How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! (Psalm 84)
I've been in any number of church buildings and sanctuaries. I've seen some that were large and gorgeous (like the cathedrals in Europe). I've been small churches on the North Dakota plains. I've been in open air churches in Africa and the Bahamas. I've been in churches with a high ceiling and beautiful natural light and I've been in churches with expensive stain glass windows that kept the natural light out. I've been in old churches and new churches that meet in auditoriums and movie theaters. As I imagine you have, my worship of God has been in all manner of settings and sizes.
What I have found is that while I may prefer a particular style or decor over others, the one constant in all of these places is the Word of God. The promise that where "two or more are gathered" then Jesus is with us. This makes each and every place that I have worshiped in my life a "lovely dwelling place."
Indeed, where I worship matters little when compared to the promise inherent in worship. God comes to us in all manner of ways and in all manner of sanctuaries. And it is this realization that allows me to find holiness in the most humble or ornate setting.
The next time you find yourself worshiping in a setting not particularly to your liking, remember that God dwells there too. And does so with the same powerful Word as a sanctuary more to your liking. Remember that the people who worship with you on any given Sunday in any given sanctuary are loved children of God just like you.
As we focus on this, we will most definitely come to find that lovely dwelling places of the Lord of hosts abound. And how precious and awesome is this!
Dwelling God, may we experience your beauty and blessing wherever and whenever we worship. Amen.
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