I have been raised Southern Baptist complete with organ, hymns, and tented revivals, but one thing we did not have was a very ornate building. Our walls were always pretty much bare and we had a wooden cross up front until a couple of years ago when my home church decided to install stained glass windows. I loved them instantly. I thought they belonged there and wondered why we had waited so long to add them to our sanctuary.
Icons were small portraits of Christ, Mary, or the saints that could be transported easily. They were destroyed under the rule of Leo III due to their abuse and the fear that they were being turned into idols. Later the fear that things would be turned into idols caused churches to strip any type of image from churches.
I believe moderation is the key here. Giving your church some embellishments in decoration can be used to set the atmosphere of the sanctuary to be more reverent. It can set the tone. Also the creation of these decorations can be a spiritual experience for the artist and the viewer. Its when specific attention is called to these things as an essential part of worship that it can become dangerous. Worship is not dependent upon these things it can merely enhance the process and keep parishioners focused.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment