A mission on the move

Agree or disagree: Where we worship God matters. A group of 14 considered this statement on a Sunday morning in a small, rented office suite. As the adults in Bible class were processing the question, the Sunday school children sang a loud rendition of “Father Abraham” in the hallway of the commons area. Does it matter where we worship God?

For those in Bible class that Sunday morning in Williston, North Dakota, that question led to a retelling of their mission church’s history. Over the last 15 years, the “where” of worship had been all over: a living room, then a basement, a nursing home, a hotel conference center, and a rented office suite. Each location brought its own blessings—and its own challenges. Folding chairs instead of fixed pews, hallways for Sunday school instead of classrooms.

After so many years of nomadic worship, it’s easy to feel the strain. Most churches have a brick-and-mortar building to call home. But right now, God has our little mission on the move.

Oddly enough, that puts us in good company.

Before Jerusalem ever had a temple, King David worshiped in shifting settings too. The ark of the covenant—the visible sign of God’s presence—had no permanent home, but was set up in tents. When the ark was finally brought to Jerusalem, “David was dancing before the LORD with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14) not because of an impressive building—in fact, the ark was still in a tent! David danced because the Lord was present with his people.

David had his heart set on building a permanent house for the Lord, but the Lord declared that he would be the one building a house for David (2 Samuel 7:11). The fulfillment of this promise was not limited to a brick-and-mortar building but came to life in a flesh-and-bone Savior.

Sunday school children singing “Father Abraham”

That’s a powerful reminder for us in Williston—and for any church “between” locations. Yes, real estate is tight. Yes, building costs are high. Yes, setting up and tearing down can get old. But the Lord who was present with David is present with us. Whether our location is a cafeteria or a conference center, the Savior, who is personally familiar with nomadic ministry, ministers to us.

Does it matter where we worship God? As the adults quietly considered the question, the children in the hallway sang out the answer:

“Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord.
Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot!”

Like David, they were dancing.

Written by Ethan Schultz, pastor at Found Lutheran Church in Williston, N.D.

Learn more about Found Lutheran in this video update.