Wondering in Sunday School: what is important for worship?

  • October 23, 2019

In preparation for learning about our Congregational Giving appeal later this month, our Sunday school children heard the story of King Solomon and the construction of his great temple in Jerusalem over 3000 years ago. And what a spectacular and grand house of worship it was! The finest wood, stone, and precious jewels and metals were used in construction, prompting King Solomon to declare it a space truly worthy to worship God. But are the finest, most expensive materials necessary to worship God? We wondered this. We wondered what is really necessary to create a worship space for God – and would God care? I showed the children a slide show of 25 of the most fascinating worship spaces in the world – from an inflatable church in England to a snow church in Germany to a Hindu temple buried deep within the mountains of Nepal to a Buddhist monastery constructed so high on top of a mountain peak, no one could figure out how anyone could get in! The last picture in our slide show was of West Concord Union Church, prompting discussion about what is unique about our community and how our different spaces (the sanctuary, the Welcome Garden, North Hall, and even the parlor and the offices) make it possible to worship together. The children decided that four things are necessary for worship: a leader, people, some space, and God. Armed with those thoughts in mind, I challenged the children to create their own unique worship spaces, complete with what they felt was most important to include. The Middler class worked collaboratively, creating an incredible structure with three outdoor gardens, a stream and a waterfall! The Multiage class worked independently, using containers and a variety of materials to create their own spaces including elevators, special seating, alters, and lots of decorations. Please enjoy the pictures, and pay special attention to the level of detail our children use when creating their worship spaces. If you could create your own space, how would you design it?