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Why We Need Churches
Recommended readings: Path Through Scripture by Fr. Mark Link (Paperback 1995--$14.50), Understanding the Bible: A Basic Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Fr. George T. Montague, S.M.,(Paperback 1997 $15.96)  An Introduction to New Testament Christology by Fr. Raymond E. Brown. Time magazine hailed Raymond Brown as "the leading U.S. Catholic authority on the Bible."   In this accessible work written for all Bible students, Brown presents an intelligible introduction to the way Jesus was understood in His lifetime and in the lifetimes of His original followers.
    The dedication of Solomon's temple was an extravagant affair (1 Kings 8). The temple itself was a marvel of opulence. It was a far cry from the tent that had been the center of worship and housed the Ark of the Covenant for several centuries. The temple was built of stone and cedar. It was draped with fine tapestries. It was furnished with silver vessels.
     It is no wonder that the formal dedication of the temple was such a grand affair. The leaders and princes of all the ancestral houses were in attendance. The priests carried the Ark and all the sacred vessels in solemn splendor. Countless sheep and oxen were sacrificed in the path of this great company of royalty and priests. Finally, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies of the temple. At last God had a princely house that stood in the middle of the Capitol City of Jerusalem.
     There have always been those who decried such extravagant devotion. The practical-minded see better uses for all that money than putting it into buildings or celebrations. When the Archdiocese of San Francisco built the magnificent Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption many cried, "Think of the hungry that could be fed, the homeless that could be housed, the sick that could be treated."
     The practical-minded certainly have a point. The first business of the Christian faith is doing justice and loving mercy. Besides, so the argument goes, God doesn't need us to remind him of his glory and power. But having said that, there is a time and a place for the occasional religious extravagance. The world would be poorer without the cathedrals that have provided spiritual shelter to the masses, without the music that has given spiritual comfort to the multitudes, without the art that has given spiritual inspiration to the millions.
     Some people think that Christianity has become more and more an individual matter--the "Me and Jesus" syndrome. Yet, there has always been a place for personal piety in the Christian tradition. We do not have to go to the church to pray. Obviously, we can pray to God or worship God anywhere.
     However, church membership and corporate worship has been the norm for Christian faith and practice for centuries. Yet things have changed for many believers. They think that church membership and corporate worship have become optional—fine for people who need and want the support of institutional religion. Many people devise their own spiritual exercises. They practice different forms of meditation. They belong to small Bible study and prayer groups. They visit different religious services. They pick and choose among the options available to deepen their own spiritual life.
     Are we headed toward a post-institutional form of religion? Church membership is declining. Church buildings are empty in Europe. Will the same "church-less" Christianity become the norm in this country as well? 
     So why have churches, anyway?  The best answer to this question can be found in 1 Kings 8.  When Solomon dedicated the temple he had built for God, he acknowledged that God could not be contained by human institution or building. "If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple, which I have built!", he exclaims. Yet Solomon went on: "May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored."
     God is not limited to traditional worship services or social structures, but whether it be a tent or a temple, he has always chosen these places to meet his people.
 
By clicking on the blue type, you can read other articles in theFebruary 1999 issue of The San Francisco Charismatics or return to the Main Menu of this web site.