Worship in the great outdoors

Saturday evening we held our worship service in the outdoor chapel at the top of the hill at MO Ranch. It has a spectacular view: placed at the highest point for miles around you see a dramatic panorama of hills, river and trees behind the rustic cross and communion table made from stone.

There is no nursery or "Children's Church" on occasions like this, so all the infants and toddlers who came with their families were included in the group. Their parents had a difficult time trying to quiet them. The setting didn't look anything like a church to them, and so they had a hard time understanding what was going on. A couple of mothers had to take their children to the parking lot and walk them in their strollers away from the rest of the congregation. The service was at 7 pm which is the prime "witching hour" feared by parents of toddlers as they threaten to decompensate from the activities of the day before bedtime.

One little three year old kept chattering away to his parents through the pastor's opening prayer, despite constant "shushing" from both of them. Finally Dad had enough and picked him up. As he was carried away from his seat he hollered " What are you going to do to me?" Everyone giggled and poor Dad was mortified!

This made me think that we ought to conduct worship services more often in unconventional venues. We need to be reminded that we can worship God anywhere -- not just in the sanctuary of a church building.