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WHEN I find myself talking to friends, colleagues and strangers about the Church of Scotland establishing an online church, they kind of smile in disbelief and look at me, posing a question that comes out something like: “So what does an online worship space look like?”

For me a spiritual space or worship place can be anywhere that invites me to contemplate, and adore the mystery and majesty of God.

Online Church for a growing number of people is becoming a sanctuary, a place where they can encounter the living God.

Let me explain further.

Christians are not like pantheists who believe God is intertwined in nature or identical with the reality around us. Rather we believe in the distinct personhood of God. He is the creator who is Holy – meaning separate from his creation. However by his presence and power he can make all things, including places and spaces, holy and from these places we can draw meaning and significance for our lives. This means that God by his presence can enter into so-called secular places and spaces and make them holy and sacred.

This was one of the great lessons taught to Israel during the Exile and the fall of the temple in Jerusalem. They began to realise Yahweh could not be contained in one holy place to be worshipped, it was not the place but His presence journeying with them that inspired worship.

Moses understood this as he led the people through the wilderness experience: “Then Moses said, ‘If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.’” (Exodus 33.15 NLB).

Centuries later, with the temple demolished, the exiles in captivity began to understand God’s name could still be glorified in another place.

So the psalmist writes: “By the River of Babylon there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.” They learned to worship God in a strange land.

In the 139th psalm the message is clear: you can never run away or even be exiled from the presence of God. Even in the darkest place he can be found.

This is surely a profound message to understand in a time when so many of us in the church have become attached to a specific understanding of where and how we ought to worship.

The scripture tells us that it is God working in our hearts that draws us to the place where we can worship in Spirit and in truth. This means we can surely use the connectivity of the internet to create transient touching places where we and others can encounter the presence of the living God.

Sanctuary First is becoming such a place for many who have become disconnected from traditional patterns of worship.

It is designed to enable the worship of God on a daily basis through the technology we carry in our pockets. It encourages us to live a life of prayerful reflection and regular scripture reading – making use of music, video clips and creative language as part of our spiritual journey. In addition it offers regular interaction on and off line.

If we believe we are called to bring the presence of Christ into every place and situation in our lives then, being in the company and presence of fellow believers on the internet should be an exciting and challenging holy space to inhabit and devise our mission to the next generation.

Next month I ask what could that mission look like on the internet?

This article forms part of a larger discussion that can be accessed on www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk