8/11/13- Church in Ruins

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:1-3)

10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. (1 Kings 25:10)

May it please you to prosper Zion,
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)

Thoughts: The remnant of the people of God was in trouble.  There was a safety issue.  This was not just about having a fence in the backyard.  Walls insured safety from robbers, armies, and looters.  Why would people move into an unsafe place?  It becomes clear to the readers later in Nehemiah that there are enemies of the remnant all around.  We would not want to move into a neighborhood with drug dealers- or where it was unsafe for our children to walk down the street or our wives to go to the store in safety.  But the real disgrace was that this was supposed to be the city of God.  It was supposed to be city on a hill for all to see God's glory.  Instead it was a sign of disgrace and sadness.  I fell a similar way today when I see an abandoned church.  Last year some of us traveled to Scotland.   At one time there was a large stone church in every neighborhood it appeared.  But now many of those churches are museums.  When you go to worship most do not have many young people or children in them.  A building, a structure is a physical symbol of something more.  An architect will tell you that something that is appealing is attracting and inviting.  On the other hand if a building is shoddy, unkempt and uncared-for then it will be unattractive.  While it is true that there have been many instances where churches have met for brief periods in unattractive places as that is the only option for them (especially during times of persecution or poverty).  There was a reason why the Temple was commanded to be ornate with inlaid gold and ivory.  A structure- a building or wall should be done in such a way that it honors God.  Calvin was adamant that church buildings should not be ornate- but simple.  Yet even then they were to be one of the nicest buildings in the area- with a tall steeple pointing to the heavens.  Simple, but clean, neat, and functional were Calvin's words of advice. 

Prayer: Help me to see how I can honor you, Lord, by honoring your church.  May what visibly points to you glorify you.  

(ruined church in Scotland)