Five years ago on April 15, 2019, the world was stunned to see the medieval cathedral Notre Dame engulfed in flames. Most of the roof and the spire were destroyed. The remnants fell atop the stone vault underneath. Some sections of this vaulting collapsed in turn, allowing debris from the burning roof to fall to the marble floor below. It was fascinating to see the world react. Less than 25% of Europe attends church. In France, it’s only 12%! Still, donations poured in for repairs. Nearly $1 billion in private donations have been pledged to rebuild Notre Dame, most of it from France. Why? Is it not just a building?
Yes, it is a building, but it is more than that. It is a house of God. The crowning achievement of King Solomon’s reign was the erection of a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. When we read the description in 1 Kings, we read of cypress, cedar, and gold everywhere. The LORD said to Solomon, “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12-13). It too was more than a building. In fact, there are only two times in Scripture where we read about Jesus really losing His temper. In John 2, He makes a whip from some ropes and chases the merchants out. “Get these things out of here.” He says, “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace” (John 2:16)! And then a second time after His triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, Jesus goes to the temple and drove out the money changers. “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12)! The disciples were surprised at Jesus’ reaction but then remembered the prophecy from
Psalm 69:9, “Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
In 2001, I was blessed with an opportunity to travel to Rome and visit St. Peter’s Basilica (the Vatican). I can say without a doubt that building is an awe-inspiring structure as well! Here in Hartford, I am honored and privileged to pastor a church that was founded in 1670. Our present meeting house (our third one) was built in 1827. It too is beautiful.
Now, the building is not the church – the people are. We also need to be careful that church buildings do not become idols to us. Nonetheless, we should be passionate about our churches. They are not “just buildings.” They are the places where we gather to worship God. Where we are baptized, married, and often where our funerals take place. They deserve our respect. The community’s respect. When someone defaces or damages a church it is an afront to God not just to the congregation that meets inside. In New England, nearly every downtown is dotted with a variety of spires reaching up to heaven. Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and every single one of them is home to a group of believers who gather inside to give God praise and glorify His name. That is different than my own home. I love my little house in Wethersfield, and I don’t want it to burn down either, but I doubt if it did there would be a worldwide effort to raise funds to rebuild it. Why not? Because it is not “a house of God” in the same sense.
We need to care for our houses of God. Keep them clean. Vacuum, dust, make repairs. Don’t bring food or drink into the worship space. It is hard to clean up stains left by accident. Inside and out, show God our passion for His house. If we do not respect His house, we do not respect Him.
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Remember you can email praise reports and prayer requests to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. I lift them up every Wednesday at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.