I love to sit in old chapels with light streaming in through the side windows. Sitting there evokes warm memories and helps me rediscover the “Sacred”. In the pursuit of relevance many churches have lost sight of some really important things, sacred things. Things I regard with reverence.
I miss the sacred experience of entering a sanctuary that is quiet. A place where I can prepare my heart for worship and more clearly hear the voice of God. I miss hearing sermons that clearly and boldly proclaim the Word of God. Watered-down, socially relevant “conversations” designed to avoid offending anyone leave me empty.
I miss the sacred awe of prayer with the Creator of the universe. Corporate prayer is rare and often there are no quiet moments for individuals to have an intimate moment of communication with God.
I miss the sacred experience of worship that sends my heart soaring into the very presence of God. I miss the sacred moments of communion that remind me in a quiet and worshipful way of the sacrifice Jesus made for me.
I miss church weddings and child dedications where a family vows to raise a precious child in the ways of the Lord. I miss having a place where a new Christian confirms their belief by walking forward and professing their faith and are surrounded by other believers who support them on their journey.
I miss having a safe place to pray, cry, and express my doubts and fears. A safe place to leave my pain and find forgiveness. I miss a place where the Bible is the highest authority rather than the latest poll or trend.
I miss the sacred things that draw me closer to my Lord.
I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
Exodus 20:2 (NLT)
Simple Faith 
I so appreciate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Services, a majestic hymn and a candlelight Christmas service.
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It is definitely a different time with respect to these things, I would agree. Reverent awe, quiet respect in church…… very meaningful looking back on my childhood.
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My Christian journey is different than yours,I grew up in a small town of 10,000. There were no stained glass windows in any church to raise the awareness of beauty in God’s creation, not even in the Catholic church. Our denomination was a noisy one in worship, preaching, and fellowship. As an adult, I became a committed follower of Jesus Christ in a cinder block church. Again, no beauty surrounded the buildings; sacred beauty was found in the people. They only had a piano, but no choir; the pastor led the singing as best he could. His favorite song was God Is So Good.The Bible was taught verse by verse, and the congregation demonstrated obedience in their everyday lives. They were wonderful examples for a new believer to follow. Strangely, corporate prayer rarely took place though we were encouraged to have an active prayer life.
For me, sacred silence and quiet contemplation were found in my home when the children were in school or before they awoke in the mornings. During vacations, I would steal away from family and friends and walk quietly with the Lord.
Times have changed drastically, and churches do not reflect the worship or even the teaching style of years long gone. Yet the Holy Spirt is not thwarted in bringing the believer to a sacred place of understanding where awe and reverence fills the heart. May each of us seek out those moments and gather them to our souls so that we reflect the meaning of the scriptures to others.
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Thank you for sharing your experience. Times have certainly changed, but the fond memories I have of the things that shaped my faith and speak to my soul remain.
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Deanna, I grew up in a church where you were quiet as you entered. I loved that feeling of reverence. Thank you for reminding me of that so that I can know I can still have that quiet reverential space in my heart even though I’m greeting the people around me. Your words do make me wonder if there’s some way a church could adopt a “quiet sanctuary” Sunday once a month. Wouldn’t that be an interesting experiment.
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