I love church buildings. When Robin and I travel, we always stop along the way to dash into a church. I love the smell. I love the way the light dances across the altar. I love the way the pews are worn down from generations of worshippers sitting, squirming, and (if we’re honest) sometimes even sleeping.
But there are things that concern me when I visit churches. Sometimes
I wonder: is the church more of a museum these days (with very limited hours)
or a mission outpost?
There was a time when the church building was the only
community space in a town, so it was a vibrant gathering space. People knew it
was the safe home to go to when the place you lived wasn’t safe. People came to
find solace as well as challenge as they deepened their discipleship. They came
to dream of ways to put their faith in action, to be a healing force for those
who were hurting, a movement for justice for those who experienced oppression
and injustice, a place where the redemptive love of Christ was experienced in
tangible ways.
COVID taught us that vibrant ministry can happen without a
building. In fact, we in the Mountain Sky Conference are now worshipping more
online than in person.
What does this mean for the future church? What will we
leave the generations that will come after us? Someone was thinking of us when
they broke new ground, although they couldn’t imagine the world we would currently
inhabit. What is the new thing we need to create, for the sake of our children’s
children? How will we shape a church that is less a museum of antiques and more
a place (whatever that place might look like) where wounded souls find healing
and peace through the love of God?
Let’s dream together!
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