If the body is the temple...

What would you think of a person who evaluated a church only on the basis of it's building and grounds?  Could you imagine asking someone, "why do you go to _________ church?" and their reply, "Because the building looks great from the street".  How would you respond?  Going to a church because it looks good on the outside may be a good reason to go visit a church, but for that to be the only reason one might stay, that would be ludicrous. 

The Bible tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the question for today is, how does that play out in my day to day life?

Think about this...

Church A - This church is focused on their image in the community.  They spend many hours each week preening bushes, planting flowers, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, cleaning the parking lot, painting the building, washing the windows, removing spiderwebs, emptying gutters, etc.  From the street and from the parking lot all around the building this facility is spotless.  They have even gone so far as to collect the trash all around the building and even from their neighbors and they store it in the basement of the church.  They don't want any signs of refuse anywhere near this building.  As you walk into the church the overwhelming stench of the trash that has been stored in the basement for all of these years almost causes you to vomit.  The main sanctuary is littered with bulletins from years before and the carpet and drapes are worn and old.  The windows are tinted with the grime of years of neglect. Flies swarm around you as you make your way up to the first row and on to the platform.  As you make your way all the way to the baptismal, a distinguishing odor is protruding from the water that obviously has not been drained in many years.

Church B - This church is focused on it's comfort for those who attend.  They spend much of their time evaluating the paths to and from the sanctuary, attempting to diminish the amount of time it takes to get from the parking lot to the sanctuary and back again.  Everything is very structured and organized.  Signs are everywhere helping you get back to your car and out of the parking lot quickly.  The sanctuary boasts of recliners for everyone with multiple large screens to increase the viewing area.  The sound system is the best in the business with pinpoint sound at virtually every place in the sanctuary.  Lighting? Let's just say that you have never seen a place like this that had no shadows anywhere, but the lighting was not overwhelming bright.  The place is immaculate and extremely comfortable inside.  The outside of the building is very practical and neat. Organized parking.  Structured ebs and flows described in the painted markings on the pavement make entering and exiting simple.  Not an incredibly beautiful place, but very nice and efficient.

Church C - They are all about the "worship".  From the outside, the building is a warehouse and that is exactly what it looks like.  They have asphalt to the base of the building on every side.  It is basically a box with large glass doors around it to allow for massive groups of influx and outflow.  When you enter, everything points to the sanctuary.  You enter the sanctuary and the seats are immaculate.  They are covered with plastic so they do not get messed up.  The carpet on the floor is a bright purple that just screams "royalty" and it too is covered by plastic on all of the traffic areas and between the pews.  Weekly they remove the plastic for their time of  "worship", but immediately recover it to maintain it's beauty.  At the front is a large pulpit and a beautiful stage.  Obviously their services have a large choir and it includes various styles of music since behind the pulpit is a massive choir loft and an orchestra pit including a variety of instruments.  Nearly 2 hours each week are spent in this auditorium singing and playing music.  This church knows how to "worship.

Church D - This church is about God.  They have an understanding that the facility they meet in is exactly that - a building.  It is not the "house of God", but rather a place of collection for the people of God.  Because of that, they spend time each week making sure that the outside of the facility is clean and structured.  They make sure that pathways to and from the church are clear and easily accessible for those coming to attend.  They wonder what God Himself might think if He were to visit in human form on any day of the week, and then they prepare the building for His arrival.  Inside the sanctuary is a modest, but intentional sanctuary.  The pews are clean, the windows washed.  The carpet is worn but not to the point of replacement yet.  The pulpit on the stage is obviously the main focus and the front of the sanctuary is open for peoples responses to the Gospel.  The whole place looks like it is used daily, even multiple times a day, for true worship and praise.  Their is nothing overwhelmingly interesting about the interior, except for the welcome signs that invite people to worship seem to be everywhere. As a matter of fact, it seems that they are actually calling God to visit with the people, not the people to visit with God.  Kind of like a pauper going before the King seeking audience with Him, asking for His attendance with humility and expectation.

As I think about this, the question for me is, what would these "churches" look like in human form if in fact we are the "temple" of God?  How does my temple reflect the "church" that I want to represent in this world?  How often do I evaluate the "external" temple of others and miss the more significant "internal" issues that really make the temple beautiful?

Just my thought for today.