"I don't think i could worship there"

Thursday, while driving toward a restaurant, with a retired tradesman, we passed a very large church. It was having a car show. On the way back, we stopped and looked at the what...over hundred beauties, including a few 1957 Bel Airs, Plato's car. Because of coffee, and iced tea, we needed to go to the loo. We walked into the edifice and it looked like a large hotel lobby. We walked into a large room to the side, and i wondered whether it was their worship space. It had a large balcony, and theatre seating for perhaps 1500. On the stage there were two huge television screens (the vertical plane dimensions of a soccer goal), in the center back of the stage there was a drum set. I have only seen this once before, after Lennon (Cleveland's Roman Rite ordinary) sold Sacred Heart Elyria, where the high altar had been. Our Orthodox brothers have no instruments in church, and the dead center location of a drum set just baffles sensibilities. In addition, there was at least three large cameras on tripods, and a bunch of speakers. A thing on the right of the stage, may have been a bare cross (with a foot rest?). On the left there was an American Protestant flag, and the national flag.

It was a room, in a very large building. If one sat down there alone, what would one do? sleep, read, munch popcorn? They may do much good there, i don't know; but it has no 'wa'.

 church theatre seating

Saturday, i was at Saint Sava Parma's festival. They are finishing the second phase of their icon project to cover the walls. They are exercising horror vacui. When they are done, there will be no empty walls. They also have a most ornately carved maple iconostasis. I was chatting with a very devoted, and knowledgeable parishioner. We talked of Jugoslav cities, religion, history, art, and all. When i described my Thursday visit, she said, with near horror, "I don't think i could worship there".

 sacred space

Saint Sava is continuing to adorn [click] their church with love, beauty, and devotion. The art sanctifies the eyes. Sitting alone in such a place, it is easy to pray, meditate, and to convene one's soul with God.