Theological Goals in the Architectural Planning Process
By Pastor Laurence White

 

1. To design a sanctuary whose external appearance and internal arrangement distinctively express our firm commitment to the doctrinal heritage of the Lutheran Church and are consistent with architectural expressions of that theology in historic Lutheran church buildings both in Europe and in the United States.

2. To embody our conviction that worship is not passive entertainment but the interaction of God and His people. That interaction is initiated by God as His gracious Word is spoken to us in Holy Absolution, Bible readings, preaching, and the scriptural structure of the liturgy itself; and as He offers us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in the water of Holy Baptism and in the bread and wine of Holy Communion which is the Lord’s true Body and Blood. Based upon that divine service ("There can be no service to God without service from God."), God’s people respond in praise and prayer ("Gottesdienst").

3 To provide opportunity for the experience of a sense of community as we assemble together as the people of God around Word and Sacrament (NT -"ecclesia") to encourage and edify one another (Hebrews 10: 24-25).

4. To express the unique focus of Lutheran worship on the Means of Grace - the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.

5. To clearly reflect in both form and location the threefold significance of the altar in the worship of the Lutheran Church as: (1) a portrayal of the sacrifice of Christ in our place as the central theme in God’s plan of salvation, prefigured by centuries of sacrificial worship during the Old Testament; (2) a physical symbol of the gracious presence of God among us in Word and Sacrament; and, (3) a witness to the use of the Lord’s Supper as an essential in the corporate worship of the Christian community.

6. To design and place the baptismal font in such a way that it serves as an architectural focal point within the sanctuary thus providing a visual reminder to every worshipper of Holy Baptism’s crucial importance both as a "washing of regeneration’ (Titus 3:5) through which God incorporates men and women into His Church and as a lifelong reminder of the believer’s daily spiritual struggle and triumph in the faith.

7. To emphasize the importance of the Word of God and its proclamation in our worship through structure of the pulpit and its configuration relative to the altar and the font as the other architectural representations of the Means of Grace.

8. To maximize the ministry of the organ and choirs in leading and supporting congregational singing of liturgy and hymns both in the specific placement of the music components in the sanctuary and careful consideration of acoustical concerns throughout the worship space.


Rev. Laurence White is the Pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas.

March 24, 1999