It should not surprise us that a religion whose fundamental doctrine is the incarnation should take space seriously in its worship. Not only did Jesus Christ enter human time, but he also came to dwell among us, occupying a specific and definite place on earth in Judea. The New Testament is full of place names; Jesus was at Jerusalem, Bethany, The Sea of Galilee, the River Jordan, and so on.
The same is true for the rest of salvation history. the Jewish and Christian God is made known by events that occur among men and women, not on Mt. Olympus or in Valhalla. It is space on earth that is made holy, not because of the place itself but because of what God does for humans in that place. In the Bible, saving events usually happen at some ordinary field, well, or village street. Today such places would be as ordinary as a shopping mall. The location is indifferent, the event is crucial.
James White, Introduction to Christian Worship p81
I’m reading about churches and spaces, ritual and performance for my dissertation. It’s a rich topic of ideas and quotes. For example: in theatrical terms, did you know there is a separation between place and space? A theatre is a place and a stage that holds the focus is a space. Which is interesting because that is very much how the catholic church operate: the church is the place to meet, while the the alter is the focus in the space and there is a very distinct separation from the congregation and the clergy. Now look at The City Church: we meet in a school hall; that is simultaneously the place, and the space: we have no physical division of space when it comes to worship, no rails to separate the leaders from the congregation, in fact we encourage contributions.
Mild psudeo-academic rant over, that last part of the quote, you know, the bit I made italic and bold because it’s kind of important is a healthy reminder for myself; I can get caught up in the production of church as a place/space/event, but ultimately it’s the event of meeting with God that is important and that is what changes a place or space of non-significance to a place of great personal importance. Life events leave marks on locations for individuals. Jacob’s dream caused him to erect a pillar and give that remote location a feeling of importance.
Jonathan Pay - email marketing consultant 
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[…] I wrote about this idea over a decade ago. At the time, I was heavily involved with The City Church Canterbury, a church that meets in a school hall. Back then, I was all in—serving most weeks, helping make church happen. We didn’t have pews or stained glass or soaring ceilings. We had plastic chairs, a temporary stage, and a coffee table tucked away in the corner. And yet, week after week, that hall became something more. It became a space where we met with God. […]