Abstract
The self-revelation of God through His Manifested Presence occurred in a variety of natural, cultural and historical spaces. This manifested in the liturgical communion of His people during public worship events, which in the Old Testament took place in the Tabernacle and the Temple. In the New Testament the role of the Temple changed, and the Church as God’s community became the space where believers experienced spirituality. The historical development of the Church was supported by spaces that were created for spiritual experience and liturgy. In these spaces, spirituality was aided by liturgical activities, music, art, education and other aesthetic symbols. With the dawning of the 21st century the world has changed drastically. The Pentecostal experience after Azusa street gave emphasis to the spreading of the gospel into a variety of missionary and apostolic spaces. Therefore, the Church must think strategically regarding the spaces created to experience spirituality.
Summary
The self-revelation of God through His Manifested Presence occurred in a variety of natural, cultural and historical spaces. Most importantly this manifested in the liturgical communion of His people with Him during public worship events, which in the Old Testament took place in the Tabernacle, synagogues and the Temple. This Temple of God, as a spiritual and symbolic space, characterised the indwelling Presence of God. In the New Testament the role of the Temple changed, and the Church as God’s community became the space where believers experienced spirituality. The historical development of the Church brought about a diversity of theological and spiritual developments. These developments were supported by the spaces that were created for spiritual experience and liturgical communion. These spaces included grand basilicas, small stone Churches and natural monastic spaces. Further to this Pentecost and the apostolic movement led to Christian spirituality being exercised in a variety of ways and spaces. In these spaces, spirituality was nurtured and aided by liturgical activities, music, art, education and other aesthetic symbols. With the dawning of the 21st century the world has changed drastically, and the process of post-modernism has changed the way people live and how they experience their spirituality. The dawning of a renewed Pentecostal experience after Azusa street gave great emphasis to the spreading of the gospel into a variety of missionary and apostolic spaces. Therefore, the Church must think and plan strategically regarding the spaces created for people to experience spirituality.
Introduction
Church architecture is an important constituent in developing the faith of people who gather within a specific space. Frequent remodelling, re-decoration or renovation of a Church building is one of the most significant occasions for reshaping the faith life of a community. Re-decorating for short and medium term as well as renovations ought to be regarded as an opportunity to rethink the mission or the specific season of the congregation, or to reinforce their mission by giving it physical arrangement in time and space. Because time and space are the foundations for the human understanding of reality, it is necessary to deconstruct time and space. One characteristic of faith is that it gives meaning to the world or, in other words, the time and space in which the believer finds themselves. It is the believer’s faith that enables him or her to give meaningful answers to the world in which they live. There is therefore no purpose for the Church to create spaces that give answers to bygone worlds but not answering the existing world of the believer. According to Adams (1993: 176), a hermeneutics of spaces is needed to correctly guide the believer in their faith and daily living. White (1993: 163) points out that there is in many instances a conflict between the faith we profess and the faith our spaces or buildings proclaim, and this should not be taken lightly. The ways of worship and liturgy change over time and so must the spaces. Since people express their faith differently than those that went before them, so will the spaces that reflect this faith also change and therefore the Church should learn from the past without imposing it on the present or future.
The aim of this article is to understand the role space has played in experiencing God’s Presence.
The Case for Space
The concept of physical Church space according to Sheldrake (2001: 1) is not simply referring to a geographical location but indicates a dialectical relationship between the environment and human narrative. The Church space has the capacity to be remembered and to evoke what is most precious. Because of this White (1993: 163) argues that we need to think about where we are and about what is special and unique to our surroundings so that we can better understand ourselves and how we relate to others. Therefore, the human sense of space is a critical theological and spiritual issue. Space forms faith and holds the potential to deform and distort faith. ln other words, the way we perceive space is important to the way we will relate to others and, in the context of this study, how we relate spiritually to God. Therefore, pastors must develop a new sensitivity in learning to read, interpret and utilise space. Church architecture is an important constituent in forming the faith of the people who gather within it.
When looking at the Church’s task to create and understand these spaces used for spirituality, it is important to have a definition of what is understood by ‘Church’. This study uses Du Plooy’s and Le (1979: 26) definitions that the Church must be understood as being local as well as universal. This differentiation between local and universal does not refer to a dualistic nature. The Church is in it being united, one Body of Christ and one people of God. The local Church is the universal Church in a given space. The local Church is a complete Body of Christ but not the complete Body of Christ (Heyns and Pieterse, 1991: 62). In the smallest defining form, the Church is ‘the called together community (koinonia) of believers’. This describes the Church as a community or body of holy people (Oostenbrink and Lotter, 1999: 17). People today choose a local Church that can enable them morally, emotionally and spiritually to face the everyday challenges and to live in a growing relationship with God (Hendriks, 1999: 19). The emphasis on spirituality is very important. Man was at creation not only given a body formed from the dust of the earth but also the breath of God that brought the dust to life. Paul confirms this in II Thessalonians 5:23 that man consists of a body, soul and spirit. It is in this space of spirituality, in the inmost being of man, that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell and where a relationship with the God of Jesus Christ is cultivated (Lotter, 2005: 490).
However, in the words of Olivier (2006: 2) because of the post-modern world we live in, there is more to the spiritual experience of the believers than the physical space. The world for Du Toit (2000: 18) is a global village, with increased regional and global connections. Space is no longer simply local, and this significantly impacts our perceptions of space. For Sheldrake, (2001: 4–6) each space literally and metaphorically embodies emotions and memories derived from personal and interpersonal shared experiences. In this regard, the significance of spaces unfolds in stories, myths, rituals and education, but the playing field has changed from buildings to digital social networks. It is however still important to note that the spiritual significance of physical spaces finds expression in liturgy, music, art and architecture. As a result, physical spaces are still vital sources of metaphors for our social construction of reality because it provides more interaction and corporate liturgy through worship than social platforms could. The point thus being made is that the Church must acknowledge the social significance of spaces in her endeavour to guide people in Christian, spiritual experiences and growth and in creatively and effectively utilise spaces to achieve this goal (Olivier, 2006: 3).
The Church not only needs physical architectural spaces to guide spiritual growth, but also symbolic and emotional spaces that are found in liturgy, music, art, symbolism and other ways of expression and communication. The Church should utilise these in the way they decorate their buildings and the way they use their spaces in worship, liturgy, general community and the faith life of the congregation. In a post-modern technological age, all these spaces can be greatly aided and enhanced using modern technology for instance communicative platforms, i.e. PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, video productions, social media, multimedia, music, decorative lights and other means.
Spaces and the Bible
The Old Testament religion was based on revelation history (Helberg, 1988: 299). As Inge (2005: 33) points out, one only has to start reading in Genesis to be left with the impression that space is important to the reader. In the Old Testament there was always a central meeting place that was created under special divine instructions. This came in the form of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting and later the Temple of Solomon. In the New Testament Jesus taught about spirituality and worship from the heart (John 4:24). This gave a new sense of space and intimacy with God, which was carried forward in the teachings of Paul. These teachings did not deny space as a physical meeting place but emphasised the spiritual character of space.
God revealed Himself in nature, history and the constitution of the human being. God revealed Himself to people in various times, spaces and ways. In Genesis we see with creation that God took this first initiative by creating a space in the form of the paradise as a setting for human beings. God placed man in this garden ‘space’ to maintain and keep it but more importantly the paradise became a space where God regularly met with Adam and Eve. According to Genesis 3:8 and 9, God walked in the cool of the day and called out to Adam. It is interesting to note the reference to the ‘cool of day’ as if God was looking for a good time, space and atmosphere in which to meet with His people with His Presence. This Presence of God with His people has become the central focal point of Jewish and Christian faith. Hill and Walton (1991: 117) observe that during Moses’s life and the Exodus, we see an important outcome of the covenant agreement between God and Israel in the very Presence of God accompanying His people. This Presence of God was manifested miraculously in a variety of spaces. Examples of spaces where God manifested His Presence are a burning bush (Ex. 3:2), the red sea crossing (Ex. 14:1-30), manna from heaven (Ex. 16), water from a rock (Ex. 17) and God’s visit on Mount Sinai with fire and smoke (Ex. 19:18), to name but a few.
Closely connected to this covenant between Israel and God were the Ark of the Covenant and the Tent of Meeting that were the forerunners of the temple. Nereparampil (1984: 162) points out that both these objects signified Yahweh’s Presence amid His people. According to De Klerk (1999a: 171) God Himself has initiated this space and time of meeting between Himself and His people. It is evident that a formal meeting between God and His People cannot happen without the people hearing God speak. In this hearing of His Word, God’s Presence is continually confirmed. God’s Presence was furthermore confirmed by the celebration of different festivals the people of God had within the temple but also in their houses. These festivals celebrated God’s work through history, and His Continual Presence with His people. From these festivals, which were celebrated in the houses, it is evident that the self-revelation of God was never limited to His Presence in the Tabernacle and later the Temple only (Destro and Pesce, 2002: 497). Further to this we also see how God spoke to the prophets, kings and people throughout the Old Testament through numerous visitations, visions and revelations outside of the boundaries of the Temple. Note for example Joshua (Josh. 1:1-9), Daniel (Dan. 7), Isaiah (ls. 1:1), Solomon (1 Kin. 3:5, 9:2), Ezekiel (Ezek. 1) and others. It was never God’s intention to live in lifeless buildings, but it was always His intention to live among and within His people. The Old Testament prophets understood this and therefore they instituted prayer gatherings in different geographic spaces. This led to the development of the Jewish synagogue.
There is thus overwhelming evidence that God moved between His people much more closely than just residing in the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and Temple. It is as if these buildings were there to symbolise and remind the people of God’s Presence in their midst, but they were never meant to lock up the Presence of God (Helberg, 1990: 181). This is shown by God’s promise to His people in Ezekiel 11:16 to be a sanctuary unto them wherever they will go (Giles, 2004: 14). God even gave instructions that the altar be made in such a way that it could be carried by His people on their journey (Ex.27:4-6). By means of this sanctuary God would come to be with His people wherever they went. Thus, the Jewish religious genius gave a new dimension to the concept of sacred space. God is everywhere but not at all points in the same sense. In other words, although He is present everywhere, He manifests Himself in some specific places. These spaces are found where He meets with His people like a burning bush, the temple, in a Church service and in the heart of the believer.
Jesus Christ and Sacred Spaces
At the time when Jesus entered the arena, the covenantal symbolism of the temple was eclipsed by the emergence of a merely ritualistic and formalistic temple worship (Moulton, 2004: 564). It was the prophetic outcry of Jeremiah (7:8-11) ‘has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes’ that was brought to a climax by Jesus when He cleansed the temple (Van der Walt, 2006: 241). But Jesus had a dualistic view of the Temple. He was frustrated by what it has become but also viewed the temple with reverence and respect (Destro and Pesce, 2002: 489; Douglas et al., 1990: 1171). This is evident by the fact that from a very young age He taught in and visited the temple. Furthermore, Jesus acknowledged and respected the liturgical activities and sacrifices that happened in the temple, which is indicated by the fact that He told the leper (Mark 1:40-44) to ‘Go and show yourself to the priest and offer. . . what Moses prescribed’. According to Moulton (2004: 564) in Mathew 21:12-13 Jesus defined the purpose of the temple in terms of prayer and worship and he continued to show that it was in the temple that God was to receive the purest form of worship. His complaint was that the house of God was being used in ways that distracted from its being the centre of worship that it should be (Fourie and Duvenage, 1997: 18). This was already a sign that the foundation had been laid for the ‘new’ temple that would be ushered in by Him. This is because the imminent outmoding of the existing temple called for a bolder and more profound type of worship and prayer. However, this also indicates that buildings and spaces created for worship can lose their significance if the usage of the space moves away from the pure Holy worship it was intended to have. Spaces therefore need attention, focus, remodelling and renewed energy invested in the symbolism and sacredness they should portray as a proclaimer of the spiritual vitality of the people who meet there for worship.
The new temple spoken of above by Jesus would be grander than a building and inclusive of the gentile nations. Jesus, according to Duke (1995: 1011), would be looking for people that would have the courage to leave the ruins of the old systems and bear new faith and the persecutions that go with it. Kerr (2002: 168) points to Jesus teaching a non-Jewish, sinful woman about true worship that is a space of the heart. ‘God is searching for people that will worship Him in spirit and in truth’ (John 4:23). Jesus stated it clearly in this Scripture passage (John 4:21) that spirituality and worship would not be limited any more to the temple and that the space for a relationship with God would not be geographically determined. Jesus was showing this Samaritan woman that a new era had dawned in which the temple was being replaced by Him (Jesus Christ), and that He now became the central focus of worship. He also preached that if the temple were destroyed, He would rebuild it in three days, thus symbolising that by His death and resurrection the space of spirituality would be consummated into something much greater than just the physical temple in Jerusalem. When the curtain in the temple which separated the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Matt. 27:51), it meant that the entrance to the Presence and mercy of God was open to all, and that sinful human beings could now boldly approach the throne of grace. From Him the Church would arise which would be a newer, better and greater temple, and that would truly be a place of prayer for all nations and generations. Through His passion would flow salvation to the Gentiles and the life-giving stream for the renewal of the world (Zimmer, 1975: 44). This would bring about a new priesthood in service of Christ with full access to the Presence of God (Postma, 2001: 3). Jesus thus modified fundamental elements with special regard to time and space.
But in the practical day-to-day these new believers still needed a physical space to meet for worship and mutual encouragement and these spaces became known as Churches. These spaces were supposed to be sacred places that proclaim the faith of the ones that gathered there through style, symbolism, colour, music, art, aesthetics, liturgy and focus.
Spaces and the Early Believers
Foundational New Testament text indicated an urgent concern for Christian disciples in the apostolic era (Sheldrake, 2001: 33). Because of the Pentecostal experience and their newfound Holy Spirit empowerment, this was to move out from what was local to them (the temple) into the entire world in their mission to preach the gospel. This meant that God was increasingly to be worshipped where they went and in a diversity of sacred spaces they found, and this brought a paradigm shift regarding their view of the sacredness of the temple. The first Christians were still continually present at the temple, seeking to worship the living God (Luke 24:53; Acts 2:46; 3:1; 4:1; 4:20; 5:42 etc.). But for the followers of Jesus spiritual space was much more than Jerusalem and its temple (McGrath, 2001: 132). The New Testament does not endorse the special sacred status of the temple. This is evident in the speech of Stephen the first martyr in his argument according to Acts 7 that the temple would be destroyed. As a matter of fact, the essential accusation against Stephen was that he proclaimed that Jesus Christ would destroy the temple and change the customs handed down from Moses. Stephen made it clear that God does not live in man-made buildings and desires true worship that is not limited to a building. The early believers had this understanding that worship to God was not limited to the physical temple and therefore they regularly met for worship and prayer at places away from the temple, for instance at their houses (Acts 1:13-14; 2:46; 5:45; 12:12).
What is important to acknowledge about this early Christian community is the sense of community and belonging that they had (van der Walt, 1991: 195). New Testament believers were continually searching for spaces and opportunities where they could meet as a flourishing community and they even admonished each other not to miss the regular meetings (Heb 10:25). To meet there needed to be a meeting place. These spaces for community, worship and fellowship differed from the spaces they used to preach to the multitudes and defended their faith in public. The spaces always had to be a place where the believers could see each other, hear one another and being able to listen properly to the one sharing from God’s word. These spaces further had to carry a sense of sacredness or the sense of being ‘set-apart’ for those believers gathering for that specific time. Therefore, they filled these spaces with community, communion, breaking off bread and sharing what they have. These spaces were either the temple, synagogues or at their houses where they could turn the space into an area of focus, sacredness and community for the time of them being together. The following scriptural references will shed light on the above.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were
Tradition have that this space of Pentecost is the same space as where Jesus and His disciples had their last supper and He instituted the practice of Communion (Acts 1:13 NIV).
Every day they continued to meet together in
One-day Peter and John were going up
The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter
Luke portrays the early Christians in Acts 2:42-47 as a community characterised by a deep love for one another, which flowed forth in their relationship with one another. They shared whatever they could, like their houses for meetings, food and care (Acts 2:42-46; 4:32 et al.). The primary focus of this coming together was the reading of Scripture, and the communal breaking of bread. It was in this community that they experienced the true values of the temple, the living presence of God, the space of true Christian community, living love in action, all because of the one heavenly Father that they shared.
It is also true that there was plenty of Christian faith visible in the streets of daily life but most of these instances were not focused on worship, community or the breaking of bread as shown in the previous paragraph. These instances are characterised by ministry such as preaching, working of miracles and defending the faith. For instance, the hundred and twenty believers that received the Holy Spirit were together – alone – and after the infilling with the Holy Spirit and the speaking of tongues the multitudes gathered together and Peter then started preaching the gospel. The following scriptures show to this. (Acts 2:1-14 NIV)
We also see this in Acts 3:1-14 NIV that when they went to pray at the Temple and entered the gate, they performed a miracle after which the multitudes came together and they started preaching in the porch of Solomon. Again Stephen (Acts 7 NIV) at his execution in public addressed the crowds and defended his faith in public but this was not during community, or fellowship with other believers. This was after being arrested and put on trial.
Paul’s View of Space
Paul taught that the New Testament space for the Presence of the living God would be the Body of Christ, which is the Church (1 Cor. 12). A significant emphasis in the Pauline corpus was the fundamental locus of ‘the holy’, which was also the community of believers who in baptism were gifted with the Holy Spirit (Sheldrake, 2001: 37). Paul saw himself as a master builder that had been given the divine task of building this living temple. In Paul’s teaching we see that this space is created for God’s purposes to manifest in the different gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to people (1 Cor. 12:2-4); it would be found in all geographic regions (1 Cor. 1:2); it would be open to all cultures and social stances (1 Cor. 12:13); and it would include the use of a variety of buildings (1 Cor. 16:19, Col 4:16). This living temple created new kinds of responsibilities like deacons, elders, pastors, teachers, evangelists and apostles (Phil. 1:1, Eph. 4:11) who would perform their spiritual tasks in a variety of spaces for diverse people and groupings (1 Tim. 1:3 & 5:1, Titus 1:5). The Body of Christ would be the new temple of God in which His Presence dwells on earth (2 Cor. 6:16).
New Testament Metaphors of Space
The apostle Peter writes in 1 Pet 2:5 that believers as living stones are built up as ‘a spiritual house’. According to Berkhof (1994: 557) this connection clearly shows that Peter is thinking about the Temple, and that this figure suggests the Church is holy and inviolable. The Hebrew writer shows in Heb 8:5 that the first tabernacle shown to Moses on the mountain was built by him as a copy and shadow of the heavenly. Then in the following verse (Heb. 8:6) the writer confirms that Christ has now ushered in a new and better covenant, built upon better promises. In the following chapter (Heb. 9:11) the writer speaks of Christ coming as High Priest of a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands and not of this creation. In 1 Peter 2:6 we see Christ as the chief cornerstone of this great new temple. Clearly this better tabernacle is the living God Himself and the Lamb of Revelation 21 :22, combined with the believers who form this great new living spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5-6). Likewise, this also constitutes a place of meeting where believers gather together for worship. In the book of Revelation this is seen in the gathering of the angels in the Throne room of God. Special reference is made to the aesthetics of the surrounding with reference to a throne room, burning torches and in front of the throne a sea of glass (Rev 4:5-7). Clearly, spaces where worship, community and liturgy happen is Biblically described in terms of colourful surroundings, scenery and aesthetical detail that carries deeply defined symbolism and meaning for those who participate in these sacred spaces.
To further enhance the importance of this living temple, we see how the apostle John writes about the new Jerusalem in which there is no temple, but the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev. 21:22). The connection is thus made between the people of the living God as temple, only because of the indwelling presence of the Living Temple Himself (Carson et al., 1992: 467; Hoeksema, 1974: 701). The people of God will never again have to go to a certain space or building to meet with God. The Presence and glory of God will fill the city and intimate relationship between God and His people will be direct and immediate (Rev. 7:15; 21:3, Zech. 2:5) (Duffield and Van Cleave, 1987: 552). The prophecy of Jeremiah (3:16; 31:33) had its provisional fulfilment in the dispensation of the New Testament but will only be totally fulfilled with the coming of the new heaven and earth. The temple theme will then come to its highest and fullest realisation (Hoeksema, 1974: 702). But although this temple is the living presence of God, the space where it is found is still described as the city of God, which is a glorious space filled with believers who overcame and are living holy sacred lives in the presence of God. These believers will journey into the space of this sacred city with its beautiful symbolism and vibrant aesthetics. The space that God creates as the setting for His presence is not just any space but a divinely orchestrated, well decorated city with golden streets and beautiful dwellings for the righteous.
The Public Worship Service and Space
The roots for the modern-day worship service are found in the Old Testament where the nation regularly met to worship God in the temple and synagogues. Barnard (1981: 61) points out that the public worship service has always been at the heart of Christian spirituality. Jesus Christ and His disciples, as well as Paul, continued to follow the model of the synagogue service in their Christian worship services (De Klerk 1999a: 173).
Liturgy is of a metaphorical design (Vos, 2003: 180), because this is the only way we can speak to and about the invisible God. These metaphors are intended to feed spirituality and allow people to discover the power of metaphors in their daily lives. Liturgy is the prescribed form and order of the acts to be performed at a public religious ceremony. Dawn (1995: 71) shows that the deepest identity of liturgy is that God is the centre thereof. It was this presence of God amid His people that led to the origination of liturgy in Israel. It is because of this Presence of God with His people that they are blessed, that they fear and respect Him, and that liturgical acts like prayer, song, feasts, the Eucharist and offerings developed. De Klerk (2000: 461) moves even further by showing that God, by living amid His people by His Holy Spirit, makes liturgical acts possible. It is further evident that most of these liturgical acts happen when the community gathers in the public worship service. Space plays a key role in the structure of liturgical ritual (McGrath, 1999: 130). Space in religious ritual action is sacred space and distinguished from other spaces. Leder (2005: 8) shows that worship begins with the entry into the worship area, and it is the walls of worship space that enable us to focus on the rhythms of worship, for here we are wholly separated for worship alone. This is a celebration of a relationship with the God that is not far away, but who is the God that is with us, and within us. This meeting of God with people always culminated in the gathering of God’s people in special liturgical spaces, celebrating His Presence with them by worshipping and performing spiritual activities like prayer, song, teaching, sacrifices, education, baptisms, the Eucharist and offering. These liturgical activities in the larger spaces of gathering then have direct bearing on how people would live their daily lives in smaller spiritual spaces of the heart (Smit, 2002: 126).
Architecture, Aesthetics and Music in Spiritual Spaces
Architecture and Church buildings quietly preach messages about God and the faith of the community that gathers there. Other spaces used for Christian community, worship, Bible study and liturgy can also be included in this statement. Spaces like this might include people’s houses, pilgrimage sites and routes, mountains, historical monuments, special sites like monasteries and other spaces used during monasticism, university and educational facilities used during the age of scholastic development and also natural surroundings where people go for solitude and scriptural meditation. It communicates many messages about the spiritual vibrancy and general spiritual health of the congregation or believers that meets there. This was true concerning the temple and is also true today since it conveys a congregation’s implicit understanding of God and His ways in their lives. One clear function of religious architecture is to stress the transcendent Presence of God since it has been used to create spaces where people could meet for public worship and liturgy. The aesthetics and symbolism have always been used to enhance the dynamics of liturgy as symbols give meaning to life. According to Crockett (1989: 236), symbols in the ancient world were understood as vehicles that mediated to the community the meaning of life in society and in the cosmos, and religious symbols represent value systems which orientate people towards general society. Therefore, in the words of Hoffmann (1988: 155; 265), the power of liturgy lies therein that it can create an alternative world where time and space unfold in structured ways indicative of pattern, plan and purpose. The purpose then of aesthetics is to speak to the believer on levels where words cannot reach (Cilliers, 2004: 2). An artistic planning of Church architecture, design, aesthetics and symbolism can enrich people to experience spirituality at a deeper level. This creation of specific spaces where God could meet with His people and the people with one another must be for the glory of God, developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and must serve as an instrument to further the proclamation of the Gospel. It has been a testimony of the relationship between the worshipping people with a living and present God.
The relationship between God and His people is also aided using music. For White (1981: 98), the chief function of Church music is to add a deeper dimension of involvement to worship. Music gives a certain power and enjoyment to worship that makes worship much more sustainable. Music aids worship in that it is a more expressive medium than ordinary speech. Music enables people to express an intensity of feeling through a variety of tempo, volume, melody, harmony and rhythm. Throughout biblical and Church history, music has always played an important role in enriching liturgy and spiritual experience (Guthrie, 2003: 633). Especially the Psalms enriched the worship services in the temple and synagogues. David and Solomon were both great musicians and paid much attention to music in Israel. There were songs for every occasion in life like personal prayers, love songs, funeral songs, war songs and working songs.
Likewise, a variety of songs are found in the New Testament (Viljoen, 2001: 8; 2005: 15). In the Gospel of Luke there are songs of praise by Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, Simeon and the angels (Luke 1&2). In the Pauline writings we read of a singing Church (Eph. 5:19, Phil. 2:6-11, Col. 1:15 20). In the Revelation of John (5:19-10, 12-14, 15:3-4) singing is also mentioned numerous times. Additionally, the early Church music had great spiritual significance for the believers seen in Paul’s admonishing of believers to ‘speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord’. Barnard (1981: 146) exclaims that this gave the Church spiritual power (Eph. 5:19). Music therefore creates a spiritual, relational and emotional space and atmosphere wherein the Holy Spirit can move and connect with His people.
It is therefore clear that the liturgical space forms an important space for worship and spirituality. Instruments like architecture, music, symbolism, aesthetics, the use of the sacraments and art aid these spaces of worship and conveys a message about the community of believers that worship there, and about the God they meet there.
The Presence of God as a Key to Spaces
The most important aspect that made the Tabernacle and later Temple holy and sacred was the Presence of God within it. This Presence of God with Israel is what made them holy as a nation, and the Tabernacle with them is what made this visible (Viljoen, 1992: 11). Gradually this presence came to be expressed through the term ‘shekinah’. This word is derived from the Hebrew verb shakan that means ‘dwelling’ rather than ‘presence’ (Nereparampil, 1984: 167). Thus, God is said to ‘dwell’ in the temple, which implies on the part of God an active presence (Deist, 1990: 236). Thus, the ark of the covenant, the tent of meeting and the temple signified Yahweh’s tangible presence amid His people. This Presence of God was again observed at the dedication of the temple of Solomon (1 Kin. 8:10-11). The temple was thus the place where God’s Name, presence or glory dwelled. However, in this sense He was not confined to the temple but in the words of Berkhof (1994: 61), He was still free to be present elsewhere. Likewise, the same Presence of the living God continued to set apart the New Testament Church and Christian believers as holy, sacred temples and priests unto the Lord (1 Pet. 2: 4-10, Eph. 2:21, 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19). It is still this same Presence that is at work within God’s people today. It is this Presence of the living God that makes temples out of earthen vessels and fills lives and spaces with His own Presence and glory (1 Cor. 4:6-7). It is this presence that is magnified in spiritual experience when believers who carry this presence meet for liturgy, worship, prayer and fellowship in spaces created to bear the image of the One who lives in them through His presence. These spaces are filled with the glorious presence of a living God when His children meet in sacred places that are built to display His Glory and proclaim what is believed about Him by the people who meet in these spaces. In the words of Stacer (2001: 443), the presence of God sustains us, enlivens us and gives us purpose.
The active Presence of God gave importance and substance to the used spaces and celebrations of God’s people during OT times. Without God actively present, their worship would have been merely ritualistic processes. But it is always clear that God prefers to engage actively in sacred spaces and not in general places. For instance, a restaurant, a pub or a sporting event would not be the ideal place for God’s Presence to compete with the entertainment that is engaging the people’s focus. God engages actively in sacred spaces that are set apart for meeting with Him and worshipping Him intimately and passionately, fully focused on Him as the prime giver of life through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. These spaces could be a place of prayer at someone’s home, a place of solitude in a beautiful natural setting, a building set apart for prayer, worship and liturgy or a moment in time in a busy life where one’s eyes are closed and a moment of connection with the Presence of God are enjoyed.
Conclusion – Spaces and the Spirit Empowered Movement
It is by the work of the person of the Holy Spirit that God is present as He is. Wilson (2004: 17) refers to the person of the Holy Spirit that was hovering (Gen. 1:1) over the water right at the beginning, ready to perform God’s spoken Word and create something out of nothing. Stubbs (2004: 24) uses the thoughts of Calvin to show how each person of the trinity functions and complements the other. ‘To the Father is attributed the beginning of activity, and the fountain and wellspring of all things; to the Son, wisdom, counsel, and the ordered disposition of all things; but to the Spirit is assigned the power and efficacy of that activity.’ Thus, Calvin understands that in every work of God, all three persons are united in action but are also distinct (Stubbs, 2004: 24). Van der Merwe (2004: 29) confirms this function of the Holy Spirit by directing us to the notion that the Holy Spirit’s foremost activity is to make God Present in the individual believer’s life. His task is to help people experience God’s Presence in their lives so that they can live in harmony with God and God’s people. Ferguson (1996: 18) describes the Holy Spirit as God extending Himself in active engagement with His creation in a personal way. In the words of Ma and Ma (2010: 282) the Holy Spirit’s work in creation and re-creation needs to be appropriated into Pentecostal pneumatology. Although this applies more to the individual believer, it could also be extended to the larger creation and re-creation of spaces by liturgical communities. Berman (2004: 132) continues by showing that the Holy Spirit works to inspire relationships of community and is the active person of the triune God in social formations of family, neighbourhood and religious association. It is the Presence of God through the person of the Holy Spirit that completes God’s contact with His creatures in every sphere and in the context of this study – Space (Berkhof, 1994: 198).
It is therefore clear that the manifested Presence of God with His people is the starting point for relationship with Him as well as spiritual experience and growth. It is further evident that God has the freedom to manifest His Presence by any means and in any space as He deems fit and necessary. In other words, human beings cannot fabricate the Presence of God. However, on the other hand, God’s people can follow the unction and guidance of the Holy Spirit and create spaces where God will manifest Himself, as for example the cool of day where God met with Adam and Eve, the tabernacle that was built on God’s instruction and Moses’ obedience to take off his shoes for the ground that he was standing on was holy.
Modern-day examples of similar Holy Spirit inspired spaces would be the Church building like the one built in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, by Life Christian Foundation, that reflects the beliefs and attracts the people of a post-modern urban generation. It could also be a 24-hour prayer centre built for continuous worship and intercession like the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, USA or in Jerusalem, Israel. Finally, it could even be a Holy Spirit inspired educational institution (space) where students are collectively taught sciences and the Bible, with a vision to take the Spirit empowered movement into all nations like the Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
