Kristin, thanks for this. I think we do get caught up assuming that God spawns from our image rather than us being a sliver of who God is. While we strive to be Godly or Holy (the same thing)  our maturity produces only a brighter reflection of who God is, not a duplicate. Our love may do great things, but God's love does things that are unimaginable and  God's love is as eternal sustainability as compared to our flighty emotionality that we sometimes pass off as love.  

I do think that God wants us in the local church - ekklesia - it doesn't need to be weekly, on Sunday, or in a "church" building, but we are called to regularly gather, worship and fellowship collectively. It gives proper systematic to the way we all grow in who God is, connects us with the walks of other men and women of faith and also reminds us that our faith is personal, but by no means private. 

I think the slight guilt you felt was guilt not from God, but residue from being socialized to see Christian fellowship as a Sunday morning stint. 

Have you read "Pagan Christianity"? If not, I think you should take a look at it.