|
A City Set on a Hill By Michael S. Rose |
|
One historic term for the church building is "city on a hill." This refers not only to the preferred location
of our churches on high places, but also less literally as occupying a place of prominence in the community.
|
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his followers that they were to be the light of the world. "A city set on a hill cannot be hid," He said, just as men do not "light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house" (see Matt 5:14). In terms of churches, the words of Christ serve as an instructive metaphor: our churches need to show Christ and His Church present and active in a particular locale. That is why one historic term for the church building is "city on a hill". This refers not only to the preferred location of our churches on high places (just as Solomon's Temple was built on Mount Moriah, the highest point in Jerusalem), with the sense of being a fortified, protected sanctuary, but also less literally as occupying a place of prominence in the community.
To this day, when new churches are built, the siting where a building...
Want to read the whole article with accompanying images? You have two options:
- Charter member offer: Subscribe now for a one-time fee of $20 for access to all web content at dellachiesa.com, or
- One-day Free Pass: Sign up for a one-time 24-hour free pass for access to all web content at dellachiesa.com.
