Details, details, details!
We have a saying that the devil is in the details, but in
the case of the tabernacle and how we construct our worship spaces, God is in
the details. God goes through such great
pains to talk about the details because these particulars reflect His holiness
and perfection. The tabernacle was a
picture of heaven on earth.
Almost all of what is dealt with in chapter 26 is the
cloth and hanging portions of the tabernacle.
I just walked into the sanctuary of my church and looked at the hangings
there. They’re green, reflecting the
season of Pentecost and spiritual growth.
The ones on the lectern, altar and pulpit go together. They depict sheaves of grain and clusters of
grapes; in the center of the altar’s hanging is a chalice. Clearly they’re pointing us toward the Lord’s
Supper. The large wall hanging depicts a
cross with loaves and fishes right over where the beams come together. It signifies how Jesus feeds us with his
broken body and spilt blood, just as He fed the 5000 on loaves and fish.
The details in our churches matter. Many churches have profound symbolism in
their decorations that are worth contemplating because they are a visual
representation of God’s Word. Someone
was trying to express a piece of Scripture in proclamation for our eyes.
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| The banner Rebecca made that hangs in my office. Thanks! |
When I left my last
congregation, I asked one of the ladies to make a banner for the
congregation. On it I asked her to put
the last three words of this passage, “And I will make
every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember
these things.” (2Pe 1:15 NIV) I asked her to put symbols on the top and
bottom of the banner. At the top – a
cross and tomb with the stone rolled away – reminding people of what Paul says,
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, . . .” (1Co
15:3-4 NIV) The cross and empty tomb are
of first importance. They are the main
thing. This is how Jesus saved us. Below she made a triangle of the words,
Faith, Grace, and Scripture; the three “Solas”
of the Lutheran Church. We are saved by
grace alone (that’s what sola means), through faith alone, and we
receive this salvation through the God’s Word alone. And beneath that there are pictures of a
Bible, a Baptismal shell and a chalice with a Communion wafer reminding us of
the Means of Grace – the methods God uses to bring forgiveness to our lives. And finally, at the very bottom, there are
praying hands, urging us as those who have faith in Christ crucified and risen,
who are saved by grace through faith by the working of God’s Word in Scripture,
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to pray continually. (She also blessed me with a copy of that
banner, and it hangs in my office so that I can, “Remember these things . . .
,” as well!)
Details
matter. Sometimes there are
serendipitous random things that we use to remind us of God’s blessings, like
the cross that also happens to be the church’s lightening rod. But often, and as it should be, visuals in a
church are intentional. (Even the choice
to not use visuals is intentional, but even in churches that don’t use banners,
etc.; their architecture is often deliberately done to God’s glory.) They are meant to convey that most important
message – that God loves people so much that He gave Jesus to die for our sins
and He raised Him giving us everlasting life.
The tabernacle
was not accident. It showed Israel God
was with them. Our buildings do the
same.
Father, help me appreciate the visual messages that remind
me of your holiness and forgiveness.
Amen.
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