Bulldozing St. Phillips in the Country

I drove past the old St. Philips church last week -- well, what was left of it.

The little red brick building had just been bulldozed and workers were hauling the debris to a dump truck. It's a prime suburban location in a fast growth area, so they're building residences. 

30 years ago, St. Philips was established 'out in the country' as an alternative place of worship for people who would not, or could not, drive all the way into the nearby city.  Now, there are plenty of good roads and nearby megachurch options that simply obsoleted the need for tiny St. Philips.

Try an internet search and you'll learn that many thousands of churches have come to their end in recent decades - some due to violence, and some to spiritual indifference.

Should the loss of these buildings trouble us? In fact, the Apostle Paul observed,

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth, and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all people life and breath and everything else." Acts 17:24

I love going to our own church each week. It's beautiful inside - wide open and spacious. Colorful stained glass on multistory walls that lead up to a stunning cathedral ceiling. Nicely architected lines, wood paneling and brick. It is a worshipful place, and we sincerely offer God the praise and honor and glory. He is worthy of it.

But people built relationships with God long before they built magnificent buildings in which to worship him.  So I don't think it's disappearing church buildings that should bother us most here in the U.S..

More so, it's the disappearing spirituality of 'church' that grabs my attention.  When my friends come back from Europe or Australia, they're generally discouraged over spiritual matters. They see centuries-worth of exquisite churches built by human hands - but they struggle to find the spiritual congregation that breathes life into those structures. 

I'm praying that despite the unceremonious passing of little St. Phillips church, that the spiritual side of that new neighborhood will grow and flourish.

What do you believe?