Holy Ground

I have been to my fair share of religious worship houses. My favourites, for lack of a better word, are always the more elaborate and, I don't know, refined almost. I like the interior of a High Church building. I love cathedrals and even quiet little village churches. Ornate and lavish furnishings. Something about these places moves me.

God becomes less of a buddy and more of an Omnipotent Lord. I think it's important for us to ensure that God is not just seen as some overshadowing power who smites and blesses. He is a friend, a comforter. The word "paraclete" is used in John's gospel to denote the Holy Spirit. In my limited knowledge of Greek, I am assuming that this comes from the Greek word παρακελεω meaning to comfort or urge. God is a comforter and He loves us very much. This is a necessary and Biblical view of God, but this is not all that He is. He is also the God of the Old Testament. God is almighty and powerful, capable of leveling mountains and valleys.

I think that today's church buildings sometimes subtract from this view of God. God as a friend is the much more important view of God. While I concede that the High Church basically eliminates the buddy-buddy view of God, I feel that in many Protestant churches, and the Churches of Christ to be sure, have completely ignored this view of god. Ideally, we would have a perfect mesh of the two. But that's just it, isn't it? We can't be perfect.

Within the Protestant tradition, I often see church buildings themselves as homey, very welcoming places. However, when I walk into the York Minster or stand in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral's spire I picture God sitting on a throne, surrounded by angels. I have a sense of awe in the presence of God. The need to remove my shoes and kneel on holy ground is intense. When at Highland, I picture God with His arm around me. The images are completely different, yet our God encompasses both. I get much more of the comforting God and perhaps that is why I am so transfixed with awe by the dominion of God evoked in these ornate houses of worship.

Salisbury Cathedral