Does the room matter?

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
Our church sanctuary is undergoing "sprucing up" - the walls are getting a coat of new paint and the carpet is being stretched. The painters are using special acoustic paint which will allow the sound to reverberate more effectively in the room. While that is going on, we are having the Sunday morning service in the Social Hall. What can be learned by worshipping outside the usual place -- outside the Sanctuary?

• That we can sing hymns without the organ.
• That the choir can offer a wonderful anthen without choir robes.
• That the acolytes can stumble through lighting the candles in their "street clothes."
• That we can hear the Word of God sitting in a regular chair rather than a pew.
• That our offerings can be made with only four ushers.
• That children can still have a "moment" in the worship service while sitting on the tile floor with the pastor.
• That we seem to laugh more easily, applaud more readily, and actually shout out, "Amen" in the Social Hall. Why is that?

What can be learned from having church in a different place that the usual Sanctuary? That God will be with us, even if we worship in a different place. That God doesn't need "reverberating paint" to make himself heard. His presence bounces off our hearts -- reflecting from one of us to the next -- with no special equipment necessary.

The lectionary reading today includes the lines from 1 Samuel 16:7b:

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
I love our Sanctuary, and I'll be glad when the painting is done and the carpet is stretched so that we can go back to worshipping in that lovely room again. In the meantime, it is certainly a blessing to know that God will follow us wherever we go. It's a gift that He doesn't care what the room looks like or what kind of chairs we use. He is only concerned with the heart of our worship. And so far, the heart of that worship is alive and well.

Image: We ate breakfast on the patio of the Sea Captain's House one morning on vacation. Growing near the doorway to their "backyard" was this beautiful flower.