“‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty.’ And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2:9
For the second week in a row, I find myself turning to scripture as the foundation for a blog post. This reliance on scripture was never my intention when I started my blog back in 2016. I never envisioned this blog to be a “religious” blog per se.
Trusting tradition
In my religious denomination, by tradition, when a new church is built, before worship services can be held in that new building, the building and various other items used in worship and for offering the sacraments must be consecrated, blessed, and prayed over. Then the house built by mere mortals is prepared to be filled with the spirit and presence of God. It is transformed from the ordinary to the sacred.
I have experienced churches being consecrated but until yesterday, I had never been part of a deconsecration service. There is one statement – the DECLARATION OF DECONSECRATION – that reads, “This building, having been consecrated and named the _____United Methodist Church, together with the land on which it stands and all objects remaining in it, we now deconsecrate and release for any honorable use. We declare that it is no longer the place of meeting of a United Methodist congregation.”
God has left the building
And with that simple statement, the church building ceases to be a place of worship. The church’s congregation will have to find a new place to worship. Gone is all that was familiar, all that was sacred. God has left the building.
Being a person who stands on a foundation built upon hope, I resonant with the scripture above. What was, is no longer. No matter how glorious the former house/church was, what comes next will be even greater. I am, however, not certain the folks gathered yesterday to live through their church being deconsecrated completely shared my point of view and my sense of hope.
To those folks, that place of worship was so much more than a weekly gathering spot for friends and visitors. It held memories from years gone by, good years and bad, all witnessed by a faithful and resilient community of believers. In that building baptisms, weddings, funerals, confirmations, worship, and fellowship took place. It was the center of a community of believers – folks who were busy spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.
How does one say goodbye
I once read somewhere that a goodbye is necessary before a new adventure can begin. How does one say goodbye? The scripture says that the Lord let the folks know the new place would be greater than the place they were leaving. They would be going to a place of peace. The leap of faith here is a belief that what was known and loved for so many years could be replaced by a new gathering spot – a place of peace. For displaced folks who are leaving their familiar worship spot, a place of peace seems like a promise that can’t be guaranteed. No one wanted to say goodbye.
The peace and comfort of the old building were built on things familiar. It was peace offered to strangers and visitors as well as to current members. It took years for that peace to be deemed trustworthy. Who knows what peace the next spot might offer?
There is a hymn sung in the church – “We Are The Church”. The first verse offers these words sung in unison – “The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.”
So why all this fuss then about consecrating and deconsecrating a building? Shouldn’t we instead be consecrating people to be holy instruments made to glorify God? Shouldn’t we be praying over individuals to empower them to carry the hope of peaceful places with them wherever they go?
My religious denomination affirms the sacred worth of all individuals. What I know about the people in the church that was closed for business yesterday is they are people of sacred worth who treat others based on that same understanding. They are a place of peace, individually and collectively. God’s promise of peace lives in them. They are the church.
A place of peace
Whether they stand on holy ground in a holy place or not, I am comforted and inspired by these folks who are moving to God’s “greater” place. They will be a place of peace. They will live into their new lives of service and ministry to the least, the last, and the lost.
Post Script
My blog’s theme is the “Power and Promise of Hope.” Hope is the power and the promise offered to you and me. Hope can be a place of peace and familiarity among folks who are seeking to build a greater place in their hearts and in their lives. I hope you can find such a place, such a people.
For the people of the Wesley United Methodist Church