The Space Where We Gather

The congregation I serve got its start in a movie theatre.

Back when businesses closed on Sundays and posters of pouty starlets were considered racy, a group of about 50 Presbyterian Christians -- who seemed dramatically different back then from Lutheran Christians or Methodist Christians -- met in the Centre Theatre. They covered the movie posters with dark cloth so that nobody would think impure thoughts at the sight of Lauren Bacall's sultry stare or Johnny Weissmuller's loincloth.

Although we don't use screens in our 1950s-built Colonial sanctuary, I could make a good case based on our history. "But it's tradition!" I could say.

I once knew of a church that started in a funeral home. Whether the pastor developed the look of a sad sack undertaker after years of preaching among corpses, or whether he had always looked like an undertaker, was hard to say. But the ambiance didn't exactly set an upbeat tone.

I always thought that churches starting in bar-b-que barns and steak houses would have that certain something -- like the smell of ribs and sirloin -- that might attract people. Donut shops would also be a draw, but it would be tricky finding one with free space on Sunday mornings.

People worshipping in school settings might be predisposed to learning and in VFW buildings they might absorb patriotism along with The Word. But I prefer the idea of worshipping in a spa or an amphitheatre. Something relaxing and breezy.

Our church playground lost a 50 year old strong-as-a-tanker swing set over the summer when a tree fell on it. Some of us wish the tree had hit the church roof. Something nice and obliterating.

We worship in a beautiful building. We also meet, pray, learn, teach, store things, and hang out there. But it takes lots of our money and loads of our energy. While I want to ponder The of Reign of God, I'm forced to ponder carpet samples and asbestoes abatement and drainage tests. I wonder about Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC which -- without a building of its own -- meets in several places along Central Park West.

The building is not the church -- we all know that -- but we forget. It's supposed to be a tool for ministry so that we might create a haven for spiritual and community activities. I'm trying to figure out new ways we can remember this.

Other things to remember: where we learn about the culture is also where we must learn about Paul and Abraham and Mary Magdalene and of course Jesus. We once learned "All About Eve" or "Where the Sidewalk Ends" in the same place where we learned about the biblical Eve or the biblical Thomas (as opposed to Karl Malden's Thomas).

Anybody have a good catalogue for tasteful screens?