The design
of a space is never neutral; it always communicates some specific value. For
example, what does it say about someone’s values if they set their living room
T.V. off in a corner, while all the furniture is turned towards a window
looking out into the back yard? The way a room is set up communicates certain
values. Physical spaces have a way of shaping our feelings and even behavior.
The church worship gathering is no different. How
we design the physical space of our worship gatherings matter. How
does our gathering space shape us for mission? How does it shape us for
community? We already ask
interrogating questions in relation to preaching since we are so intensely an
information-transaction-culture. Yet we often forget to inspect the mediums we
are using to communicate those messages. What if the medium we use has
a message of its own?
The
very spatial mediums we use to communicate those messages shape and
architect us in powerful ways. In
fact, as a medium, the literal physical spaces we use may actually subvert the
very messages we are preaching. What if the arrangement of spaces are actually
speaking louder than what we are saying in our sermons?
Trained
by the Climate
This
exploration into how physical spaces shape us is called an Ecology of Gathering. Ecology is the branch of biology
that looks at how organisms relate to one another, and to their physical surroundings.
If we apply this field of study to our worship gatherings, then the non-living
components (abiotic) of a worship gathering would be: the stage, the
positioning of the chairs, the instruments, the volume of the instruments, the
symbols, the place where the communicator stands, the video screens, the
lighting, the communion elements etc. The living components (biotic) would be
the people who are present at the gathering, including the collective vibe
created by group dynamics. The premise of an Ecology
of Gathering is that the
non-living components dynamically interact and stimulate the living components
(biotic), creating a living spiritual climate. This climate communicates a
message, and over time, this climate controlled message trains us into a certain
way of thinking and behaving.
The
Early Jesus Movement
The
1st Century Church had an Ecology
of Gathering. Over and
against the Jewish Temple-centered practices and the Greek Mystery Cults of the
first century, there was an Ecology
of Gathering unique to the
early Jesus-followers. The early Church went through a new but vital
transition that did not allow them to rely on public temples as the primary
space for gathering. Meanwhile,
the Mystery cults were primarily clustered together by shared social
interests and were characterized by a volume of impressive rituals. The
early Jesus movement was not bonded together by mere social or political
rituals. In 1 Peter 2:5 we can see the transition from the Old Testament model
where only a certain group of people (Levites)
could dictate the gathering, to a more participatory model where
every person is considered a priest, opening worship up to the priesthood of
all believers. The clearest picture we have of an Ecology of Gathering is found in I Corinthians 10-14. Paul guides the Corinthians into
a rhythm that centers The Lord’s Table, the expression of spiritual
gifts, and the essential-ness of community. Paul was not only concerned
about what they did, he was also concerned about how they did it. As an
architect, Paul was paying attention to an Ecology
of Gathering.
Clash
with Consumerism
The
gathered church does not cultivate an Ecology
of Gathering in a vacuum; it
will always be formed in the midst of the wider culture. Consumerism is the
current we swim in, and is potentially the most exalted god in the Western
context. We must become aware
of how our approach to gathering has been shaped by the dominant cultural
forces. The doctrine of
Consumerism states that whatever dazzles us with words, with personality, with
brilliant production, is worth our time. We measure our experiences by the
immediate emotional return these things offer us. Consumerism is not so much an
action as it is an underlying belief system, a narrative that tells us that meaning
comes from the things we consume; what we take into ourselves. Consumerism sends us hunting for
products that impress, productions that inspire and personalities that
captivate in an effort to deliver us from our unsatisfying and bored existence.
Churches
end up playing into this powerful narrative when they seek to find the relevant
hot-spots for what people want, and then use them to design their “services”
and “market” it to church “shoppers.” The stage, the sermon series, children's ministry that acts more like a glorified Disney Land-type babysitting service, all become covert tools to keep us coming back for more. This places all the emphasis on the
veneer of the gathering not the ethic of the gathering. When we primarily design our gatherings around these
marketplace sensibilities, the controlling questions end up being “Will people
like what we produce?” “Is it quick and easy to access?” “How do we compete
with other “service” providers?” We
have to be cautious about how our gatherings can unknowingly malform
towards consuming spiritual inspiration. Our worship gatherings must
embrace an ecology that introduces frustrations to this stealth, rabid impulse
to consume and judge the “presentation” purely based on how the experience
makes us feel.
Discerning
and Designing
As
an architect of community, you have to begin to grapple with an Ecology of Gathering. This
means asking questions and making choices based on the end goal of re-shaping people into a new narrative of
self-emptying love, others-oriented community and costly mission.
(Philippians 2:1-11) We can no longer simply adopt what has “worked” in the
past, what works at a popular church, or what works down the street. Just
because something appears to be “working” doesn't mean it’s actually
working for the good. The medium is the message, which means every
aspect of your gathering is either supporting your message, or subverting it.
How
can we design our gatherings in ways that build in a measure of resistance to
the cultural forces of consumerism? The following are three overlapping
categories for discerning and
designing that help in the
diagnostics of the Ecology of your Gathering.
Form
·
How is the room arranged?
·
What values does it communicate?
·
What is central in the room? What is peripheral?
·
Is the furniture arranged for consuming or
contributing?
·
How is technology used in the room? What does it
amplify? What does it reduce?
·
Does the room communicate one groups values over
another?
Function
·
What is the purpose of the gathering?
·
Does the order of worship encourage watching or
participating?
·
Does the liturgy perpetuate autonomy or community?
·
Does the content reflect being sent people?
·
Does the communication exalt one person or the
priesthood of believers?
·
Does the worship communicate God’s transcendence and
Immanence?
Frequency
·
How often do you gather for worship? Every week? Every
other Week? Monthly?
·
What does the frequency communicate?
·
How is the frequency of this gathering situated in the
life of daily community?
·
Is this our primary expression of being the church?
·
Is this a service to attract the curious? or to gather
the People of God?
·
Is the marketing around our
gathering sensationalized or over promising?
It
is unhelpful to prescribe exactly how you should construct your worship
gathering. The missional church is not a cut and paste model. As architects of
community, we have to enter into deeper, ongoing reflection as to how the Form, Function and Frequency of our gatherings are
shaping people's imagination about what it means to be the church.
