Self-Guided Tour 3: Inspiration
Look around town sometime. Most church houses built in the past 75 years or so are designed with utility rather than inspiration as the primary goal. That’s not to say that congregations make no effort to create beautiful worship spaces; but economy, efficiency and no-nonsense space utilization seem to be the rule in today’s world.
The neo-gothic design of our 1950s sanctuary prioritizes inspiration. Think about it: whether you ‘re inside or outside the building, don’t you find your gaze irresistibly drawn upward, heavenward? Sometimes a “crick in the neck” can be a very spiritual thing!
Whereas most “high gothic” cathedrals sorta spoil that awe-inspiring effect via elaborate structural facets like flying buttresses, gargoyles, traceries and other geegaws, the neo-gothic ideal of architecture like ours is to minimize clutter and distractions, creating simple, spare, elegant lines that subtly but strongly bend our thoughts toward the divine.
When you hear a Presbyterian say, “I just love our beautiful sanctuary,” I think that’s what she means.
