Acoustical Centrality

In the beginning, John tells us, was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We are told other things about the Second Person of the Trinity elsewhere in Scripture—He is the icon of God, He is the wisdom of God, He is the Son of God, He is the light from God, and so on. But there is a peculiar primacy given to the Word. This is that which defines all else.

This is why, in the Protestant tradition, it is common to have the pulpit here, like this, in the central position—as a testimony to the centrality of the Word. But it is not enough to give the Word a visual and spatial centrality, and then walk away satisfied. No, the Word is to have more than symbolic centrality—although it should have that as well.

The Word must have primacy in other ways. The Lord’s Table is also central, but it is the Word that makes the sacrament. We are fed at the Table, but the proclamation of the Word is the cooking. The food must be prepared and dressed,

The Word must have primacy because it goes with you in the benediction. I remember a gospel song from when I was a child that said, “I want to be more than a Sunday-go-to-meeting-Christian.” The Word is central on the Lord’s Day so that the Lord’s Day can be the cornerstone of your coming week.

The Word is central in that it is what is glorified by the music. We are plainly instructed to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

And all this is to say that in our new building, acoustics are not just a convenience. The attention we pay to acoustics is a testimony to our faith in the centrality of the Word. It will be built as a place where God speaks to His people. So let the stones cry out.