About once a month, the auditorium of Evergreen Community Church of Christ is transformed in preparation for Selah, a Friday evening spiritual experience that its creators call "a journey for the soul." Selah (pronounced SAY-luh) is a series twelve displays or "prayer stations," housed in a maze of curtains. Each station uses visual and interactive elements designed to reveal a specific aspect of God's character. Guidebooks, composed of Bible verses, meditation thoughts and questions for reflection, lead participants through the stations.

Selah has been designed as a very personal form of spiritual exploration. In an open house format, participants take the Selah journey at their own pace, alone or with a close friend. Guidance is provided in the form of written materials and instructions, but the "right way" to make the Selah journey remains undefined. It's always interesting to see how different people make use of it. We've tried to leave the details open ended, hoping this will make Selah accessible to a wide variety of people.

The team that designed and developed Selah set out to create an experience that would appeal to anyone who simply wants to explore Christian spirituality. They utilized, as inspiration, some classic Christian spiritual exercises and traditions, such as prayer labyrinths and the Stations of the Cross, but the team has also tried to give Selah a postmodern edge and a broad appeal. We hope Selah gets past the outer trappings of organized religion and down to the heart of Christian spirituality. To that end, the purpose of Selah is not to provide all the answers as much as it's about helping people ask and wrestle with better questions.

Sid Pennington, a member and former elder of our church, after visiting Selah for the first time, said "This experience pretty much led me through the essence of what my relationship with God is all about."

Capturing that essence has been no small feat. The Selah team used 255 yards of fabric, 700 grommets, and 600 feet of theatrical cable just to create the curtain maze that houses Selah. They have written multiple Selah guidebooks and several more are planned.

Why does a small mountain church take on such an imposing task? The Selah team will tell you its to help people reconnect with God through simple acts of worship. It's too easy for worship to become a passive experience. We are fascinated with the idea of taking a journey of worship that can be an active adventure. You can share it with others, but it is also highly personal. Selah captures that spirit because it is interactive and surprising, just like a spiritual journey should be.

Some of the Selah stations contain Judeo-Christian religious symbols, but many of the stations center around common objects, encouraging visitors to see God, not only in church, but in all good things.

Many participants tell us that Selah provides them with some welcome moments of peace and focus.

A variety of guidebooks offer different perspectives on the Selah journey, making it different each time you visit. There is even a guidebook for kids.

Selah is designed to help people explore Christian spirituality, whether they want to grow in their faith or are exploring Christian faith for the first time.