Celebration & Thanksgiving
One of the final services we held in the Brown Auditorium had for its theme “If These Walls Could Speak.” During that service we came together to talk about our experiences in that sanctuary and all the things those walls had witnessed for sixty years. The stories flowed like water, and we realized how far God had brought us and how much we had for which to be thankful.
Although today is our first service in this splendid new facility, these walls already have some stories to tell. This building, for example, is constructed of some very ordinary things: brick, concrete, steel, and wood to name a few. By themselves they aren’t much to get excited about. I don’t imagine any of you would jump up and down at the thought that your gifts to this project bought some ceiling tile or a roll of electrical wire! Still, those very ordinary and common materials are absolutely indispensable. Although they aren’t much to look at by themselves, when combined in just the right way they yield an incredibly beautiful structure, one that is infinitely more than the sum of its parts and one that testifies to the uncommon grace of God.
I also invite you to take a moment to notice the layout and design of this sanctuary. Take a look at the wood trusses, the windows, and the platform arrangement. Take a look at the shape of the interior space and the arrangement of the pews. These things are not accidental. Instead, the entire building was designed to help us tell the gospel story and our story as a congregation. From the outset we attempted to bring off a marriage between our beliefs, convictions, and notions of who God has called us to be with the necessities of function. This building tells that story.
None of what you see here today would have been possible apart from the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the members of Ardmore Baptist Church. This place was a long time coming, and getting here wasn’t easy. At every juncture, this church entertained difficult questions about its values, its future, and its identity. At times the process of answering our own questions was painful. Throughout all our wrestling, however, we found that God is indeed faithful. Without a doubt we also rediscovered the treasure we have in each other. For that reason, our most fervent hope is that this building gives silent but extremely eloquent testimony to God’s work in us.
These walls do indeed speak. They tell us time and again how far God has brought us and how much for which we can indeed be grateful.
Grace and peace,