Posted on 07/31/2015 7:13:24 AM PDT by Salvation
Monsignor Pope Ping!
Bump
The building doesn’t really matter any more. We are supposed to worship God in spirit and in truth. That can be done in a cathedral, a barn, or totally outdoors.
In before the “What’s the big fuss, the Apostles met in homes,” and ‘any ol’ room where “two are gathered in My Name”’ posts.
Aww. I was 19 seconds late!
I think the premise of the article is flawed, given that the NT has no instructions for any building.
In fact, the NT says Christians are the building in which the Holy Spirit dwells.
Hut, bowling alley, ornate building, tent, whatever. If God is worshiped by a gathering of His believers and His Word is taught and preached, it is a “Gathering”.
When groups focus on outward ritual and appearance, they misunderstand the transformation inside. Or as the saying goes, when the candles are lit, the Spirit departs.
Hey, sermons in stone are fine if some wealthy art patron wants to fund it, but the idea that people today will repent of their sins and follow Jesus because of the architecture of the meeting house is highly dubious. It’s as effective as Christian origami (which would be a lot cheaper!).
A lot of preachers Scripture surf to buttress their sermons. Here, Charles makes a point the letter to the Hebrews did NOT make. On the contrary, The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.(8:1-2)
Heavenly. Superior. The LORD set it up, not man. No more copy/shadow system. Can be accessed by anyone on earth, anywhere, anytime...by FAITH in the risen Lord.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and SEATED US WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENS in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.(Ephesians 2:4-7)
We're already there, Sister. Pretty awesome if you ask me!
God in His wisdom could NOT have possibly designed these newer Catholic churches that have seating “in the round”.
Communion is an absolute rugby scrum. And have you ever tried to navigate a casket through the aisles in one of those places?
Even more, we are the temple of God, he dwells within us. We worship him there.
They took my historic church and put the altar in the middle on the side and arranged the pews around it. No center aisle, no real plan for Communion lines or the Priest to enter and exit. The acoustics do not work. It’s a disaster. Kneelers were removed, too.
**When groups focus on outward ritual and appearance**
This is the inside of the church not the outside.
Agree, but it’s always good to get the opposite point of view from all.
Sad.
What is even sadder is that some of these posters do not believe Scripture.
Reading 1 Ex 40:16-21, 34-38
Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
On the first day of the first month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the Dwelling
and put the covering on top of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded him.
He took the commandments and put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded him.
Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the meeting tent,
because the cloud settled down upon it
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey.
Why don’t some posters believe the Scriptures that Monsignor Pope referenced?
My own parish church is a sermon in stone, wood, and glass. It is designed around the Book of Revelation (Chapters 4 and 5), in which John is caught up into Heaven and describes it in detail. The fundamental design of the sanctuary drawn from Revelation 4 and 5 includes the throne-like altar (Rev 4:2), seven tall candles around the throne (Rev 4:5), and the four living creatures in the clerestory windows above the altar (Rev 4:6-8). At the center of the altar is the tabernacle, wherein dwells the once-slain Lamb who lives forever, Jesus (Rev 5:6). Around the throne (altar) are seated the 24 elders (Rev. 4:4), symbolized by the 12 wooden pillars on the back sanctuary wall and the 12 stained glass windows of the Apostles in the transept. The multitude of angels surrounding the throne (Rev 5:11) are symbolized by the blue and gold diamonds on the apse wall.
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