When I first moved to Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Provinces, I was immediately struck by the difference in the architecture. And oh yes, the white, often small, sometimes very small, wooden Churches, that dotted the rural landscape, like the spots on the coat of my daughters greyhound.
Not merely the presence but the preponderance of these buildings, many now poorly attended or closed, speak of another time.
Yesterday, I listened to a radio program that was discussing the re-purposing of these buildings in the Maritimes for homes, art and craft centres, pubs, and wineries. Perhaps I should lament this with some sort of historical or theological nostalgia. Instead, I find myself marvelling at the creativity of the “conversion” of some of the buildings.
Listening to a radio program yesterday about this re-purposing, one of the commentators used the language of “de-consecrated” buildings and another if I heard them right, “de-segregated.” Oh all these words, re-purposed, converted, de-consecrated, and if heard rightly de-segregated invite such reflection.
Yet I found myself with another question, “Where did all the words go?”
The words of prayer, praise and preaching. And when did it dawn on congregations that these words, sometimes sacred words, would be replaced by other words, not necessarily worse, but certainly different. This realization when it fell may in fact have caused them to hang on to their building if not their meetings longer than maybe they should. In hope of what? Better days?
I still spend many hours preparing sermons. Increasingly I take care with my words whether playful or profound, often settling for less words, but hopefully more purposeful and poignant, penetrating and persuasive words, delivered with as much passion and pathos as logos.
But where do they all go?
I guess where they always have…
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
I hope so…
politurgy 