The worship of God....should be free at table, in private rooms, downstairs, upstairs, at home, abroad, in all places, by all peoples, at all times. - Martin Luther
Patrick was a high school student working at Subway (eat fresh). He would get to the store in the morning, head to the backroom, and chop vegetables. This was his favorite part of the job. Most would probably find this task tedious and unamusing, but Patrick looked forward to it. He was a fairly social guy, which made it even more puzzling as to why he enjoyed this boring solo job. He later shared that it was his favorite task because he used the time to talk to God. While chopping cucumbers and onions, Patrick got to hang out with his friend God.
We give God thanks that the backroom of a Subway store can be home to holy encounters. As I think about Patrick's story and the words from Martin Luther, I think about how our worship can extend to all places. There is a global church full of youth that calls themselves The Robloxian Christians. It is a fully online church made up of thousands of youth from all over the world. Members of this church gather in an online gaming platform as Christ's community for worship, prayer, and nurturing one another in faith. Members even sing songs by typing the text of the songs into the chat. Each participant creates an avatar who becomes a member of the church. The church was started by an 11-year-old student. What started as an offer to pray for his online gaming friends, turned into a multi-denominational Protestant church that is not defined by borders. Where a participant can create any character they want and be welcomed into this worship space.
In a familiar passage from Matthew, we recall Jesus' command to drop our nets, follow him and become fishers of people. I doubt that when Jesus said those words he was thinking about online avatars. But, when it comes to the Robloxian Christians, behind every avatar is a holy and beloved child of God. We give God thanks for the many ways in which we encounter God, from a youth-led online church to the backroom of a Subway store. Praise be to God, our resurrected savior!
