A New Sanctuary?
“Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” ~Psalm 96:6
Brothers and sisters, we are on the doorstep of a new season at Christ Covenant — a season when we will hit the “resume” button on the prospect of building a new sanctuary. More information is forthcoming as to why this button is being pressed now, but needless to say, the Lord is opening the doors, financially and otherwise. Many of you have been looking forward to a new sanctuary (as evidenced by your faithful designated giving), but perhaps many of you, like me, are somewhat new to Christ Covenant and are wondering why we should move forward with such a profound undertaking. Let me, this week, give one reason why I myself am awfully excited about the prospect of a new sanctuary, and perhaps next week I’ll give some additional reasons, Lord willing.
How we dress communicates so much, doesn’t it? If I were to turn up at your house for a pastoral visitation in a three-piece suit and polished shoes, I would be suggesting to you something of the gravity and sobriety of my intention in visiting. Likewise, if I were to visit you in knee-torn jeans and a backward baseball cap, I would suggest my visit was very casual.
The same is true with sanctuaries. No doubt you’ve been in a “low church” sanctuary that portrays a casual intimacy but lacks reverence. And you may have worshiped in a “high church” sanctuary that’s felt reverential but also sterile and stale. We, as a congregation, have the opportunity to build a sanctuary that reflects how we worship: both joyful and reverential. In other words, we have the opportunity to build a sanctuary that reflects worship as we find it in Psalm 96: worship that is joyful (“Oh sing to the Lord a new song … Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day … Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice”) and worship that is reverential (“Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary … Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength … Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!”).
How do we communicate both joy and reverence in worship? Primarily through our liturgy: spontaneous prayers, expository Word-centered preaching, exuberant heart-felt singing of psalms and rich, meaty, God-centered hymns, etc. But does the sanctuary not play a part? Can a sanctuary not say, “What you are doing now is not trivial, nor sterile, but reverential, joyful, and other-worldly”?
How so? A large, elevated pulpit expresses our commitment to the centrality of the Word of God. A high ceiling lifts our eyes upward, reminding us of the transcendence of God and to whom our worship is aimed. Multiple clerestory windows depositing ample natural light reflect both the radiance of God and the light of the Gospel that exposes the darkness and gives us life. The simple elegance and beauty of the sanctuary reflects the beauty of holiness. The light, the acoustics, the rear choir loft, and the architecture itself can all lend themselves to imbibing joyful and reverential worship.
It is true, when it comes to worship (and everything else, actually), God cares about the heart. He cares about Spirit-filled heart worship, regardless of where we worship. And it is true, where we worship is not of central priority. (Up until the fourth century, Christians largely gathered to worship in cemeteries, caves, and private houses. My Covenanter ancestors sometimes worshiped in fields.) But it is misguided to claim that God cares nothing about the architecture of worship settings. (Take a look at the intricate design of Solomon’s temple.) We can bring glory to God in the building of a sanctuary, and we can — through a sanctuary — be better induced to offer worship that glorifies God.
Of course, we are thankful for our present sanctuary! But the reality is a new sanctuary could be so much more conducive to worship. And our present sanctuary simply isn’t big enough. More on that next time. But for now, please join me in praying about whether a new sanctuary is what the Lord has for us.
Rev. Rob Dykes, Pastor of Preaching & Congregational Care