Let us look at the place of worship in our contemporary society. Consider that most of the activities that take place in a church also take place in other institutions within our society. In those activities the church competes with other institutions for constituents. But that which is uniquely offered by the church is worship. (I am aware that synagogues and mosques, as well as some spiritualist groups also offer their form of worship. My comparison is to other organizations and groups in society.)
In liturgy the community comes together and discovers its true identity in relationship to that which is entirely outside itself and its environment. Humanity has always sought places of communion with God and traditionally they have been located upon high mountains. These mountains, such as Mt. Sinai, have been seen as windows on to the eternal. Jesus went up on a mountain to be transfigured. Matthew even suggests that Jesus went up on a mountain to preach that unique expression of faith which we now call the Sermon on the Mount.
The church makes the audacious claim to be a moveable window onto eternity. Where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s name, there Christ, the Word of God, promises to be present. We come to church to be in the presence of God.
The church is, in some mysterious way that defies complete explanation, the downward movement of God to the people. God comes off the mountain top and dwells among the people. “See, the tabernacle of God is among mortals. He will tabernacle with them as their God and they will be his peoples, …” Note that in this translation of Revelation the word people is plural. In Christ the possibility of God dwelling among more than one people has become a living reality. Regardless of their particular background or heritage, when the church gathers for worship, their true identity is revealed. They are the people(s) of God. God has come down to dwell among them.
