As we accompanied him through India it became increasingly obvious that Hindus hold this river in the highest esteem, indeed some want to be physically close to it when they die. One 'holy man' had even given up work to live in a cave all year round by its banks, never ceasing to draw inspiration from its flow.
This idea of holy places and sacred space came up at our Bible Teaching Day last Saturday as Ruth Gouldbourne ably led us through the subject of 'Church' and what it feels like to belong to it in ways we know, and ways 'still to be made known'. In one of the plenaries after some buzz groups we briefly considered our buildings and whether they were simply functional or purposeful; do they (even in our non-conformist tradition) have a sense of the sacred about them?
In the spring, on a wonderful visit to Rome, the most disappointing moment for me came in the Sistine Chapel. We had queued up quite a time for entry and once in it felt to me as if we were simply being 'herded' - so even though I desperately tried to find meaning, transcendence and sacredness I simply couldn't! I felt a bit of a heretic as I left but perhaps the pre-visit hype had simply been too much and the expectations too great.
The truth is that anywhere can become 'sacred' - and isn't that wonderfully liberating. From a cathedral chancel to a forest clearing the reality is that God can be found because he is always and everywhere present.
This talk of ecclesiastical buildings has brought back a memory for me of travelling home from a holiday on the east coast. Driving through Cromer I noticed that above the door, rather than naming the church it said - perhaps somewhat provocatively, 'Cromer Baptist Church Meets Here'. In other words the 'church' was essentially the congregation. Yet...I hope that building and congregation can blend and bless each other in some way; for it seems to me when that happens it really does become sacred space.
With best wishes,
Ian
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