A classic car enthusiast with a Haynes manual open in front of him keeps alive the notion of a dedicated owner working on a cherished vehicle that has seen better days. He inspires us to take comfort from the idea that the impersonal assembly line is not the be-all and end-all of a process that started with the likes of Henry Royce and his friend Charles Rolls. To see a dusty wreck that has for decades languished lifts the spirit when it is being lovingly restored by someone who knows what he is about.
And it is not stretching it too much to say we have two Haynes manuals in the Bible. One is a five-minute guide to the construction of the ark. We can imagine Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, poring over the sketchy list of materials and the dimensions of the big boat. The other is a much more detailed handbook. The tabernacle had precisely defined frames, joints and hangings. Gold, silver, copper, purple yarn and fine linen were only some of the materials required to service the scheme. Craftsmen worked metal, carved wood and cut precious stones. So thorough is the specification in Exodus that later generations have been able to make replicas of the tabernacle. I remember having sight of such a model.
It did not end there. If those detailed instructions had been given and recorded, there must be some intrinsic significance in this Portakabin worship structure. Eager inquirers believed they had found that significance. It amounted to a study called typology. There was a mystical meaning in the structure. Why else would it be there for us? But few nowadays are interested in such inquiries. These are some of the least-read chapters in the Bible.
However, these dusty pages serve one useful purpose. They remind us of our responsibility for the design of places of worship. It is easy to get into a rut in this matter and it helps us to be taken back to first principles. From Justinian’s St Sophia via Wren’s numerous London churches to the hyperbolic paraboloid roof of St John’s, Ermine, Lincoln there have been those who have endeavoured to do this. The task is an ongoing one.
OCTAGONAL
St Michael’s church, Madeley, Shropshire is an octagonal church designed by Thomas Telford. It dates from 1796 and has been substantially modified and adapted over recent years. Leading the ministry team is Alan Walden. A notable incumbent of St Michael’s, was John Fletcher, a close associate of John Wesley. He gained a great reputation as a preacher of the Gospel. Even Voltaire admired him as an exponent of genuine Christianity.
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