You can see an interesting pictorial survey of the anatomy of megachurches.
The church at which I formally served had a worship room (the �sanctuary�) that has frequently been referred to as an architectural �jewel� for the worship of its faith tradition. Churches are a form of �faith community,� and as such have a culture, including corporate memory as well as tradition. But I was reminded recently of how quickly congregations can experience a form of �corporate amnesia� as the community evolves.
Part of the architecture of that worship room included five stained-glass �covenant windows� that depicted the church covenant around which the church�s identity and values were built. They served the educational function that stained-glass windows always have in churches: to teach and remind the members of important stories, narratives, symbols, and �content� of their faith.
Someone visited that church recently, and called to ask me about the meaning of the stained-glass windows. They were astute enough to realize that they meant something and had a message. I remembered that the church always had a brochure on their Foyer information table about the stained glass covenant windows. So I e-mailed a current staff member at the church to ask if he would send a copy that I could pass along to the inquiring person. Come to find out that there is now no information about the meaning or history of the stained glass window handily available at the church. I wondered if this is evidence of that corporate amnesia that can happen? The new staff person doesn�t seem to know the history of the windows, which were central to the history and culture of the church, and apparently there�s no effort to educate members or visitors in providing basic information like the brochure.
I often say that the Gospel comes, and manifests itself, in context and relationships. Part of context is the physical space that churches, as communities of faith, create for their gatherings and practices. I believe the �space� a congregation creates is one of those cultural elements that �shapes� the corporate spirituality of its members. And if the medium is the message, then what�s the message in these mega-church architectural styles related to Church, its mission and nature?
“Perhaps we’re asking the wrong questions.” Agent Brown, The Matrix
