Recently I read where archaeologists have discovered the oldest known building constructed specifically for Christian worship. The structure is located in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba and dates back to the third or fourth century.

Today, an Internet search of the words "Church Building" will result in about 1,860,000 hits while "Church Architects" generates over 11,000 hits. It would seem that the house of worship construction business is thriving, at least in the U.S.

Interesting though, in the New Testament there is no reference to lavishly adorned temples when it references the Church. The word "Church" was used exclusively to denote the followers of Christ.  Understandably, to early Christians the phrase "Going to Church" would have been senseless.

With little money, minimal education and no buildings, those early Christians persevered, proclaiming the good news in the face of extreme persecution.  Their numbers increased exponentially across hundreds of square miles when the swiftest mode of land travel was a four-mile-per-hour horse.  Whatever their methods, they were certainly a blazing success.  

But that was then. 

Now with all the advantages of our modern society, including large screen monitors and impressive audio systems, we should be light years ahead of our primitive Christian forefathers.

It makes sense.  Or does it?

With our country sinking into the dark pit of secularism and all other kinds of isms, can we really say we're more adept at spreading the good news?

Well, at least we can point to some key advancements in worship facilities and programming. 

Yes indeed, times have changed.

In this day, rarely does the word "Church" bring forth an image of actual people, but, rather, a building with a steeple or, in the case of a mega Church, acres of buildings.

So when did the word "Church" come to mean a manmade structure? Based on the evidence, possibly sometime in the third or fourth century. By then Christianity had already spread across the vast Roman Empire without the benefit of gifted architects and burly guys donning hardhats.

Some may say, "What's the big deal?  This isn't a problem."  And maybe they're right.  

Then again, if a problem exists, it could be in our collective focus on ourselves and our achievements rather than God.  And perhaps a symptom of our re-directed focus lies in what we call our worship buildings, which (in many cases) consist of mere brick and mortar.

<>God's will is one day at a time<>