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| Where are all the people? |
Most of us use the words "space" and "place" interchangeably to talk about locations where things happen. In everyday usage these two words are synonyms -- the Merriam-Webster definitions above do not indicate much of a distinction. However, some people who study social theory like to define each term a bit differently. They see space as a raw material which people make into meaningful places by what they do in them. For example, philosopher Edward Casey wrote that place is more than a "mere patch of ground" -- an arbitrary space that happens to be inhabited by a group of people. Places are formed out of spaces by people performing and enacting a common life together -- places are to be seen as "more an event than a thing." Geographer Yi-Fu Tuan teaches that people make places via performances of spoken language and songs to create places out of their physical surroundings (see 1991 article called "Language and the Making of Place").
So how does this apply to worship? I have heard lots of talk about "worship spaces" but not much at all about "worship places." It seems to me that we often describe worship "spaces" using technical descriptions about the size of a building, its acoustic responses, amplification systems, and seating capacity. To use the framework of the theorists mentioned above, we tend to talk about worship spaces with antiseptic descriptions about the rooms. Rarely do we discuss how people speak, sing, and pray things that make a place meaningful. If you search Google Images for "worship spaces" nearly all the photos will come back without people in them.
Would we worship leaders do better to add "worship places" to our vocabulary? If places are formed out of spaces, then we would add the technical descriptions of the room to what people actually do in them. A worship place would be the materials and the activities -- the entire package. People matter in worship, don't they?
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