The unavoidability of buildings

Tomorrow I'm going to do something I didn't think I would do, ever really. I will welcome a work crew and together we will renovate the church buildings, primarily the "casa pastoral", the pastors house. Two days intensive work they think, I honestly don't have a clue.

My ministry background is city, we've always been in ministry situations that focused on relationships, buildings were always rented and functional. Building houses, spending money and energy maintain church buildings has never been on the agenda. It's not really a cool thing to do, doesn't show up on the seminar list of the church planting conference really. In fact, one might argue that some new movements get their energy from being critical of these things, it's their point of reference in a negative way. A bit of an allergy really. That's where I come from.

And now, through an unplanned series of events I'm pastoring in a rural town setting with a classic church building. Ironic and probably God.

As we are discovering this building, and through that what went on before we came, I was reminded about an experience several years ago. Our family visited a monastery ruin in the south of Sweden. Nice as ruins go and even more interesting history wise. The monastery was built in the wilderness, and was meant to spread both the gospel and civilisation. Modern farming techniques, education, trade etc. They had had land and after a while influence in many spheres of society.

As I was walking there the thought came to me: spiritual movements seem to leave physical remnants that remain long after their spiritual strength has waned. Like these ruins. Or schools. Hospitals. Orphanages. Church buildings. In fact in the western world it's hard to think about a significant spiritual movement that has not left a mark in this way. They seem to need infrastructure to channel all that energy and enthusiasm.

Then of course we know the next steps: the energy goes, the maintenance mode kicks in and taking care of the structures becomes a high priority. In our case: the church was just about to shut down, hardly any activity left, but it was still being cleaned every week, with pride. It's easy to be critical at that stage, and wanting to cut out all organisation and structures to avoid getting there. But that doesn't seem to be possible.
The house church movement in England in the 80's soon got organised as the need for training and structure emerged. Revival movements in the past spawn denominations that soon build buildings.The cycle seem to be unavoidable and perhaps natural. So no need for allergy :-)

I doubt I will be pondering that tomorrow as we change the roof in 35 degrees heat, but in Gods ever-changing education of us there always seem to be new perspectives to be learnt.