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THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR
STRENGTH.
THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW
WEARY, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BE FAINT.
ISAIAH 40:31 |
A Time to Soar--In the Glory of
God The central goal of human life, according to the
Westminster Confession is, "To glorify God and enjoy God forever."
What does it mean to "glorify God"? I heard the best definition of
"glory" that I have ever encountered last week. In his sermon at
Westminster, Yale's Nicholas Wolterstorff said glory means, "radiant
excellence." When I heard that I realized, our sanctuary was built
to be a place of radiant excellence. In telling the stories of God,
this place glorifies God.
▪The stained glass radiates the divine story in light;
▪The organ radiates God's grace through magnificent instrumental
music;
▪The pulpit design helps to radiate the Word;
▪The great height of the space inspires the wonder of God;
▪The beauty of the place moves us to dream great dreams for God.
This sanctuary is an amazing holy place. There is a depth of
sacred story that only an historic sanctuary like this can share.
But, to be honest with ourselves, we have to take a close look at
the sanctuary itself.
▪The stained glass windows are sagging in bulges that need
repair.
▪The walls have cracks that are letting in moisture and ruining the
plaster.
▪There are no sprinklers, and a fire could quickly destroy this
beautiful, holy place.
▪The chancel design makes it hard to accommodate new expressions of
worship;
▪The yards of duct-tape holding together the carpet do not glorify
God.
There is a story about two men visiting a beautiful ancient
European cathedral. The first man, so overwhelmed with the beauty of
it, said, "I wonder why they don't build cathedrals like this
anymore?" The second man answered, "That's easy. In earlier times,
people had convictions. Today they only have opinions."
We have inherited a cathedral built on convictions of faith. Now
it is our time to share our convictions about the glory of God
communicated through this special holy place. The need is great and
we are asking people to make sacrificial gifts for this project.
While the size of our gifts may be different, if we each sacrifice
in some profound way, we can reach the needed goal.
I estimate that there are about 10,000 people who come through
this sanctuary each year--for worship, weddings, funerals, concerts,
classes and special gatherings. These times can be life-changing
moments. Please give a sacrificial gift that shares with all who
enter this sanctuary--the radiant glory of God.
Sincerely,
Rev. Andrew L. McDonald |
