You are God's building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.
Many young couples, eager for the privileges of marriage and parenting, immediately budget for the house they should have. It will have space for children, in a safe neighborhood, with good schools and a lively church nearby. They want their not-yet-conceived children to be born into a secure, peaceful, religious home. They want them to know that, despite whatever the world may say about life and God, they are blessed and guided by the Lord of the Universe. A proper house will reflect their faith.
We don't find any plans for buildings among the documents of the New Testament. The peripatetic missionaries never stayed anywhere long enough to invest much time in infrastructure. They first had to build a fellowship of Jews and gentiles which was firmly set in the Gospel, with honest, reliable, capable leaders. And they had to contend with suspicious and hostile outsiders because the story of a crucified messiah will always be opposed by someone.
But the day would come when an established Church would need buildings to demonstrate its permanent presence; and, more importantly, to establish a practice of worship that would last into a distant future. The world must know we love God, and we are here. We are glad to be here; and we are not going away. We will remain in prosperous times, and in desperate; in sickness and in health; in war and in peace until the Second Coming of the Lord.
Wikipedia has a fulsome article about the Arch-basilica of Saint John Lateran and its long history. Predictably, it's not a story of continual magnificence. It has fallen into disrepair and been rebuilt a few times. The site has changed owners, and many relics of the past remain alive within it. For instance, "The president of the French Republic, currently Emmanuel Macron, is ex officio the "First and Only Honorary Canon" of the archbasilica, a title that the heads of state of France have possessed since King Henry IV." I don't suppose Monsieur Macron gives much thought to that on any given day.
Oddities like that only remind us that our history is complex, confusing, and ongoing. We receive our faith with all its earthy and earthly complexity from our ancestors; and we bequeath it to our descendants. And we remain, with our buildings, as a holy people in a world of distress, uncertainty, and confusion.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.