Ornate Churches - And Reverencing A Holy God

I was raised conservative, and although church politics, and a total disregard and respect for God from so called christians, keep me away from attending church regularly, I am Independent Fundamental Baptist in my beliefs.

 But when it comes to reverence and worship, Catholics know how to do it right.

This post may get a bit deep and longer than usual, but it's something that I think is important. 

The problem with new-style churches, weather small or mega, isn't just that they're ugly - they actually distort the Faith and lead people away from God. Yes, it is true that the Church is a group of people, rather than a building, and that Moses worshiped in a tent, but to talk of churches as theologically little more than rain shelters is misleading. The Mid West, the Far West and the South are dotted with churches that are simply atrocious that have gone up in recent years. The traditional church communicates the Faith, while the modern one simply doesn't - it is a dangerous trend toward desacralizing our churches. 

How many times to you hear people call the body of the church (the room where you worship, sing, read the Bible, and pray) the "auditorium"? When I was a kid, it was called the "Sanctuary". Why does that matter? 

Take a look at the definition of the word: Auditorium

1. the part of a theater, concert hall, or other public building in which the audience sits. 

2. a large building or hall used for public gatherings, typically speeches or stage performances.

Here's the definition of the word: 

Sanctuary

 1. a holy or sacred place. 2. a building or room for religious worship. 3 : a place that provides safety or protection. 4. the protection from danger or a difficult situation that is provided by a safe place.

If we call our place of worship an auditorium, we are in a sense saying it is the same as a movie theater or concert hall. It holds no special place of meaning. On the other hand, if we go into the sanctuary, the word alone holds reverence as a special place, a place of safety and for worship. 

How we build our churches, what we call our churches, and what we do in and out of our churches matter.

A church should be “worthy of its purpose”. It serves the glory of God and so should be built and designed to reflect that. We need to make our churches once again into magnificent Houses of God!

For starters, God Himself believes in buildings for worship: the books of Moses and the later books of the Old Testament make it clear that the Temple is of paramount importance, as the place where God makes His home, “the hill of Sion that He loves”. For God is not some sort of spirit “out there”, He is emphatically down here, with His people and in their midst.

Going all the way back to Moses on Mt Sinai, we see extravagant decorations for holy and sacred things. When God instructed Moses on how to build the tabernacle and the Ark of The Covenant, He told him to overlay the Ark with Gold, and to make the Mercy Seat (the Ark's lid) out of pure gold. This, along with golden menorah and the golden table for the bread of the Presence, would immediately impress upon who ever seen it that it was a special place, set aside for a special purpose. (See Exodus 25 & 26 for detailed descriptions)

Skip forward a few hundred years to the time of the building of the great Jerusalem Temple by King Solomon. God commanded a luxurious temple be built to glorify Him; huge statues of angels, the fine wood, gold and jewels, fine carvings and furnishings more valuable than anything in our Churches of today. Was God wrong to command this be built? Is He not worthy to be glorified in worship?

 In 2 Chronicles 2:1-7:10 we can read all the details of Solomon's construction and dedication of the Temple. Solomon even tells us why he is going above and beyond with his building project, "And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods." - 2 Chronicles 2:5 - He wanted the world to know, when they came to Jerusalem and saw this Temple, that the people of Israel placed such a high importance on the worship of their God.

So many times, I’ve heard the accusation that those wonderfully ornate churches go against God. Words like disgusting, evil, and abomination are all thrown around to describe just how off track we are with spending money on our Churches.

But does God abhor ornate church buildings? The overwhelming answer to this question is an emphatic “No!” A quick glance at 1 Kings, chapter 7 would seem to suggest just the opposite, describing intricate workmanship, a golden altar and cherubim and pillars of copper or bronze for His temple. In fact, God was quite pleased with His house as His cloud settled into it and dwelt there.

And even more grand than King Soloman’s first temple was the temple Herod renovated in the time of Jesus. It was massive, and it was magnificent. And Jesus loved it. When he was 12 and went missing for days, Mary and Joseph found him in this same rich, ornate temple, which He called His Father’s house. (Luke 2: 41-52)

The God who commanded charity and forbade idol worship also set out the plans for His temple worship, the gold, the garments, etc all give honor and glory to God. Works of great beauty lift our hearts to God and teach us, especially when they are symbolic or pictorial representations of the Scriptures, and they also honor God in our worship. They express our faith. 

As with the Temple, so with the Church, every church – is the place where God dwells with us, where He has pitched tent, the place of His tabernacle. These are not just buildings, they are sacred spaces, they are holy, and they have been consecrated as such, their very walls being anointed. It is not just a building, but a church. This is one reason why I simply loathe the idea of putting on any secular activity inside a church. The church is set aside, consecrated, for the worship of God; stuff like bingo, meetings, baby showers, potlucks, and games can and should take place in the church hall. To use the church as you would a hall, is to abuse the church. 

But it goes further than this: churches are meant to be not just sacred buildings, but beautiful buildings as well. Churches, like beautiful buildings everywhere, radiate the conviction, not just that God is with His people and in their midst, but that God, in His Incarnation, had released in us the possibility of creating beauty out of earthly materials. And this beauty mediates His love, and reinforces the faith of all who see and feel it.

We should not be over attached to buildings, or, anything on this earth below. But, and it is an important but, the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us: buildings can provide us with an opening to the transcendence of God. 

Of course, all of this talk completely ignores the important purpose that beautiful and ornate churches serve in the first place. 

First of all, let me ask an important question: who lives in a church? The answer, of course, is no one. The Church is built solely for the purpose of worshiping God.

Therein lies the beauty of the dedication it took to build those churches. These are true monuments to God, the very best work human hands could offer. People poured their money, their hearts and their souls into building those wondrous cathedrals because they loved God. In the middle ages, before the reformation and the enlightenment, society truly was centered entirely around God. Everything that was done, by and large, was done for the Lord.

These churches weren’t built for the glory of man, but of God. Walking into one of these sanctuaries with the proper frame of mind can leave one awestruck. Instantly, there is sense that you are in a special place, one that requires reverence. Beautiful, ornate churches make us intimately aware of the depth of God’s love for us when we realize the full reality and impact of the cross.

The fact is, these brilliant and beautiful churches serve a purpose, and it’s not to glorify man. It’s to point to God. There is immediately a sense of the sacred, of the Holy, that is communicated upon walking into a richly ornate church building, it creates an atmosphere that demands reverence. All of this serves a purpose, and all of it is pleasing to God.

People who visit the great cathedrals of Europe come away with one of two opinions, they are either awestruck by the sheer grandeur of the building and it's furnishings, and see it as a beautiful monument to God, or they walk away thinking it was a waste of money and unimpressed. But if we see them not as monuments to the men that built them, but as fitting expressions of humans worshiping their Creator, then we can't possibly see them as anything but beautiful.

Why is it that many people will object to a golden altarpiece, or marble altar steps, but wouldn't have thought twice if they seen gold and marble on a mansion in the more expensive parts of their hometown. Or better yet, the fancy sports car they drive, or the expesive watch or shoes they wear? We really haven't lost touch with beauty, we just think it should be reserved for our own personal use, in our cars, our homes, but not in our churches. Maybe this is just an American thing, but if you visit any megachurch you'll find people driving beautifully expensive cars, but say that Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York is too grandiose for today's world, and it should be sold to give money to the poor.

Not only is a beautiful church fitting for our God, as King Solomon said, but beauty can also be a tool for evangelism. Truth, beauty, and goodness will lead others to God. Too often, we focus on truth and goodness, but I think we need to take some time to meditate on the beautiful.

A Church that is beautiful and built to last is a witness to the incarnation. It’s beauty also represents the sacrifices of time, talent and treasure to build such a temple fit for God. “This is not just a meeting hall!” the beautiful Church proclaims. “This is a temple where God dwells in our midst as Christ his Son came to dwell in our midst.”

Here’s another reason: A beautiful church proclaims our values. It says, “This church is going to last 1000 years. It will be so beautiful that no one will dare to tear it down. We believe in the eternal truths that are so beautiful and true and everlasting that no one can ever destroy them. Furthermore, we believe in values that are everlasting and never change. We aim to live lives that are as solid and dignified and beautiful and true and everlasting as this building. Our doctrinal truths, our moral truths, our love, our life, our joy–all of these are everlasting and this church speaks silently and eloquently that what we hold dear we are willing to invest in, and we are willing to sacrifice much to build a witness that will last long after we are gone."

 This will speak to believers and unbelievers a truth that is beyond words and which will lift them to prayer which is beyond words. A beautiful Church speaks all these truths silently in stone. When we build temporary, secular looking structures we say exactly the opposite. When we build in cheap materials, cut corners, choose poor stuff, tacky figurines and go the way of plastic, mass produced fiberglass, metal sheeting, etc., then we are (often literally) building in wood, hay and stubble. Why are we surprised therefore, that our Christians have a faith that is cheap, temporary, second rate and falling apart? I believe that if we invested more money in building and maintaining our beautiful buildings that we would actually be investing in a stronger faith for the future.

A church is not just a meeting place. It is a house of prayer. It is a place that becomes hallowed with prayer. Therefore it must be a place that lifts the heart to prayer. The human heart is vulnerable to beauty. The beauty of worship and the beauty of a church building lifts even the hardest heart to prayer. In a beautiful church people’s hearts are opened. They stop and gaze and lift their eyes upward and as they do, they fall to their knees, and even the most unlearned stumble and mumble of words, their stuttering tongues seek to find: Holy, Holy Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.

What about the churches that we’ve built—especially recently? Would the art and architecture, music, furnishings, vestments, vessels—and especially our behavior—immediately inspire awe? Could you imagine a child entering your church for the first time, looking around in wide-eyed wonder, and gasping, “God lives here!” Or, does the child run up and down the isle, happy to see friends, play on electronic devices, eat snacks, and spend their time at children's church, that they no nothing about what Church really is? Of course, when the church as a whole has no reverence, (they drink coffee, and eat donuts, they use their cell phones, talking to each other loudly, instead of being reverent and holy to God and His house of worship), our children will never know the true idea of reverencing a Holy God.

What about it... does your church have white boards and projector screens, so the pastor can visualize his points? Don't get me wrong... white boards and projector screens are not sinful.... they can be useful tools to teach the gospel, but they belong in Sunday school rooms.... The Sanctuary should stay a Sanctuary .... a place to reverence and worship God. Why would you dumb itdown to be equal to a college university classroom?

True love demands that we offer our best to the beloved. Are we offering our best to God? Would you describe your  church as beautiful? Breathtaking? Unforgettable? Beautiful arts nourish the soul even as they prompt us to hunger for Heaven, where Beauty itself resides.

I think that our sick world and wounded Church are so because our need for beauty has been neglected. Philosopher Roger Scruton observes: “Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it did not matter.” Consequently, beautiful churches are rarely constructed and the ones we have are often forgotten: “The great French cathedrals, so full of beauty and interest, are now like whales washed up on an alien shore, the faith that built them a flickering light.” (Dr. James A. Patrick)

What are we to do? Is it immoral to get carried away with beautiful things when so many basic human needs are left unmet? Many people feel that diverting money from disaster relief or homeless charities, say, in order to decorate a building would be wrong. “Great churches cost money—money that could be used for caring for the poor!” True. But don’t the poor have a need for beauty also? Shall we feed bodies but not souls? And let’s not forget that in the United States, many of the great cathedrals were built with the pennies (and labor) of poor immigrants who wanted to translate the glories of their Faith from Europe to America. Were they wrong to be so generous? Why build ornate churches? Why did the Catholic Church spend, what would amount to millions of dollars in today's money, to build Saint Peter's Basilica, when they could easily erect a cheap, utilitarian building and donate what was "wasted" to the poor?

Many people think this way, and it makes sense to a certain degree. We should always look for ways to give more to the poor, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to shelter the homeless. But should we strip the altars and tear down the cathedrals to do so?

One of Jesus' Apostles thought like this. The Anointing of Jesus is recounted in all four Gospels, and the objection to such a costly anointing is also recorded,

"And being in Bethany..... as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could..." -Mark 14:3-8

Couldn't the woman have used a less expensive perfume to anoint Jesus? Certainly she could've, but she used the most expensive perfume as an act of worship. By giving Jesus the most expensive thing she could, as a sacrifice, she exhibited how important Jesus was to her.

The common refrain goes along of the lines of “look at all that money they wasted on building a church when they could have put it to use helping the poor.” But, remember, as Christians we are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. It only makes sense, then, that the places in which we worship Him reflect His royal status.

"For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." (John 12:4)

If you sold everything in the Church and gave it to the poor, it would feed them for a few days, maybe a few weeks. Then where would you be? You'd have no Church. It's like slaying the goose who lays the golden egg. How can the Church carry on her mission of teaching people to feed the poor if she liquidates her property to feed the poor for a very short time?

"Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."

Being physically poor and hungry is not the worst situation to be in. Being spiritually poor and hungry is. The Church cannot compromise her mission to briefly feed the world's hungry. That's being short-sighted.

Many people have been converted by the beauty of the Church. Perhaps it doesn't speak to you, but it does to many. Many poor, love the beauty because it lifts up their spirits and serves as kind of respite from the day-to-day dreariness they live in. They feel that in a way it belongs to them, and it's a small piece of richness they can share in. Think of the widow's mite.

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." Luke 21: 1-4

Would it be better for the widow to use that mite to pay for her food, or to give it to the temple? Yet Jesus honored her for giving it to the temple, despite the fact it was a paltry amount and was worth much more to her than to the temple. For honoring God is more important than feeding the poor.

The issue is: What kind of place should we come together and worship God in? What kind of cups should we drink out of? Do we honor God more from drinking from a silver chalice than an IKEA mug? Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. Because God deserves the best.

When you have important guests over, do you break out the Dixie cups for them, or do you put out the fine china? Do you do your best to honor them in whatever way you can by giving them the finest that you've got? If Jesus walked into your house right now, would you give him a Dixie cup or your finest china glassware?

This may be the whole point.... many Christians of today seem to be unmotivated to honor God in the little things, such as a Church building. It does not surprise me then that they also don't want to honor him with a gold chalice, either. Maybe, just maybe, we've gone too far.

And while we are on the subject - how do you dress when entering God's house? Our culture has de-emphasized dressing up which has led to laziness and a complete insult to the One who risked everything to die for our sins... Remember, Jesus told the parable of the wedding feast, which we believe symbolizes the wedding feast of the Lamb. He threw a man out (into what symbolizes Hell) because he wasn't wearing a proper garment. Presumably, this would have been something classy and upscale.

"... And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness..." 

- Matthew 22: 11-14

If you’ve ever witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, there is no denying that something solemn and important is happening. And there is no denying that those responsible for the Changing of the Guard believe that this is the most important event of their lives. Discipline, sacrifice, devotion, precision, humility and reverence mark every aspect of the ceremony. It can’t help but inspire awe. (You will notice that no participant slouches, wears polyester or sneakers, or looks like he can’t wait to get this over with.)

There is component of honoring God with the finest we have to offer. And I think there is something to be said for sanctifying our time with God with something that befits God's majesty. 

“In the worship of God, nothing but the best is ever good enough… God speaks to us through beauty, and beauty is the correct language to use when we speak to God.”

*Note: This post was put together from my research over the last few months. I have quoted and revised some previously written content.