Who is at the centre?

One of the nice things about holidays is the chance to visit other churches incognito, and have great conversations about worship.

One observations it is worth making is about where the centre is in worship.

According to Rev Rory Grant,  church architecture reflects theological perceptions. Churches built before the fourties often have a pulpit that is larger and higher. The preaching of the word is the key part of worship in reformed churches.

For the age group known as "Boomers" the cross is often central. You'll see crosses becoming bigger and bigger if you compare churches built into the fifties and sixties.

But for Generation Y, will the communion table become the defining centre of worship? That depends on what church you are in. In many contemporary churches, the worship team and musicians take centre stage. This was the case in both churches we visited recently; in one, the preacher then came down and spoke from floor level. In the other, there were three sermons, one before the Lord's supper who spoke from the side, a missions talk given on the steps, and the third given from centre stage. In terms of time, the musicians had at least equal time, if not more than the speaker.

At Wai-iti Road, you will find the communion table is the centre. The worship team is off to one side, and speakers stand to one side. The defining feature is the communion table, and the smaller tables around which we gather. They are symbols of God's hospitality, physical expressions of the invitation to sit and eat and be with God. We bring in the scriptures each week, and put them on the table, open, at the centre of who we are and what we do together.