How great God is! Even the biggest cathedral can only begin to show His majesty. Even King Solomon's wonderful temple was not great enough: "Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee: how much less this house!" prayed the king (Il Chroicles 6:18)
God, we know, is everywhere. The Lord Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20). So why do we need special buildings, churches or chapels, to worship God in?
We cannot see God (John 1:18). Indeed, (Genesis 1:27), we too have spirits. As St Paul told the Romans, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit" (Romans 8:16). God has also given us minds to think with, and bodies to work with
Each of us, then, is a compound of body, mind and spirit. All three should unite to worship our Creator. The first commandment. Jesus said, is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts - our feelings
all our minds - our thoughts
all our souls - our spirits
all our strength - our bodies (Mark 12:30compare Mark 12:32-33
A special building helps us in this. It helps our bodies to focus our thoughts and feelings on God, so that our souls are lifted closer to Him in love. Let us look at this, bit by bit. First, what about our bodies?
Our Muslim friends have a wonderful tradition of using their bodies as aids to prayer. We too use our muscles to move from one position to another in our worship. We often stand up to sing, or for some special prayers or readings, or to recite what we believe - just as we stand to attention when we sing the National Anthem. We usually sit to listen to Bible readings, or to hear God's message from the preacher. Sometimes we sit to pray, but more often we kneel. A hymn says,
Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees!
Then there are our hands. Sometimes they are busy turning the Bible pages. Sometimes they are quiet in our lap. Sometimes they are clasped in prayer. Sometimes they are lifted in praise. Sometimes they clap for joy (Psalm 47:1) At the Lord's Supper they are stretched out, one over the other to make the shape of a cross, ready to receive bread of Christ's body, the holy communion.
Five important organs of the body give us our senses. They keep our minds informed about what is happening. Worshipping in a church can use these senses for God's glory.
Think about our eyes. What can we see in a church? Some are built in the shape of a cross, to remind us how high and holy God is. Sometimess there are painted words or verses for us to meditate on. Some churches have stained glass or ironwork in the windows, making pictures to think about.
We can look at the furnishings too. The holy table for the Lord's Supper, the pulpit for the sermon, the font where baptisms are held, a special stand for the Bible. Sometimes this is like an eagle with outspread wings. Eagles can see distant things very clearly the Bible helps us in seeing clearly the way for our life, and heaven in the distance beyond. There may be a prayer desk for the minister, and a special chair for the Bishop's visits. They remind us to pray for our leaders, and to work lovingly with them.
As well as these larger furnishings, there may be smaller things to see. An empty cross reminds us how Jesus rose triumphant from the dead. Candles, or a lamp, remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world. He calls us to shine for Him.
Special clothes for the minister remind us to pray with the Psalmist. "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness' (Psalm 132:9). We pray for the witness of our own right living when we see a white cloth on the holy table: St John speaks of the church as Christ's bride, dressed in fine linen, clean and white, and adds, "The fine linen is the righteousness of saints (Revelation 10:8)
Precious silver communion vessels remind us that the blood of Jesus Christ is more precious still (1 Peter 1:18-19); and the plate for the collection reminds us that God gives all that we have for us to give again to Him in love and thankfulness. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts" (Haggal 2:8).
So many things to see! What can our ears hear in church? From the earliest times people have made music in praise of God. There have been musical instruments, from the harp of King David, "the sweet psalmist of Israel (ll Samuel 23:1), to today's organs and guitars and Casios - not to mention traditional Indian instruments. Above all, there is singing in church: hymns, psalms, lyrics, choruses, in styles to suit every taste. 'Sing unto the LORD a new song!" (Psalm 98:1). Indeed, new songs are being written all the time, we love the old favourites as well
We also listen to the spoken word in church. We hear the Bible lessons and the sermon, God's word and its meaning for our lives. We hear prayers, and the united voice of everyone's "Amen" at the end.
Sometimes- perhaps not often enough - We have a time of silence in our worship. At one point of his vision, St. John says, "There was silence in heaven for about half an hour (Revelation 8:1). What can we hear in silence? We have the chance to listen to God, whose "still small voice spoken to Elijah in the silent wilderness of Horeb, after the great noises of wind, earthquake and fire. (1 Kings 19:11-12).
Seeing hearing; is there a special smell to a chruch? Some churches use Incense, like the israelites of old. You remember how the angel came to announce John the Baptist's birth: it was when his father, Zechariah, was offering incense in the temple at Jerusalem. (St Luke 1:11)
G.K. Chesterton, an English poet and novelist, once wrote a poem called "Quoodle's Song". Quoodle was a dog: his song describes the world that a dog smells. He feels sorry for human beings who cannot smell as keenly as dogs can. One such smell is 'The smell of Sunday morning". Next time you are in church on a Sunday morning, sniff the air. Can you smell people's Sunday best clothes, and extra flowers? They are rejoicing in God!
The sense of taste can also be found in church worship. The Greek Orthodox Church, for instance, has an interesting addition to a baptism service. The newly baptised person receives a tiny pinch of salt on the tongue, and then a drop of honey - even at the baptism of a small baby! The sait reminds people of Jesus' words, You are the salt of the earth" (St.Matthew 5:13), and St. Paul's advice. "Let your speech be laways with grace, seasoned with salt" (colossians 4:6). Honey comes many times in the Bible. The promised land was "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:17). God longs to give His people thoney from the rock (Psalm 81:16). The judgements of the LORD are 'Sweeter than honey and the honey-comb. (Posalm 19:10)
Tastes more familiar in our worship are the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper, as the precious body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, broken and poured out for us on the cross of Calvary. Sometimes the bread is a specially made fine wafer, sometimes it is ordinary bread from the baker. In the same way, the "wine" is sometimes fermented grape Juice, sometimes unfermented. The meaning behind the taste is what is most important.
The fifth sense is touch things we can feel through our skin. A hymn for holy communion says.
"Here let me touch and handle things unseen." We can feel things in our hearts too: God's peace and love. His forgiveness and acceptance, His joy and goodness. They stir us to praise and thankfulness, to dedication and service, and to prayer for others as well as ourselves. We share God's concern for His world and all its people.
Our minds become involved as we meditate on God's word and hear it explained and expounded. We compare what God says with what we find in the world around us. They are not always the same! Which do we agree with? Where do we disagree? Why?
There is a great need for committed Christian people to think through questions like these, in today's Indian context. Perhaps some will be those who worship in the renewed chapel celebrated by this Souvenirt We need not be afraid to ask searching questions to find what is right. Jesus Himself is the truth. (St. John 14:6). God created our minds: He wants them used in His service and with His love.
A building where much prayer has been offered has an atmosphere about it. It gives us a sense of God's presence. It is the same when we meet someone whose life is lived close to God: We are helped in our own life's pilgrimage towards heaven.
May this chapel be a source of inspiration to many. May they go on to inspire others and point them to the Living God, whose love never fails. And with heart, soul, mind and strength, may we/all love Him more and more, and finally enter His everlasting kingdom.
C. Mary Paterson
(CMS Mission Partner teaching spoken English and French in Sarah Tucker Mat. School)