Symbols for Worship

There are many different churches and sadly, many different denominations. DoI believe that God intended us to be one church and not many. Absolutely. The problem is who needs to change. Each denomination or theological view of Christianity is based on God’s word, except those that have become so liberal that the Bible is no longer the absolute authority of God. God doesn’t want philosophies, but real life-changing faith. If you have ever visited different churches from different denominations, you will likely find that church and altar areas often look different in each of these buildings. I am not an expert on other churches, but I will try to present each church honestly and not use it as a means of tearing down any church body. A lot of Catholic churches are quite ornate with statues, paintings, stained glass windows and the like. The intent is using the decor as a way of honoring God. If God is our majestic God, the feeling is that the churches should reflect that honor and worship. Just as we might dress well for meeting a great person, so the church (Jesus’ bride) should be dressed to receive Him. On the opposite end of that are churches whose building and worship areas look very plain. There are no symbols, decorations, or the like as to not make any graven images. The fear is that people might focus more on the symbols than Christ Himself. The conservative Lutheran church, of which I am a part, lies somewhere in the middle. In the 1500's, when Luther was kept in a castle to do His work because of the fear that he might be killed. While in isolation, Luther heard that people were destroying statues and artwork so as not to make idols of them. Luther came out of hiding to stop it. Why? He believed that symbols and Christian images were a powerful reminder of who Jesus was. Like Catholic churches, Lutheran's had many symbols, but most were not as ornate as the Catholic Church. It wasn’t because we didn’t think Jesus should be honored and praised, but that the call to make disciples of all nations required financial support, thus making missions a high priority to receive financial help. I’m not sure how well the other churches are doing, but even with a financial mission priority, I’m not sure we are faithful with that outreach to the world anymore. Father, give us a passionate heart for missions. Help each church serve You faithfully here and abroad. Amen