendance in your local church. What is the difference between in church and at church?
"In church" and "at church" both idiomatically mean that you are attending a church service. It may also be assumed that you are at the church you normally attend. The word "church" can refer to a specific building, but it can also refer to the religious organisation as a whole.
"In a church" means that you inside a church building. As it uses the indefinite article, it could be any church building at all.
"At a church" means you are in the general vicinity of a church building - possibly inside it, but possibly just outside. Again, it could be any church.
