I don’t need to go to church; I can pray anywhere–even on the golf course!
We’ve all heard a variation on these words. Yes, they are true–you can pray anywhere. But that possibility doesn’t guarantee much prayer on the golf course, especially not the life-changing sort. No surprise here–we don’t go to the golf course to pray. If we did, we’d probably fail at that godly intention. There’s too much going on there at the golf course, and in so many other places of our lives for us to focus on prayer, whatever our intentions.
So that’s why there are churches–not because we can’t be spiritual without them, but because they make a spiritual life far more likely and valuable. Setting time and space aside for paying attention to the things of God makes it probable that we will actually pay attention.
The word we use for paying attention is sacred. Our predecessors built Trinity to be a sacred space–a place set aside for paying attention to the things of God. In this purpose we have something potentially life-changing and seemingly unimportant.
A place for the Sacred?
Nothing is sacred anymore!
True, that argument was being made back in Socrates’ time. What is sacred to one generation becomes an obstacle to be destroyed by the next. Sacred is a symbol for God. Symbols change, but the core reality remains. Something is always sacred. The fact that the sacred changes should not surprise us because we know that God calls us to change. As St. Paul says, when I grew up, I gave up childish things. What provides meaning in one stage of life, for individuals or societies must change, if we are to mature. But something must be sacred! Without the ability to recognize something that is greater than ourselves, we fall for the old lie of being the only important reality in the room. The standards we set, and the limits we respect all reflect back on our own desires and plans. Nothing is more important than what I want!
Ignoring the sacred has devastating consequences for our world, whether we focus on effects of greed, lawlessness, or simply a lack of civility and respect–whichever disaster you notice. Trinity’s witness to the sacred, putting aside both time and space to notice something bigger, provides an important option for our time.
What is Sacred?
As you look around Trinity’s church, you see our story: God is God and we are God’s people. But that short phrase has a lot to teach us.
For example: God created all that is. We see this detail illustrated in needlepoint at the front of the church. That detail points us to the sacred–what God has created. This means we can’t pretend that it is ok if we live for our comfort and convenience alone, never considering how our lifestyle impacts the rest of creation. The sacred calls us to care.
Sacred could save our world–in fact it already has! God so loved the world–so the story goes–that he sent Jesus Christ to be a part of it. In his life, death and resurrection, Jesus infused all creation with God’s presence–with the sacred. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we just wait to join him in heaven. We live that heavenly life now, a life of meaning and abundance, a life that is sacred! Can we see God’s presence and priorities around us? What begins in church continues in the world.
Where do you see the sacred? Take a look. Your answer could change everything!