Importance: 10%
The Big Idea: A collections of different notes surrounding the concept of Sacred Space.
Types of Sacred Space in the Old Testament
Through the stories of scripture there seems to be two main types of sacred space. Established spaces and special spaces. Established spaces are ones that abides place of God. special places are once that occur because of a unique encounter with God. Â
Role of wonder and awe in sacred spaceÂ
Role of rhythms and nature in sacred space
Role of story and memory in sacred space
Role of art and beauty in sacred space
Role of monument and legacy in sacred space
Role of worship and ritual in sacred space
Role of identity and belonging in sacred space
AestheticÂ
We as God’s church have a unique perspective and relationship with the ideas of beauty and aesthetic. Unlike businesses we do not brand or decorate with the purpose of selling people something. Nor do we play popularity contests to try and draw the most people with what is flashy or trendy. Rather, the foundation of what things should look like, and how art and decorations function in our spaces, comes from the way God uses these things in the history of His people. The story of building the Tabernacle is a particularly important story for how we envision and shape sacred space. It is from that story we see God himself placing value on the creation of beautiful space for the worship and gathering of His people. Gold, silver, precious stones, and fine linen are just a few of the valuable materials used in the creation of this sacred space. While an entry way does not warrant that level of ornamentation, it is important that we frame our discussion with the reality that beauty is something that matters in the way we design sacred space.
What does the space look like now?
Beginning with colors, our entryway has: reds, pink, black, dark grey, light grey, green, blue, purple, various woods, and cream stone.Â
The design for our sanctuary is regal, modern, symmetrical and clean. The design of our entryway does not match this or flow from any defined design pattern. Â
What do we want it to look like?
We need to settle on a defined color pallet. And unified textures and materials. These can come from our sanctuary or be designed to compliment our sanctuary.
Biblical resources
Meet Noah at the altarÂ
Genesis 8
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
22 “As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
Meets abraham under the starsÂ
Genesis 12:7
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Issac
Genesis 26:25
Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
Jacob
Genesis 35:7
There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
Building of the tabernacleÂ
GideonÂ
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Joshua 4:9
Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
Places god meets people
Mountains
TabernacleÂ
Temple
Elijah on the mountain
1 Kings 19:3-18
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Moses and Elijah both do not have shrines to their dead bodies. Connection with Jesus on transfiguration as sacred space becoming apartment in the person of Jesus
Jesus on the transfiguration
Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
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