Behind the altar at my home church, Jesus beckons from a cloud-filled sky, His face illuminated from above. On either side of Him, angels blow their horns, wings fanning out in flight, heralding the return of the Lord. The painting and mural are simple (compared to\nother Orthodox art) but striking, representing a calm, fixed promise of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believe it or not, it\u2019s possible for a mind to wander during an Orthodox service, despite the sheer sensory overload of bells ringing, voices chanting and singing, incense burning, and gold-toned objects flashing. That is, a mind accustomed to it all can wander, like how a native city-dweller gets tunnel vision, turning inward to their own thoughts while navigating the flow of movement around them. I can\u2019t speak for my fellow congregants, but when I find myself zoning out, that mural anchors me back to the present moment and the\nreason why I\u2019m at church: to worship Christ alongside other believers. It\u2019s a beautiful and unique visual reminder that is always before the eyes of our congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lately, I\u2019ve been reflecting on how church settings direct our senses towards God. As I\u2019ve spent more time attending Evangelical or non-denominational church services, retreats, and conferences, I\u2019ve noticed a certain trend in the layout and appearance of modern sanctuaries. They tend to be very\u2026 bare. Boxy. Cooltoned,\nwithout windows, and generally lacking gilding\nor imagery. Some would call the effect \u201cminimalist\u201d (though wealth is clearly displayed through sleek furniture and state-of-the-art technology). Dan Keiser of Keiser Design Group very clearly outlines the purpose\nunderlying this aesthetic, writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cContemporary church designs are increasingly\nprioritizing multipurpose spaces, recognizing\nthe dynamic nature of modern congregational\nneeds. These spaces are not only designed\nfor Sunday services but also cater to a wide\nrange of community events, from educational\nprograms and social gatherings to church\ncamps. This approach to design emphasizes\nmovement, flexibility, and practicality,\nensuring that church buildings can adapt to\nvarious activities and functions. By doing so,\narchitects are reimagining churches as vibrant\ncommunity hubs where everyone could be\nentering into the church.\u201d 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This description reveals a lot about the heart of the American Protestant church right now. There is a growing\u2014 and good\u2014desire to make churches into more effective sites of social uplift, outfitting buildings to better respond\nto community needs. Concretely, this may look like incorporating classrooms and spaces for para-church services, such as counseling centers or food pantries, in the overall building layout. It can also look like widening hallways\nand lobbies to serve as \u201cthird spaces\u201d within the church for fellowship and connection, or replacing fixed altars and bulky pews with movable communion tables and chairs for greater accessibility. These are thoughtful design choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, I wonder if prioritizing flexibility and functionality in a sanctuary\u2019s design leads us to forget about beautifying it as well. To me, this is a problem because part of how we experience the divine is through our sensory\nappreciation of beauty. When we notice beautiful things, we approach them with care and respect. When those beautiful things have spiritual significance, we usually respond with reverence. I worry that a sanctuary that lacks\nbeauty discourages us from recognizing and treating the space as sacred. And when we don\u2019t behave as if a church building and its surrounding grounds are holy, then what even is our purpose for gathering there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jason Ferris, a Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia, states that \u201cthe point of sanctuaries is straightforward: they are designed to bring people into the presence of God.\u201d 2 David Greusel, a Christian and the principal architect for two MLB stadiums, similarly asserts that \u201ca well-designed church\u2026 [puts] people in a proper frame of mind to think about and experience and have an encounter with God.\u201d 3 Both suggest God is already present in a given place, and that we approach Him, not just expect His Spirit to meet us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Old Testament bears out their perspective. When Moses marvels at the burning bush, God tells him to take off his sandals and treat the ground as holy. Likewise, God explicitly instructs people to treat buildings where He\ndwelt on earth as sacred, such as the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem. God gave detailed specifications for the craftsmanship that went into these spaces. In the New Testament, there is less emphasis on God\u2019s people constructing grand buildings and more on acting collectively as the Church, the living Body of Christ. And yet, there isn\u2019t a prohibition against creating beautiful buildings dedicated to the Lord, so why has this idea fallen by the wayside?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keiser notes that \u201carchitectural choices were often backed by theological shifts, influenced by the values of the church community.\u201d Greusel offers some insight on what those theological shifts might be. He argues that in the last century or so, American church architecture began reflecting \u201ca spirit of pragmatism\u2026 [which] comes from thinking that if it\u2019s not related to saving souls, it\u2019s unimportant.\u201d He believes Christians left beautiful buildings behind when it mattered more to evangelize directly to people. Or in other words, when the work of the Great\nCommission became more urgent than resting in the beauty of God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That perspective hasn\u2019t changed, but now more Christians are perceiving the church building as important to the work of evangelism. I\u2019ve already mentioned how churches are trying to become community hubs, drawing more people in. However, buildings that are designed to serve that end will also point inwards, physically and ideologically. Just take a look at the diagram on the previous page, which demonstrates how church layouts have evolved. Churches once physically resembled the cross; it\u2019s poetic and symbolic that we\u2019re meant to meet the Lord there. Now, they look more self-contained, which can subconsciously reinforce the idea that community is the main thing we\u2019re there for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel strongly that church design should mainly reflect how we perceive God and our relationship to Him, and to a lesser degree satisfy our own community needs. When you read how Ferris characterizes cathedrals, it\u2019s a powerful\nexample of God\u2019s nature mirrored in sanctuary space:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA cathedral\u2019s massiveness physically humbles us, forcing us to admit our vulnerability in the face of God. Cathedrals are also dark, forcing us to admit the uncontrollable mystery of God. They are also quiet, forcing us to acknowledge the dramatic silence of a free God who speaks according to [His] will, not ours\u2026 [they] awe us even as they comfort us; they challenge us even as they affirm us.\u201d 4<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majesty, mystery, and authority of God are intentionally represented in a cathedral\u2019s design and leave a physical impression on the person entering it. A local church does not need to demonstrate those same attributes, but it can still remind its congregants of what the Trinity is like. God the Father is an artist who consistently demonstrates beauty in creation. Christ, though humble in His own physical appearance, changed matter and gave it new beauty to glorify the Father. And throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit has moved elementally through fire, wind, and sound, marvelous to the people who perceived it. There is nothing simple or minimalist about our interactions with God, so perhaps our worship environments should stimulate our senses, not stifle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have advice about making worship spaces beautiful, share in the comments and send photos if you can! It\u2019s always encouraging and inspiring to see how churches locally and globally are celebrating God in diverse ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 https:\/\/keiserdesigngroup.com\/blog\/church-design-how-architecture-shapes-worship
2 https:\/\/comment.org\/the-healing-power-of-church-architecture
3 https:\/\/faithandleadership.com\/david-greusel-create-places-where-people-can-flourish
4 https:\/\/comment.org\/the-healing-power-of-church-architecture<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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