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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON NC

HD Homilies- Sanctuary

Writer's picture: Dr. Jim BaldwinDr. Jim Baldwin
Downtown church on early snowy morning.

For the first time in several years, we had a measurable amount of snow in Wilmington!  I think the official recordings were 3-5 inches, depending on what part of town you live in, but it was enough to be beautiful. 


Church folks and friends have been texting pictures of their children in the snow, their dogs in the snow, their bicycles in the snow.  One of my favorite snow photos is this one of our church.  The picture captures the serenity of the early morning before snow plows cleared the surface and traffic clogged the lanes. 


The steeple seems to stand as a sentinel, pointing toward the heavens.  The doors speak of hospitality, welcoming everyone who passes by. I know that, theologically speaking, the church is not the building.  The church is the people who have been called together to worship and serve in the name of Jesus.  The building where the church gathers is appropriately called the sanctuary.  According the Webster’s dictionary, a sanctuary is a place of worship.  It is also a place of refuge – a place where one can find safety and protection.  


When we are at our best, church is a sanctuary in both ways.  Church should be a place where people know they will be loved and accepted.  It should be a place where people can be authentic and transparent.  Church should be a place where we can bring our broken dreams and hopes and spirits and find help putting the pieces back together again. 


A simple poem by Gary Smalley contains these lines: “If this is not a place where tears are understood, then where shall I go to cry?  And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, then where shall I go to fly?”  We all have times when we need to cry with someone.  We also have times when we need someone we can laugh and celebrate with.  Sometimes we feel like doing both at the same time.  That sounds like church to me. 


The invitation from our church is the same invitation Jesus offered: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) 


We’ll leave the light on for you. 



-Dr. Jim Baldwin



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