When The House Is Not Beautiful
Worship Is Hearing How God Sees Beauty In You
by Eric Elkin
“One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.. ”
What if the Lord's house was not beautiful. What if the interior is adorned with cheesy 1970s' wood paneling, lime-colored pleather couches, and black velvet posters. Would this style of decoration capture your heart with its beauty? Worse, what if the Lord's house was full of conflict. Would you want to come home if every time you entered, there was a fight? My guess is you would not.
My wife tells me her church was beautiful before I arrived on the scene. Natural wood beams adorned the sanctuary ceiling. The altar and pulpit were hand-carved masterpieces. The organ, with its pipes prominently displayed, captured your attention. It was visually impressive, and the music it played was so vibrant it could make you weep.
Then a decision was made to modernize the building — fake wood paneling covered over the decorative walls. Workers painted over the natural wood beams and removed the old organ. The changes destroyed the church's beauty. My wife no longer wanted to dwell in that house. We got married there, but I've been in more attractive bowling alleys.
A news story made the rounds last week appearing in many social media feeds. The article was titled to grab your attention. "Struggling Church Asks Older Members To Leave During 'Reset." It details how a small congregation decided to intentionally close its doors so it could remodel and restart as a new ministry. The 25 worshipping members, most of whom are over the age of 60, were asked to leave.
"Asked to leave" is the attention grabber. Who could be so crass? Can a church get away with such blatant age discrimination? I have no inside information on this story. However, when I read the article, I smell a church conflict.
“I have this theory, that if we’re told we’re bad
Then that’s the only idea we’ll ever have
But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty
Someday we will become what we see
’Cause anyone can start a conflict
It’s harder yet to disregard it
I’d rather see the world from another angle”
A congregation of 25 people who cannot afford to pay a pastor sounds suspicious. The church has two campuses. The larger one is only 5 minutes away and is bustling with life. It just seems like there is more to the story. Thinking about all I have seen in churches made me think, my one request might be different than the psalmist.
A commentary reflecting on Psalm 27 referenced a song by Jewel. One of the verses her song, "I'm Sensitive," wondered if people surrounded by beauty might we become beautiful. I found the thought intriguing and looked up the lyrics. The verse says, "Maybe if we are surrounded in beauty, someday we will become what we see."
I think we are shaped by what we see. If we see beauty, we become it. Yet, If all we see is anger and conflict, this too will take a toll on our souls. Looking at the world, I find myself with the same longing as the psalmist with one exception. I'm not sure I will see the beauty in the house of the Lord.
My one request is for the Lord to behold beauty in me so I might be beautiful. Too often, I just don't feel all that beautiful. It would be nice to take a break from that feeling. Even as a pastor, I don't go to church to see its beauty. I go to hear how God sees beauty in me.
Click to read Psalm 27: 1-9
Reflection Questions:
When have you experienced an absence of beauty in the church?
How did it shape you?
What do you really go to church to find?
Where is the place or way you feel closest to God?
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