empty places of worship

Hello everyone,

June, July are busy months for the Bivins family. We are off in various directions throughout the months going to summer camps, like centri kid, mfuge and student life. The most recent trip is one we have taken now for 3 years. It's a trip that takes us to NYC, yep New York City.

It's an amazing trip, as we gather together with other brother and sisters to help some friends of ours with a church plant, called the gallery church. The yearly pilgrimage has us on the grounds in the various boroughs of New York, talking with the locals and trying to share life for just a moment. There are several, i mean several topics in regards to this trip that i will share at a later date. Today i would like to share a thought and get some of your thoughts.

You see, in our journeys over the years to and from NYC we pass by these structures, that were built in the early 1800's. The structures in various places of the city reach for the heavens and scream to be admired, to be honored. We call these structures church, or cathedrals, places of worship, i personally like to call these structures, worship barns. (hey Jesus calls us sheep) For example Trinity Chapel a place of worship that sits within a city block of Wall Street, the church is just a few steps away from where George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States. Interestingly enough there is a plaque that shows the first President in a pose that has his face searching the skies for, what to me appears to be seeking the face of our Creator for guidance in this amazing transition of power. Yet as you walk inside the doors of Trinity Chapel, it is more of a museum, a place to sight see, than a place of worship. Names of donors, plaques of those that served, busts of those that gave.

Walk with me, well we better jump on a subway train for this next leg, its OK really, kinda fun actually to ride, haaaaannnnngggg on. Our stop is in the Stuyesvant area where we will walk inside a place of worship built in the late 1700's, called St George Episcopal. You cannot help but say GAWLEE look at this place, when you walk in. A structure of awe and yet this year I'm starting to get a sense of maybe just maybe we as a body took our eye off the ball, or did we take our eye off the reason for the structure, Jesus?

Back to the train, told ya it was fun! Next stop is St Patricks Cathedral on 5th in Manhattan. The largest Roman Catholic church in the United States. Built in 1853. The dictionary does not have the words to describe the beauty of this place. Masses are still held at this location, as visitors come in and walk around during the services. I must admit, the first year Iwalked into this worship barn. The priest was conducting mass and sightseers were meandering around. I timidly walked in and immediately felt like I was doing something terribly wrong....have we made masses a spectator sport now? Just saying....

Exodus 20:5 (NLT) You must not bow down to them (God is speaking of the idols referenced in verse 4)or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

So here is the question. Knowing that our God is a jealous God, and when these mega structures were first built, throngs of folks came and gave their various talents, which included money and service. The buildings were packed or they wouldn't have been built right? So what happened? Did we start focusing on the "things" or talents of the local body, instead of loving God and loving each other as ourselves? Did we become to enamored in seeing our name as a vestryman chiseled in marble for the "world" to see when we were long gone? Did we loose sight of not letting the right hand know what the left hand was doing in order that our reward would be received in heaven and not on earth? Did we forget to go into our prayer closet and pray? Did we simple loose sight of Jesus in our zeal to impress or "SHOW" the world we are Christians?

OK so shoot me, that was more than one question. But it sure does have me thinking and going back to read Acts, when the early church met in homes. God encourages us in Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Amen Amen, where are you meeting?