Should Architecture Define The Church…OR Should The People?
One of the most common questions I get about our building is, “Hey P, why aren’t there any crosses or a steeple?”
So…I thought today would be a great day to answer this—let’s start with the cross.
First of all, no one, and I mean NO ONE is more appreciative than me in regards to what Jesus did on the cross. The cross is where He paid for sin—once for all! And only HE could have paid the debt…He knew the pain that was to face Him—yet He still faced the cross. And because of His death I can have life.
(From time to time I hear a well meaning Christian say, “It should have been me up there on that ‘ole cross.” I always yell, “What are you trying to do—send us all to hell? If it had been YOU then I would still be guilty of sin—but Jesus paid my debt—that GOD it wasn’t you.”)
Sorry for the rant…let’s continue…
The cross is a reminder of what Jesus has done for us…and Scripture mentions the power of the cross…
However, nowhere in Scripture is there a biblical mandate that a church building must have a cross; in fact, I honestly believe that the early church would be horrified if they were to come to our world today and see crosses all over the place.
Stay with me here…the cross in the Roman world was used to KILL PEOPLE! They killed people on a cross before and after killing Christ on one. It was a means of capital punishment. Basically we can equate it to a lethal injection or the electric chair in today’s world.
How horrified would you be if you saw someone walking down the road with a golden needle hanging around their neck…or saw a picture of an electric chair over their fireplace in someone’s home?
A study of Christian history will show that the church appreciated and talked about the cross—but it did not begin to show up as a sign of identity until hundreds of years after the church was established.
And today…let’s all be honest about this one…the cross in America is nothing more than a religious good luck charm…and don’t say it isn’t. I see athletes and celebrities being interviewed on television…and they are dropping “F-bombs” and saying, “GD this and that…” and then you see a cross hanging around their neck.
Personally—and this will ruffle a few feathers…I think many churches have turned the cross into an idol. Sort of like the snake on a pole in Numbers…remember the story…the snake was lifted up and everyone who looked upon it was healed…but later on in Israel’s history the snake on a pole was destroyed because the Israelites began to worship the symbol of their deliverance rather than the fact they were delivered.
So—when we designed the building here at NewSpring there was a decision made to stay away from symbols that the church had turned into something that Scripture never intended for them to be. Seriously—when was the last time you looked at a cross and really thought about the death of Jesus…and how His death brings you life. Come on now—see what I mean.
I just believe that if religious symbols have to identify the church rather than the presence of God and the people’s lives that are changed—there is something wrong.
We preach the cross at NewSpring—we preach that Jesus is the only way to heaven…but we will not get caught up in religious traditions that have become modern day idols to a country that seeks religion…but does not seek Jesus.
As far at steeples—a few thoughts here—
#1 - Once again, there is NOT a Biblical mandate.
#2 - You have no idea how expensive they are…I laugh when I hear people say, “You guys spent money on lights and so on” when there are churches right here in the upstate that have spent nearly a half a million dollars on their steeple!!!
#3 - My buddy Mark Batterson had this post on steeples that is a MUST READ!!! Steeples were once an outlet of creativity…but people who love them have confused methodology and theology…and that’s a sad thing.
Happy Valentines Day! :-)