A Prepared Space
LETTER BY MONTY HARRINGTON
When the final Amen of the Doxology ends a Renovaré event, a symphony of tear-down sounds begins: the ripping of tape, the cymbal-slaps of folding tables, the hum of a vacuum.
It’s my favorite part of the event. Not because it means the hard work is over — although, as Renovaré’s Events Manager, I can assure you there is a great sense of fulfillment when an event is done. It’s because of what happens next.
As the sounds fade something starts to happen. In the afterglow of a shared experience, groups of two or three begin to open their stories to one another. People say, “I’ve never thought of it that way” or “You know them too?” I hear laughter. I see tears. I feel the space become thin, a meeting place between heaven and earth. It never gets old.
To get to this moment, the space really matters: where you meet, how it feels, and what’s been prepared. I love, for instance, how a 19th century chapel’s stained-glass windows, or the warm lighting of a chandelier make a sanctuary feel. And even virtual events can offer beauty and welcome — a pre-event chat where attendees share where they’re from, music that sets the tone, ample “comfort breaks.”
Jesus knew the importance of a setting. He chose, for example, to talk with a woman at Jacob’s well to disrupt the paradigm about Jews and Samaritans.
But his finest use of space was at the Last Supper. The story of how he booked the room is significant enough to be in three Gospels. He tells his disciples to go to the city and find a man with a water jug, who would lead them back to a house with “spacious second-story room, swept and ready” (Mark 13:14 – 15).
I wonder, had Jesus done a “prep visit” previously to scope out the place? Did he take account of what was in the room? Did he think about where to seat Judas, Peter, and John? The most important meal in history required a certain place and careful planning.
Dallas Willard said to imagine how Jesus would do your job. How would he, in modern society, be a plumber, an elementary school teacher, a caretaker, an accountant? I think about that. He’d be a master event manager.
Renovaré doesn’t own any properties, so when we host an event, we are on the hunt for just the right space. Like the Upper Room, we seek out places that are comfortable, well-furnished, and most certainly “swept,” but also clear of any obstructions, spiritual or physical, so that the Spirit can move among us.
In the coming events season at Renovaré, we have tried, with God’s help, to coordinate a variety of physical and virtual gatherings where you can interact with lifegiving ideas, meet other committed disciples, and perhaps have an opportunity to share your spiritual journey. This issue of Renovaré Weekly is dedicated to these invitations. I hope you can attend. And if you see me pulling up tape, make sure to say hello.
Monty Harrington
Event Manager
P.S. I’m excited to share that Rēgathering, our flagship national event, will take place outside of Seattle on June 10 – 12. Save the date and join the interest list here.
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WORTH QUOTING
In our world today people hunger greatly for two things: spirituality and community. We long to be close to God and to one another. We long for a place where we can know and be known at the deepest levels.
– James Bryan Smith (source)
TO CONTEMPLATE
The Last Supper
Alexander Ivanov 1824
(source)
Christ, the master teacher and communicator, sits among his friends in this unique portrayal of the Last Supper. The warmth of the scene speaks to the tenderness and intimacy of this gathering. And the light playing on the elements of the table and hands and faces reminds me that this is a moment in history that illuminates everything.
TO PONDER
A few lines from “A Liturgy to Begin a Purposeful Gathering” by Douglas McKelvey
Let us prize these moments and care for one another deeply, for each of us, and our relationships to one another are precious and fleeting.
Let us prize these moments and care for one another deeply, for each of us, and our relationships to one another are precious and eternal.
Grant each of us place to humbly receive and to faithfully serve, that we might know in this brief gathering a foretaste of that greater communion yet to come.
O Father, enlarge our hearts.
O Spirit, expand your vision.
O Christ, establish your kingdom among us.