Experience God, Sundays at 10:30 am

Yes that is an actual sign, outside at an actual church in my home town. Now before you jump to conclusions about this very well meaning sign creator, I’m sure that the way it reads is not the way it was meant. However, churches today behave that way, whether intentional or not.

Experience God, Sundays at 10:30 am. Well, what if I want to experience God at 2:30 pm on Thursday or 11:55 pm Friday night, sitting inside my car wondering whether or not to walk into that bar, night club or liquor store? I’m sure that the sign wasn’t meant to express that the only time you get to experience God was in that building at 10:30 am Sunday mornings; but more of an invitation to experience God at their church at that time. I guess the question I want to pose is where’s God the rest of the time?

Does God limit our experience of Him depending on the day, time or location? Does it matter if we are inside a ‘sacred’ building or with with a community of believers? Do we have to meet certain criteria before we can have an experience of God? NO!

Actually the gospels are full of God experiences, and they almost always take place out among the people in concert with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:22-23, Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. The crowds were all amazed and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”

Mark 1:33-34, ...and the whole town gathered at the door. And Jesus healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. 

Luke 7:20-22, …The men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?'” At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleaned, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor…

Jesus was with the people praying, healing, praying some more, listening to  the Spirit, and giving glory to the Father. Yes he went to the Temple, His Father’s house, but is that the only place he experienced God’s presence? No!

Does this mean we shouldn’t go to Church, No! Jesus calls us into fellowship with other believers. Acts 2:41-42 Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Think about it, how many letters did Paul write to the Churches across the ancient world? How many times did he implore the people of those churches to love, serve, provide and care for one another, (notice no mention of the building in which they met)?

Strangely enough this struck me last night as I was watching one of the plethora of Avenger movies with my husband and oldest son last night, (yes we like the Avenger Movies). We love the heroes and their sacrifices for the greater good. In this particular scene, Thor and Heimdall were speaking as they watched their home, Asgard burn and explode. Heimdall commented that, “Asgard is not a place, it’s the people”. I always find it humorous where there are Christian truths tucked away inside cultural mythology. The Church isn’t the building…it’s the people. And it’s when we are with the people, loving, serving, providing and caring that we experience God.

And by the way that can happen at any hour, in any location and on any day, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20.

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