Wednesday, November 05, 2008

The Church Door



I appreciate great craftsmanship and making a house of worship special....God certainly deserves special in my mind! I'm intrigued by church doors as symbols of hospitality and a signal to those that enter of what lies ahead as they enter a worship space. For example, I'm intrigued by color, so I often find myself smiling as I drive past a row of churches in my community that all have red doors. Red can be warm and inviting, calling out to welcome a stranger or new comer. To a Christian these red doors also remind us of the Holy Spirit, alive within us and the church community within the doors. Last weekend I had an opportunity to visit the Duke University and my first stop was to see the Chapel--a grand, gothic building I have heard so much about and a faith community that I occassionaly enjoy listening to their worship services recorded online. This is one of the doors that leads to the Duke Chapel. The iron work is so unique and special I felt like the door was crying out "come in and discover what dwells within." Is your church door welcoming, intriguing, and full of Spirit? Beyond this I wonder today how we can be like a church door. Do people see us and our actions and wonder what it is that is special? Are we paving the way with welcome and hospitality for those that have not entered into a relationship with Christ to find out more? Today I set out to be a door. May God use me.