Over the past year I’ve been experimenting with church, trying to discern what a church-without-walls could look like. I tried hosting church-like events in public spaces—interviewing the mayor at the library, hosting a workshop at a university—but they didn’t seem quite right (and the logistics were tough). I also tried a few online iterations of church-like gatherings. While they were more doable, they still didn’t fit the bill (not tangible enough to replace live connection). To be honest, both these approaches felt a bit out of sync—as though I was trying to make something happen.
Looking back, I’d say my most real experiences of church-without-walls have been serendipitous—over a coffee with someone, via an out-of-the-blue invitation to speak, a conversation at the pool, or an ordinary life experience that took on new meaning.
I’ve always been intrigued by how the bible describes heaven on earth as a place without a physical church building. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John catches a glimpse of God’s plan, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (21:22) We won’t need church buildings because God will be with us all the time, and in all things.
This makes me wonder if my serendipitous experiences of the past year are foretastes. If this is where God is taking things, could a church-without-walls simply be the spiritual re-enchantment of all of life?
Is there a life-enchanting lens that I can wear that will help me experience God at work in the ordinary?
I feel like God has been revealing this lens to me over the past year. My confession and forgiveness moment with Edward (that I shared last month) was as powerful as any I’d experienced via formal church. This makes me wonder if every good community, work, study, or leisure moment has this potential.
So, what would a life-enchanting lens look like?
Here’s an experiment you can try for 2025: at the end of each day, name one thing that caught your attention. Why did it catch your attention? What did it make you think about? You can write about this one thing, describe it to someone, or just think about it.
What if you did this every day, for the next 365 days?
After talking about this experiment with my wife Fran, she tried it. What caught her attention was a moment when she was driving, and her eyes met the eyes of a pedestrian. In that moment she saw them as they realized that they were being seen by her. And she realized that she was being seen by them as well. As she pondered seeing and being seen, she was reminded of how God sees her—all the time. As she considered this truth, a story from the Old Testament came to mind where a lost woman came to realize that God saw her, “You are the God who sees me… I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)
Now, this example goes beyond the basic parameters of the experiment (by adding the biblical connection). You can do that too if a connection comes to mind, but it’s not required. Just take note of what you notice and think about it.
My sense is that this little step could change everything.
My wife’s seeing moment certainly has done this for me—over the last three days I’ve experienced eye-contact in a whole new way. In seeing others more deeply, I feel more seen—by them and by God. Every time I see I am reminded of God seeing me. And I’m learning something new about God. Never before have I considered that God might take delight in moments where he sees us realize that we are seen.
So why not try on this lens for the next year? And let me know what happens. I’d love to hear your stories.