Throughout my time at Mosaic, I’ve loved the first Sunday in a new space. Now, I don’t want to deceive you. It’s always a stressful morning. What I’ve learned through four building moves is that, no matter how much preparation and thought you put in ahead of time, you never quite know exactly what you’re getting into until you are in the space trying to run a worship service. But, I can honestly remember that each time I’ve stood up to lead worship on a first Sunday, regardless of whatever happened that morning, I’m filled with a unique hope, peace, and joy.
Why? I’ve been wondering about that myself.
Throughout God’s story, he has always chosen a place to dwell with his people: a garden, a tabernacle, a temple. Where does God dwell today? Ephesians 2 says that we, as the local church, are “members of the household of God.” That, in Christ, we “are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
So, why do I love these early Sundays in a new space? I think it’s because they provide a unique opportunity to come face-to-face with why we are even doing this whole thing—setting up signs and sound systems and kids ministries, and braving arctic storms—in the first place. With little familiarity, little comfort, and very few things put together exactly right, the only thing you and I have is the essential reality of what is happening when we gather. And it is a glorious reality!
Simply put, here’s that reality: Each Sunday, we gather in God’s house.
Not because of the gifts a new space offers us. And not in spite of what we may miss from a previous location. And not because the preaching, songs, or sound mix were perfect. All of those things are appropriate to consider and have their place, but they’re not the reasons that statement is true.
We are invited to come to God’s house each Sunday because, in the fullness of time, Jesus first came to us and “tabernacled” among us (John 1). Because he poured out his blood to cleanse us from sin. Because, his torn body tore the veil to the holy place. Because he raised us from our spiritual death and filled us with his Spirit.
1 Peter 2 says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people.” That is your story and mine. For each one of us, there was a day when God looked at a hopeless, orphaned, undeserving wretch and said, “You. I want to live with you.”
This is the story we get to remember, rehearse, and delight in when we gather on Sundays. Maybe you’ve grown numb to that story, and your affections cold. I’ve been there too. His mercies are new every morning, and I think a new space and a new year provide a new opportunity to behold and believe the good news.
In this new space, let’s recommit—to God, to one another, and to ourselves—to come each week prayerful, expectant, and (most of all) very, very needy for grace.
