FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Sermon by Dr. George Bryant Wirth

 

Annual Meeting

February 3, 2002

 

STEEPLES AND SKYSCRAPERS

 

Scripture:  Psalm 127; Matthew 5:14-16

 

INTRODUCTION

 

“From 1846 to 1890, the tallest building in New York City was a church.  When Trinity Episcopal Church was completed and dedicated in 1846, its 281-foot spire stood alone, uncontested for its height and grandeur, at the head of Wall Street.  The design was revolutionary – one of the earliest and finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in America.  And the most apparent exterior sign of architect William Upjohn’s ‘high church’ leaning was seen at the top of the spire.  Instead of a weathervane, which just about every other Protestant Church had placed above their steeple, Upjohn installed a six-foot cross and quickly dismantled the scaffolding, leaving the vestry to debate, rather briefly, the financial and theological cost of removing the cross, which of course, they chose not to do.”  (From “Churches” by Judith DuPre, Harper Collins Publishers, 2001, paraphrased from pages 85-86: Trinity Church, Wall Street)

 

Today, that Gothic sandstone church with its tall steeple is surrounded by skyscrapers, except for the Twin Towers and other tall buildings that crumbled to the ground nearby in the terrorist attack on September 11.  And ever since that day, the members of Trinity Church, Wall Street, with their steeple still standing, have ministered to many of the men and women who survived, and to a number of the families and friends of those who lost their lives.

 

In 1919, when this church sanctuary was dedicated to the glory of God, our tower was the tallest structure in the whole neighborhood.  More than 80 years later, we are now surrounded in Midtown Atlanta by skyscrapers, the Woodruff Arts Center, Colony Square and a number of hotels and apartment buildings which loom high above us.  But like Trinity Church on Wall Street, we are still ministering to the people who live and work in our urban neighborhood and all across this metropolitan area.

 

Now, some might say that the skyscrapers, which today dominate the horizons of New York, Atlanta and other great cities throughout America, have dwarfed the steeples and rendered them less important than they once were, not as grand or glorious or influential as they used to be.

 

But I would argue that just the opposite is true!  Because right here at the corner of 16th and Peachtree, God has strategically located us in the center – in the heart of this city – and given us a unique opportunity to be a beacon of light shining in the darkness, a tower of hope in the midst of despair, a house of prayer which is open to everyone and a high and holy place of grace that radiates the love and the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I.

 

King Solomon had a similar vision in the 8th century B.C. when he commissioned a great temple for worship to be built in the center of Jerusalem.  It took seven years to complete the massive project (see “The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Temple, Jerusalem” pages 534-547).  And after it was dedicated, Solomon wrote these words, recorded in the 127th Psalm:  Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain  (Psalm 127:1).

 

I believe those ancient words still ring true today, reminding us that this house of worship was constructed by human hands but its purpose has always been to offer praise and honor to a holy God.  And although some of us, often inadvertently without thinking, refer to this place as “our church,” we Christians know that everything here – the buildings, the parking lot and deck, the playgrounds and all of our assets, including the endowment – everything ultimately belongs to the Lord.

 

That’s important for us to remember as we gather together for our Annual Meeting following this service.  Thanks to the hard work and capable leadership of church officers, members and staff, and above all else with gratitude to God for His abundant blessings, we will report that the facilities are in good shape and the financial situation is solid.  Moreover, our worship and Sunday school attendance has been increasing and our membership passed the 2800 mark for the first time in the history of this congregation.

 

For all of that and so much more, we have good reason to rejoice.  But the bottom line in this church is not numerical or statistical.  It is spiritual, as we grow deeper in our faith, closer in our walk with Christ, strengthened in heart, mind and soul through our worship, and more committed in our service to others.  My friends, that is why this church exists, as we proclaim the name of Jesus and seek to follow Him in all that we say and everything we do.

 

Years ago, an American woman well into her eighties visited Westminster Abbey in London.  The tour guide who showed her around was obviously proud of the place, pointing out the exquisite stained glass windows, the carved wood, the beautiful stonework and all the inscriptions of famous people who were memorialized and buried there.

 

The woman, who was a Baptist from Texas, took it all in and then interrupted the guide with a straightforward question.  She said, “Young man, stop all your chatter and tell me – has anyone been saved here lately?”  (Paraphrased from a story by Dr. Frederick B. Speakman in his book The Salty Tang, Fleming H. Revell Co.)

 

Well, you don’t have to be a Baptist to ask that question!  Because for any church and for every church, it is the one question that really matters.  So when we come to our Annual Meeting today, I hope and pray that as we make our reports and conduct our business, we will celebrate, above all else, that the presence of Jesus Christ is alive and at work in this place, helping us to be and to become a community of His grace and love.  So let us remember and never forget, Unless the Lord builds the house and dwells therein, those who build it labor in vain.

 

II.

 

King Solomon was right when he wrote those words long ago, focused on the great temple which God inspired him and the people to build.  But Solomon was also concerned about the city that surrounded the temple, and expressed it this way:  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

 

Could it be, at the dawn of this new century, that God is calling the churches of America, more than ever before, to watch over the cities which have grown up around us?  The skyscrapers dominate the horizon, but in the aftermath of September 11, our houses of worship, adorned with their steeples, can offer healing and hope to people who are hurting and searching for help.

 

The largest attendance ever recorded here at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta was on the Friday after the terrorist attacks.  Almost 3000 people came to worship that day, streaming out of the skyscrapers and office buildings in Midtown, sitting and standing in our sanctuary and chapel, watching by television in the reception room, squeezing together in the hallways and spilling out onto the front steps and sidewalks of Peachtree and 16th Streets.

 

As I’ve told you before, I wondered at that moment what would happen if we took up a collection.  But none of us were thinking about money that day.  We were here to pray for our nation and our leaders, for those who had died in New York, Washington, D.C. and Western Pennsylvania, for the people who had survived the attacks, and for the families and friends who had lost loved ones and whose lives would never be the same again.

 

It was then, in the midst of our national crisis, that I realized why so many people poured into this church that day.  They were anxious and afraid, feeling hurt and helpless and the one place they knew where they could come to find hope and healing and draw close to God was here.

 

Over the past five months, the multitudes that gathered into this church after September 11 have diminished, and we in this congregation and city, together with the rest of the nation, have tried to resume our lives and move on.

 

But something is different now.  There is a heightened awareness that life is fragile, that we are not invincible and that our cities, with their towering skyscrapers and corporate power, need a greater and higher power to sustain their strength, to heal that which has been broken and to restore our hope for the future.

 

As Christians, we believe that power comes from God, who has promised to watch over the city and who has commissioned us in the church to join our hearts and hands together as we reach out to all kinds of people – people who are wealthy and people who are on welfare, people who make a good living and people who are barely surviving, old people and young people, gay people and straight people, liberal people and conservative people – people of every race, color and creed – all kinds of people who need to find God.

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

It was Jesus Christ himself who said to all who would follow Him, A city set on a hill cannot be hid…let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14, 16).  That is our calling as Christians, and that is the opportunity which the Lord puts before us as His church, right here in the heart of this city.

 

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.