Let the Stones Cry Out

Some time ago, I gave an extended series of exhortations in this place concerning our music. Having preached a series of high altitude messages on our new church building, I want to come down to a lower altitude now, and in the weeks to come set out some very practical concerns about our upcoming building project.

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4).

The first issue has to do with priorities in building. On the safe assumption that we will not have unlimited resources, we want to make sure that when we start in on the building that we give pride of place to those tasks that will enable us to worship God more fittingly. What this means, in blunt terms, is that we want to build a sanctuary first and foremost.

There are other architectural functions that are commonly associated with church buildings that are certainly lawful and appropriate, and we don’t want to necessarily preclude such things—fellowship hall, kitchen, office spaces, and so forth.

So if our resources limit us, we want the limitations to land on our conveniences, and not on that which would honor God the most. This is another way of saying that the honor of God should receive the first fruits.

Under our current circumstances, we have offices for the church that are as nice as church offices anywhere. But the task that we say is far more important than, say, the printing of bulletins—the worship of the triune God—is something we conduct in a field house. When people visit us here in Moscow, we routinely get compliments on how nice the offices are. When they worship with us, I imagine that many of them think, although they are gracious enough not to say, “Really?”

Now it is not a sin to worship in a field house, any more than it is a sin to worship in the catacombs. The Spirit of God is located where His people gather. The worship we offer here is perfect, because we offer it in the name of Jesus.

But what happens when we come down to a choice? Build this or that? Americans are, for both good and ill, a very practical people. This means that we gravitate toward multi-use—“let us do something that, whatever else it does, does not interfere with our day-to-day tasks.” In contrast to this, we want to make sure that we don’t allow such practical considerations—and very lawful considerations—to deter us from honoring God, whatever else we do. So in this next phase of our church’s life, we want the honor of God architecturally to be our first and central priority. Let the stones cry out.