Christians have always worshipped indoors: interesting, since Jesus taught out of doors, our devotion to creation, and our mission to go "out" into the world. Jesus said "Go into your closet to pray" (Matthew 6:6). We need a closed in space, not merely as shelter from the elements, but to shut out the glare and racket of the world, to focus, the shut-inness not shut-in at all, but the required opening into God's atmosphere, the way the children in The Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe went into the wardrobe which surprisingly opened out into the magical land of Narnia.
Early on, Christians worshipped in catacombs (a grave being the closest place on earth to heaven), then in massive basilicas with glowing mosaics, soaring gothic stone shrouding stained glass, an A-frame on a country road, a storefront with a framed print of Jesus tacked up front, a converted factory in China. Every worship space is beauty, just as a Rembrandt and your child's coloring are both "art."
What goes on in the worship space? It's a reception hall, a classroom, a coliseum where we celebrate a victory, a locker room where we strategize what we'll do out in the field. We call it a "sanctuary," which is a hint that this is a "safe place." We are safe in God's presence, we can be honest, we can express emotion, and love. There is a vertical and a horizontal dimension (and worship strikes a delicate balance between the two): Worship is about God, so we kneel in hushed reverence; and worship is about a community gathered, so we hold hands in joyful friendship.
What's in the room? What isn't? You don't bring a cell phone or a handgun. What about an American flag? Maybe not, if the flag stands as a rival to God's kingdom; but maybe so if we long for our nation to submit to God's will and judgment. What about the tattered carpet you'd never tolerate in your living room? Isn't our goal to "give of your best to the Master"? The best excellence we can muster is the goal: so maybe you dress respectfully, wearing your "Sunday best."
Who's in the room, and who isn't? Are we mirror images of each other? or do we glimpse the diversity of God's kingdom? Are we merely "friendly" with each other? or do we exercise a holy "hospitality," zealous to include the outsider, the people nobody else wants? ...and so maybe you dress down a little so the unchurched or the poor, might not feel intimidated.
Worship space is all about God's presence, invoked, expected, noticed. God is everywhere, but focused into a palpable intensity when we gather. "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:20). "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place" (Genesis 28:16). "In this very room there's quite enough love for one like me... and there's quite enough hope and quite enough power to chase away any gloom; Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus is in this very room" (Ron Harris). And since the Lord Jesus is in this room, we are reverent, we are warm to each other, we wink, our chattiness subsides, as together we wait in humble, joyful expectation for his words, his healing, his sending us out...
James
james@mpumc.org
Coming up:
eWorship9 - Teach us to Worship
eWorship10 - Praise
eWorship11 - Giving Thanks
eWorship12 - The Offering
The complete eWorship series may be found on our web site.
