Several months ago in Russia there was an all-female punk band that disrupted an Orthodox Church service and staged a mock “punk prayer”. They were arrested and tried and each of the girls was sentenced to two years in prison. The prime minister of Russia stated that he believed the punishment was greater than the crime. I disagree.
Many in the news media and press, both in our country and around the world, says that the girls were only giving vent to their feminist views as well as their right to free expression as champions of justice…perhaps in the Joan of Arc tradition, or even Martin Luther. After all, he was one of the first “radical” reformers of the Catholic Church.
But many others saw the groups protest as a sacrilege. To those Orthodox believers the sacredness of the church sanctuary and the altar become a place of a divine encounter. Most Protestants feel that we could worship in a barn or an auditorium…because it isn’t the place but the meaning of worship.
Yes, I believe that as well. After all, Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) This makes everyplace of worship a holy or sacred space.
However, this band showed disrespect to the sacred space of the believers in that Orthodox Church. Their performance was an act of religious aggression against believers who came to pray in their “sacred space.” Their feminist rant became a sacrilege.
Jesus drove out the money changers in the temple. He felt they were desecrating God’s divine space. It was meant for worship. Those merchants were assaulting the holiness of the temple.
Although we do not worship in a temple “made with hands”, there is sacredness when we come together as a church body to worship our Lord. We must never lose sight of that sacredness.
Equally, we must protest the sacrilege of taking God’s name lightly. We must protest works of “art” which defame the Lord. We must protect our Lord’s name and the holiness which surrounds us in our worship.
If sacrilege no longer has any meaning in our culture then neither will our worship.
Christians coming together to worship…….barn, auditorium, house or cathedral.
AbideLines 