Spaces of Worship
Posted on Apr 16, 2024 by Laura Cooper
Recently I came back from a trip to New Orleans. I have been there many times in the past but never really paid attention to all the different worship spaces in that city. The old historic churches in the downtown area are beautiful, with large brick exteriors and beautiful stained-glass windows.
However, just because these buildings are amazing on the outside does not mean they are full of church members on the inside. As I was paying attention to these beautiful structures, I also noted many tiny storefronts downtown that designated a house of worship. People were lining up to attend just the same as they would in a large worship space.
In our travels around the Gulf Coast area on the outskirts of New Orleans we saw morning church services on the beach. Holy Communion being served from a small round table with a colorful cloth. Baptisms being performed in the ocean in very chilly waters. People looking amazingly comfortable with the fact that this is their church home, this vast beach, ocean, and sand that God created.
We also know that people worship with others in home environments, schools, and sometimes just where they can find a vacant space. Although we think it should be designed with consideration of how the public will relate to the space when building a church, that is not feasible in most situations. The people who attend church are God’s children. They are coming to the space to worship God and to have fellowship with fellow congregants. You can form a worship space that is meaningful to all participants. It is not really about the walls but what is going on inside those walls that is important.
On that given day I saw more people worshiping at the storefront churches than at the beautiful historic tall churches. That proves again that the people make up the church.
Laura Cooper
Salem Office Administrator