January 21, 2022
What does the word “Sacred” mean? Maybe something we don’t touch or insult? Something that can’t be changed? Those are close. Today we will clear up the meaning of sacred and its opposite. And show you something unexpected.
What does Sacred mean?
Wikipedia gives this answer:
“Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers.”
Hmmm. It’s definitely closer.
We really have two tasks: Define the word sacred, and define what is sacred.
Let me tell you a story about discovering sacred.
It’s an awful story, and I still have trouble believing it really happened. I remember everything about that day.
The First Notice of “The Event”
On an ordinary afternoon, watching television with my sisters, the phone rang. Again. (Because that happened all day every day.)
This time, though, it was different. My mother lowered her voice.
Now, southern children know when Mama lowers her voice something important is going down.
Seamlessly, we give each other the silent side-eye and maneuver a little closer.😒 We are practiced experts, silently creeping in from different directions an inch at a time until we are in earshot. We know we will compare notes later when we are alone.
It’s obvious something has happened. Something significant, and not good.
But something’s amiss. We know these calls well. It doesn’t sound exactly like someone has died. There are no tears, no overt references to a person. 🤔 And there’s something else mixed in.
This other element — is it anger? And why is she speaking so quietly?
The intrigue increases.
We frown at each other. No useable information. Soon there are signs the conversation is coming to a close. Silently we slip back into our positions, hopefully unnoticed.
And like waiting hunters, we hear her approach. We silently look to her, wide-eyed and submissive. This is one of our most effective techniques.
Our Subject Wants To Talk
Much the same as seasoned police detectives, we know to simply listen. When she wants to talk we have our best chance of getting the full story.
(You’ve heard it before: “Let her come to you.”)
And we got the full story. To this day, I still feel my expression grow somber when I remember that day.
But first, the phone rang again. (Aaaaghhh. Remain still, show no interest or excitement.)
This conversation is more efficient, and takes place in our presence.
Definitely something has happened. But there is a change. In this conversation, something is being decided, a plan.
We wait patiently, showing no overt curiosity. Inside, though, we are burning with suspense.
When this call ends, we look to her again, wide-eyed and submissive.
She told us, all right. The whole thing.
A Sinister Act of Vandalism
Our Church building has been vandalized. She tells us what was reported to her, saying that the extent of the damage is severe. It’s not a fire, but in many ways it may be worse.
The destruction has occurred in every area of the building, and the methods of damage are varied.
Rather than “tell” us, she wants to “show” us.
Now, as a generation of children who recall events happening around them, we know being included is significant. Today, instead of being on the outskirts, we will be present.
We immediately shed our pre-teen cloak-and-dagger mentality, and shift respectfully into manners and maturity.
Come with me, for the rest of this awful story…
The Scene Of the Crime
Without speaking, we file into the car to make the short drive. When we arrive, others have come.
A hint of the solemn nature of this day: There is no talking. Not from anyone we see. We are all silent. No voices are heard, only a few whispers or murmurs.
Outside the building, there is little indication of what we are to find.
But inside…
Inside the sanctuary everything is different. Everything is ruined.
Every moveable fixture is broken and overturned. Spray paint and other materials are over every surface, even smashed into the keys of the organ and piano. Papers are scattered, covering the floor and furniture. It seems everything that wasn’t nailed down has been strewn in a frenzy.
The white walls are defaced, the beautiful architecture desecrated by the substances sprayed and smeared over their surfaces.
We have never seen our sanctuary in any state other than pristine.
Now we see only filth. Something never present here has polluted our beautiful sanctuary.
Today we see all these things, but the images have no place to go in our minds. Something that was impossible to comprehend is suddenly before us. Everything is spoiled.
The indecency is almost suffocating.
We file through the rest of the building silently. Mute spectators, unable to make sense of the ruin before us.
The children’s hall, where a weekday kindergarten is also housed, is badly damaged.
Foul words in spray paint violate cubbies where crayons and tiny belongings are stored for safekeeping.
Liquid paints soil the classroom walls. Again, soaked papers and belongings are scattered like a filthy carpet in the hallways and classrooms. Small tables and chairs are ruined, as are walls and doors. Brightly colored books are torn and wet.
Toys are mangled and sodden.
The safe places of innocent children just hours before are now obscene and threatening.
The destruction appears complete, leaving nothing undamaged.
The scene is overwhelming to all. It looks beyond repair. Even to youngsters, it is clear this was done with intention and great effort, inflicting as much insult as humanly possible.
As families slowly view the various areas, most are crying.
On the ride home we talked quietly about what we had seen.
The only word I can think of now to describe it is “sickened.”
And this was the day I learned what the word “sacred” means.
What Does The Word Sacred Mean?
Well, it means holy. Set apart. Consecrated. Sanctified. Hallowed. Blessed. Protected.
It means undefiled.
And I think you’re seeing why I came to understand it better.
Some words are like this; you don’t know what they mean until you see what they don’t mean.
I had never seen “defiled” so completely displayed. Defiled was just a word. So was sacred. Words I didn’t think I needed.
Like Rescue. If you’re not lost, if you have no cause to seek help, there’s no need for it. It’s just a vague term. It’s like something on the top shelf of your closet that you don’t use or notice.
Or Healed. If you’re not sick, you really don’t need this one, either.
Satisfied is another word that means nothing if you’ve never been unsatisfied.
Sacred had always been there, right in front of me, but I never saw it until now. I didn’t think I needed to know.
Sacred Vs. Not Sacred
Listen, this whole thing was awful.
These deeds would have been wrong anywhere. It was vandalism that goes way beyond mischief.
But if it had been done in an old abandoned barn, would there have been an equal insult?
I say no.
The insult was to the sacred.
What is sacred?
That day, an enemy, someone opposed to sacred, entered a sacred space. With stealth and with great effort this enemy polluted and dirtied what was held sacred.
Prior to this event, I did not consider the walls of my sanctuary sacred, nor did I consider the children’s wing to be set apart.
Sacred was a distant concept meant for others, maybe the robed people who lived in Jerusalem who were illustrated in my Sunday School literature. It was not something I needed or noticed.
But now, having experienced this day, I discovered these things were indeed sacred. Not only did I comprehend the meaning; I extended the list of objects included.
What was to be used in God’s service was to be set apart, revered, and protected.
RESTORATION
How do you “undo” all that damage?
As a young person, damage was something I knew little about. In fact, I suspected our facility was ruined. Damaged beyond repair.
And (as I have learned to be comfortable about), I was wrong.
Impressively, people stepped forward to begin the repair process. From the collective knowledge and resources, a systematic and thorough plan to restore our facility was undertaken.
Not only was restoration completed, it was done quickly. Even today it excites me to know exactly what was overcome in that season.
Every single mark of damage was effectively repaired. For a long time, I found myself looking for some retained evidence of what happened. But it was not there. Not anywhere. Not ever.
I never saw a single speck of the offensive damage again.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
The only evidence was in the memories of the witnesses.
For years afterward I marveled at the piano and organ, appreciating their presence and beauty in a completely different way.
I marveled at the possibilities I hadn’t known about before. Marveled about restoration and broken things made whole.
Children once again attended the weekday kindergarten in bright, clean rooms, and played on shiny floors. New books and toys were placed, and innocence was again honored.
Restoration.
When I sing “Whiter Than Snow” I can easily see the white walls of my childhood church, restored to their original beauty. I know that I, too am restored, just like that. No trace of my sin when I stand before him.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
Why Did This Happen?
Has there been a more common question among believers? I seriously doubt it. Maybe you worded it “Why, God?” but it’s the same question.
Why do these things happen? Why ruin and restore? Because that just seems to happen a lot.
I’m so glad you are still here.
For the three words that are the human answer to that question.
We. Don’t. Know.
In a world with instant answers literally at our fingertips we are intensely frustrated at not knowing.
In fact, the way we see things is more like this:
- Knowledge is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and we are all reveling in it together.
- We are satisfied, even overstuffed, with knowledge.
- All knowledge is available to us.
- In fact, if it’s not — something must be wrong.
That’s kind of the way we see things.
Wait a second.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
It seems like this was the slippery slope that plunged us into evil in the first place.
Being obsessed with the idea of knowledge, grasping for all the answers, greedy for power and advantage. Being willing to take a step toward evil to gain knowledge…
Maybe we need to slow down and hear a truth:
Maybe all our “why’s” will never get the answers we seek.
Seriously: If I asked you right now to name 3 things you never got an answer for, you’d be able to do it. Awful things, sad things, things that ruined.
Bible Knowledge
There is only one way to live with these events. It’s to study the way God has managed his people from the beginning. Provision, betrayal, punishment, restoration. And unfortunately (in our minds), being punished with the whole class.
Knowing more about the Bible is never going to be wrong. That’s the knowledge God offers us over and over.
I know I keep saying it, but thank you to teachers who point me to the things I would have missed.
Bible study leads us to assurance in so many things.
Foundational truths create a framework for how you see things, how you respond to them. Like the solid concept of holiness, of sacred.
Holiness is a foundational truth. It’s one of the concepts that helps us assume the posture of receiving truth. A concept we need to understand.
To be fair, concept thinking can be a little dangerous. Sometimes we see issues painted with a broad brush, ignoring details that are important. However, concept thinking is vital. Without it, we couldn’t be principled.
Do You Know About Sacred? About Holiness?
Do you feel like you have a good understanding the concept of holiness, of “set apart” and of sacred things? Or is it a word you haven’t considered?
Remember: sacred was never visible on my radar. And even when the awful thing happened, I still had to make room for something I needed to know in a more tangible way.
Sometimes the hardest thing is to take your personal experience and fit it neatly (and correctly) into your story.
In fact, here’s what happened at first: The day I viewed the vandalism, that experience was not correctly placed into my life story. Not yet.
I lived with the images of the damage for some time. The sadness was never completely erased, but over time God has covered that sadness for me.
Which points to a truth a friend recently shared with me: “God writes long stories.”
More About Sacred
To walk with us through some of those “we don’t know” questions is Francis Chan, lover of the true Church, with “What Does It Mean For Something To Be Sacred” (at Crosswalk, of course). See what he has to say about sacred.
And importantly: I really want to be clear on sacred.
Because that word, that’s what keeps us from putting a volleyball on the communion table for a minute. You just don’t do that. Because it’s not “just a table.”
We know that because of history, because someone taught us.
Consider this thought: “Sacred space includes both building design and objects used. Symbols such as the cross, and fixtures such as the pulpit, the Lord’s Table and the baptismal fount or pool function to remind us of the foundations of our faith: the word of God, the sacrifice of Christ and the renewal of the Spirit. While these objects should never be the recipients of our worship, they can and do serve as focal images that point to what God has done for us in Christ.”
These thoughts help cement the fact that the sanctuary is sacred.
You know what else is sacred. Human life. In ordinary days we don’t see it that way. We’re headed for that pot of gold, pursuing our own purposes.
But God set his people apart, declared them worthy through Christ, from the moment of creation.
Why don’t we consider life sacred? Because “sacred” is still on the top shelf of that closet, unused. It’s just not our word, right?
We only realize the devastation when human life is destroyed. Evil motives cause people to destroy it, and then we know. Because we saw the opposite. We saw the destruction, lived it, and suffered loss.
What will you recognize as sacred today? Probably the church building and the fixtures. That’s easy.
Human life. Again, not a difficult truth. Just not commonly considered.
Here’s one I snuck in on you: The Rainbow. Yep. What I said earlier? There’s no pot of gold. That’s a myth. But the rainbow is real.
God’s promises are real.
The important truth: Don’t add myth to Bible truth. Don’t let the leprechauns steal the rainbow. It doesn’t need a pot of gold.
The rainbow itself is the reminder, the seal, the proof, of God’s promise to you.
Here’s what Susan Nelson says at Woman of Noble Character:
“In Genesis, the rainbow symbolizes God’s promise to never destroy the earth again with a worldwide flood. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. A rainbow is a reminder of that.”
When you see a rainbow, something happens. Of course it’s rare and wonderful and dreamy and fleeting. But there’s something more.
Instantly, you remember that the rainbow makes its appearance at the end of an awful story, and symbolizes a significant promise about the future.
Are rainbows sacred?
What Unexpected Thing Does The Word Sacred Mean?
There’s just this one more point to make about “sacred.”
Sacred looks both to history and to the future.
Historically we know the significance of sacred things. The fixtures, architecture, and traditions we have preserved recognize the Scriptural commands to God’s people concerning the tabernacle and the temple. Every generation in the faith has been instructed not to touch, not to treat casually, not to damage, not to alter.
But there’s this second thing: Sacred is unfailingly connected to the future. We don’t always acknowledge it, but it’s true.
Worship, and the setting for it, must always proclaim the holiness of the God we serve, the Savior we will join at the end of this world. How beautiful it has been for me, throughout my life, to be reminded that every plan for the tabernacle, for the temple, ultimately pointed to eternity.
When you’re tempted to overlook the things around you as you worship, don’t just remember the discipline of history. Remember the glorious promise of the future. When you do that, sacred takes on a whole new importance.
Sacred is God’s current gift to us, the visible tangible objects before us that foreshadow the wonder of the eternity we are promised in Christ.
Revelation 21:1 says this:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Contemplating God’s Glory
Think about this: That breathless rainbow wonder, the phenomenon that makes us stop our cars and get out to show our children a better look.
How can we recapture that in our hearts?
Isn’t the glorious presence of God something that should make us breathless?
Do we stop our cars and show it to our children?
Let’s take sacred out of the shadows and get breathless about it.
Breathless Wonder. Do you have it?
Do you really acknowledge the wonder of what Christ did for us? Do you really marvel at the promises of God?
Looking at Sacred, at Holy
Lets take a closer look at the design of worship, and the tangible ways we honor Him, and the messengers of mercy and wonder we overlook.
What is sacred? What is holy? Well, we don’t worship fixtures, but we consider them sacred because they point to the one we do worship.
Here it is:
SACRED.
It means holy. Set apart. Consecrated. Sanctified. Hallowed. Blessed. Protected. It means undefiled.
The things that are sacred are the visible tangible objects before us that foreshadow the wonder of the eternity we are promised in Christ.
Still thinking? It’s actually fascinating, the terms that describe our sanctuary spaces, and how they came to be. You can really become caught up in the description of early Church design and construction. If you want to know more…
An article about Architectural Features Of Churches further explains some of the terms we don’t often use.
And one more glossary of those terms, Designed For Worship.
Seek out what is sacred, and how it is preserved. Fix your eyes on Him, and his mighty power. See sacred as the promise it is.
Understand the connection of “sacred” to “eternity,” and the connection of “God’s love” to “you.”
Want to take a look at the story of God’s love? Beginning to end?
See what R. C. Sproul had to say about this in his book,
“Love has come to mean many things. It’s used to describe emotions. It’s the glue for relationships. It frames countless stories.
And the greatest of these stories opens before time began and echoes throughout eternity. It’s the story of God’s unrelenting, overwhelming love for His people. Yet the truth of love is even more majestic, more staggering, and more extraordinary than we can understand: God doesn’t just love us. He is love.”
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What’s the tip of the week?
Please, find a way to read your Bible.
Please find a way to pray.
Our nation is vandalized. Obscenity threatens purity. Evil threatens innocence. Broken things are everywhere. Sacred things are ruined. Believers lament over the loss and the invasion.
We don’t have to know how the repair will take place. We only need to ask for it.
Recognize the power of our Lord and Savior, the one who restores to glory the world he has created.
Pray that the sacred things of God are restored, that broken hearts are revived, and that our nation repents and worships.
“God, restore your Church, restore sacred. Revive our hearts, call our nation to repentance, and make us embrace worship.”
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Thank you for pointing us to take notice of these things. It is an interesting thought that we many times don’t realize something is sacred until we see it desecrated. Satan and sin bring in that evil aspect and desecrate what is sacred, but what Satan meant and means for evil, God means for good to teach us the beauty of the sacred. No matter how hard Satan tries, that beauty becomes even more noticeable.
You said that beautifully. Especially this: that it’s God who teaches us the beauty of the sacred, no matter what else happens.
I want my heart to feel that little pain when someone misuses God’s name, or says something that attempts to diminish the holiness of God. And I do feel it. But more than that I want to have a constant view of His greatness, which is something that can be more elusive. I get caught up in tasks and calendars. And I fail to have the breathless wonder at the holiness of God, and that he sees me.