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St. Giles Cathedral. Offical website photo.
James S. Currie is the executive secretary of the Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest. MAKING HISTORY TODAY is his regular column.
St. Giles Cathedral. Offical website photo.
St. Giles Cathedral. Offical website photo.
We are often reminded that the church is the people; it’s not bricks and mortar. That is absolutely true, but it is also the case that the building is not unimportant. It is a sacred space where we are baptized, where we are married, where the Word is proclaimed and heard, where bread is broken and the cup is shared, where, week-in and week-out, the people of God gather, tears are shed, laughter is freely offered, where lives are shaped, where we bear witness to the resurrection.
Several years ago I attended a baseball game in Yankee Stadium. As I sat there, I considered the fact that this is where Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Tommy Henrich, Bobby Richardson, Whitey Ford, Tony Kubek, among many others, played. In our own day it’s where Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez play. That stadium is now gone, and a new one has been constructed.
Space is important. Buildings – bricks and mortar – do not last forever any more than you and I will live in these mortal bodies forever. But one way history comes alive and can become meaningful is to remember who passed through this space, what happened here, and the various forms of ministry that graced this space.
One could say that the twelve stones that Joshua had the leaders of each of the twelve tribes of Israel erect by the Jordan were only stones. But they were much more than that, weren’t they? Joshua says to the Israelites, “When your children ask their parents in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground’” (Joshua 4:21-22).
As we make history today, may we not make idols of buildings, but may we also honor the ministry that has taken place there and point, as they do, to the life, death, resurrection, and kingdom of Jesus Christ. Will we tell the next generation what these stones mean?
Editor's note: To learn why St. Giles is referred to as a cathedral (which Presbyterians do not have), read the history portion of the official website.
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rfortneymail [Sun] said at 1:16 p.m. on March 9, 2010, 1:16 p.m.
I was skeptical about how much importance we give to "place." I remained that way until the end of the article until I was reminded of the stones of Joshua. After that powerful conclusion, was able to give up my skepticism and regain some balance on that issue.
Thanks,
Robert Fortney,
APTS, Class of '89
Frank [Sun] said at 9:12 p.m. on March 9, 2010, 9:12 p.m.
Thanks for the information and reminder, Jim. Glad you got to visit the "Mother Church" of Presbyterians.
Bill [Sun] said at 10:22 a.m. on March 10, 2010, 10:22 a.m.
The reformed tradition revolts against symbols, and, in so doing, can undervalue the importance of sacred spaces. Its genesis may have been justified, as we are taught, but it goes against man’s nature which seeks to identify symbols that are outward signs of an inner manifestation. Even religions which try to eliminate depictions come to accept the strong emotional drive to express deep feelings through various forms of symbolic representations.
To me, a powerful tool for understanding the faith of a people is to look at the common religious symbols that they find important and try to understand their deeper meaning. Religious rituals, official and spontaneous serve a similar purpose.
I asked a group of high school students in a Sunday School class whether, if deeply troubled, they would seek out a church to pray and reflect. There answer was “no.” Pressed further, I gave them cameras to seek out religious symbols that they could identify around their Presbyterian church and in their daily life. The results were equally depressing.
Some suggest that Hermann Hesse escaped the austerity of Western faith to find meaning in Eastern religions. For me, I seek out a good, old fashion Catholic or Anglican church. Despite the austerity of Calvin, I could probably could feel comfortable sitting there and study his other profound insights.
The art, architecture, and the atmosphere evoke religion’s powerful, rich tradition absent from so many other hollow meeting spaces. When traditional religious symbols are eliminated, people seek out untraditional or alternative symbols to find strength and emotional comfort. This is one reason why syncretism is an important component of believers in transition.