What places are sacred to you? Where do you experience the presence of God? My sermon on Nov. 10 addresses the spirituality of place. The sermon is born of praying the Healing of the Paralytic in Mark. For the first time, I read and heard that, “Jesus was at home.” Jesus had “a place” to abide. Matthew’s gospel also notes that Jesus had a home in Capernaum.

People often talk about the congregation they belong to as their church home; it’s a place of centering, of getting one’s bearings, of deepening one’s understanding and commitments to live the gospel of Love. It’s no secret that the church, and other religious institutions are declining in Western-European countries, including the U.S. People write books about who to blame and how to “correct the course”. One pressure that often does not make the list is market forces.

Denominations and free-standing congregations gave in to the market forces out of desperation. There were workshops and webinars on “marketing your church”, “finding your brand”, and “creating your congregation’s niche”. As a culture and country, the notion of “home” has also succumbed to market forces.

Marc Roark is former member of FCC Pomona who teaches property law (in Oklahoma now) and advocates for polices that benefit people without shelter. When speaking once to ICON leaders, Marc talked about how the commodification of property has been one of the market forces that continues to shape the housing landscape (market) today. Yet, he also said, when people have a home, what are the pictures they frame and put on the wall? It’s not a copy of their mortgage agreement.

As people who follow the way of Jesus, we support a place from which to express the love of God, yes, in word, but also in deed. We provide a place for people to find solace and comfort AND a place for us to gather, learn and act together with others to push back against the dehumanizing forces of greed and apathy that leave people hungry, without shelter, lost in mental distress, and more. When we live the love of Jesus and love our neighbor, this is what makes a place sacred.