Incline Our Hearts

Making the Case for Preserving Beautiful Sacred Spaces

Last Sunday was the glorious celebration at Trinity, Tulsa of the 100th anniversary of their building. I was there for choral Evensong, and in my sermon, I made the case for the continued importance of beautiful, traditional sacred spaces. My point was that, while a congregation can thrive in any space, and while the Church is not a building but the gathered community of the baptized, still there is something meaningful in our traditional church buildings.

I focused on two aspects: worship and formation. First, worship. In a sacred space that is both beautiful and historic, when the light is shining through stained glass, the music is soaring, and our eyes are being drawn forward to the altar, we feel in our very being that God is near. That mystical and holy presence envelops and inspires us, even as we know that God is with us always and everywhere. Just as the ancient tabernacle and temple were places where the God of the universe deigned to dwell, in a particular way, with God’s people, so too we know that when we enter our church doors we are near to the Almighty, not by any work of ours, but by God’s invitation.

Second, formation. To pay attention to a beautiful sacred space, over time, forms us deeper in our Christian faith. A church building can be a kind of sermon in glass and stone, interpreting the faith, pointing always to Christ, and calling us not just to gather, but to be transformed. And then, we are sent out into the world to do the work of the Gospel.

Thanks be to God for Trinity, and for our many other beautiful churches that continue to draw God’s people together for worship, and to be formed, more and more, into Christian disciples.

Bishop Poulson