St. Patrick: Intimacy with God

19^th Sunday After Pentecost: Oct. 7, 2012 The Episcopal Church of the Ascension

The Presence of the Sacred in the Sanctuary The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess

I. Introduction. The Celebration of Sanctuary: This morning, as a result of the outstanding efforts of our Stewardship Committee, we are celebrating the gift of sanctuary at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension. It goes without saying that God has blessed us with the incredible gift of this most beautiful space in which to worship, to enter into the Sacraments, and to fellowship together. Many have told me that in their opinion, God has gifted us with one of the most original and exquisite worship spaces in our city. I agree and hope that God will excuse my pridefulness. I look forward to hearing Bob Parrot’s tour of this sanctuary, following our 10:30 service. All are invited to participate.

II. Sacred Space. Although it may appear that we might, in celebrating sanctuary, concentrate only on our physical space this morning, I want to share two assertions with you about the meaning of sanctuary at The Church of the Ascension. First, this space is sacred because it is set aside, dedicated to the Glory of God. Therefore, the smallest, the very smallest, of details in this space are designed to communicate sacred purpose and presence. Second, our sanctuary is here not just to admire as a work of architectural excellence. But rather, it is a place designed to deepen our worship and to send us out motivated to do the work that God has given us to do in this world. This beautiful church is not meant ever to be an end in itself, but rather a means to communicate the presence and love of God – to all who enter this place.

Let’s briefly consider the origin of the word sanctuary. The original root word of sanctuary is SAK, meaning to sanctify or to make sacred. As the word first came into common usage, it implied ongoing, active intention. In time, the meaning of sanctuary expanded from sacred space to also mean safe haven, or a place of sacred refuge. From the 4^th to the 17^th centuries, churches served as safe houses for fugitives and by English law no arrests could occur in a church. Churches were also sanctuaries for the physically ill, the dying, the poor, and the homeless. In other words, sanctuaries were both safe and sacred places.

III. Myriad symbols in this church attest to the sacredness and safety of this space. Let me point to just a few. For example, the number eight symbolizes the eighth day, the day after baptism and after worship when we go out as renewed disciples into the world. Thus, the eight columns of the baptismal font and the octagonal shape of the pulpit convey this meaning. The sacred symbols on our kneelers bear witness to the sacramental encounter we have in the Holy Eucharist. For example, the Celtic cross, often seen in Ascension publications, is meant to remind us of eternity – the completeness and perfection found in the combination of the circle and the cross. Each symbol on our pillars also refers to some important aspect of our faith – for example, the descending dove, representing the Holy Spirit entering into this space as we worship. Look at our rafters above and there you will see many symbols including a starburst, which is meant to inspire us by the glory of creation in the heavens above. Each symbol used throughout this church has a deep-seated spiritual meaning.

Our stained glass windows have been selected with the same purpose – to inspire us in worship and provide models for our lives. In the Clerestory Windows – those nearest the rafters -- is Therese of Lisieux – the Little Flower. She lived a brief, but holy, life of only 24 years and is sometimes called the “mystic of the ordinary.” The next window back is Columba of Iona, who gave up the safety of his home in Ireland to establish a monastery on the barren island of Iona. To your right (closest window) is Julian of Norwich, who devoted her life to experiencing multiple revelations from God. She was the first woman to write a substantive book in the English language. In this sanctuary, we are literally surrounded by symbols of our faith and stories of the saints who have gone before us.

IV. Sanctuary in the Broadest Sense. But there is another aspect of sanctuary that we have not yet explored – the provision of refuge and respect to those who are vulnerable. The second large nave window on your left depicts Jesus’ blessing of the children. Part of our Gospel lesson from Mark this morning depicts this same blessing. There was no concept of childhood in the ancient world. Children were viewed as property and could be disposed of whenever and however their fathers saw fit. When Jesus, who knew already that he was on the way to the cross in Jerusalem, took time to bless these children, he was making a radical gesture and was breaking with the cultural norms of his time. Further, when he says, that to enter into heaven we should receive the Kingdom like a little child, he profoundly offended the power structure. In a very important sense, Jesus was providing sacred space and sanctuary to these children.

Perhaps more striking is the radical nature of Jesus’ teaching today about divorce. Jesus lived in a patriarchal society where men could deliver an edict of divorce to their wives with no justification whatsoever and no opportunity for challenge. Here is what William Barclay writes in his commentary on Mark. Only men could bring about a divorce. He describes the reasons that a man could give for divorcing his wife as capricious and unlimited. For example, a divorce could be given “if the wife spoiled a dish of food, if she spun in the streets, if she talked to a strange man, if she spoke disrespectfully of her husband’s relations in his hearing, if she was a brawling woman, who was defined as a woman whose voice could be heard in the next house.” Rabbi Akiba even went to the length of saying that [divorce could occur] . . . if a man found a woman who was fairer in his eyes than his wife was . . . The result was that divorce, for the most trivial reasons, or for no reason at all, was tragically common” (The Gospel of Mark 1975:239). In other words, Jesus was lifting up the inherent value of women by emphasizing the sanctity of marriage and criticizing prevailing male-dominated power over women.

V. Conclusion. What I hope we see this morning is that the concept of “sanctuary” is so much broader than a building. It is a state of faithful understanding of the Christ story and a readiness to take in that story and replicate it in the world around us. We worship in a beautiful sanctuary that nourishes and forms us. We in turn, become ourselves a sanctuary for those who need to know, to be protected, and to be transformed by the Gospel of Christ. Thanks be to God that we have been given such a beautiful space; thanks be to God that we have been called to fill this space; and thanks be to God that God also calls us to live and share our faith in the space beyond 800 S. Northshore Drive -- beyond these walls into a world that desperately needs what Jesus Christ has to offer – sacred, safe space in the midst of challenging and often confusing lives. Amen.