I’ve been taking pictures of my church recently for a project I’m working on. Last week I spent a morning in the church sanctuary alone snapping shots. I love these kinds of shoots because I can take my time and be as creative as I want. If the picture doesn’t come out as I’ve envisioned, it’s no big deal. I can take a hundred pictures to get one good one. When I show the one good one, everyone thinks I’m a genious.
The other, more important, reason I enjoyed this morning is because it gave me time to feel and experience the wonder of this room. I found myself thinking about the thousands of people who have walked through those doors in the last 100 years. I stood behind the pulpit and thought about the majestic prayers and powerful sermons that have been offered up. I stood at the end of the long aisle and remembered how difficult it was for me as a child to step out of the pew and walk the never ending aisle to profess to the people in my home church my belief in Jesus Christ.
Down this aisle hundreds of people have walked to do the same thing–to let a community of people know that they also believe–to share their desire to join these like-minded people in their pursuit of faith and service–to seek the support and prayers of this faith family for their personal struggles. The aisle in the Baptist tradition is a holy place, for it represents steps of commitment, courage of faith, and seeking of community.
At the singing of our commitment hymn toward the end of each service, those who attend are invited to walk the aisle to share their decision. When they do, their decision is owned by the community. It becomes ours. I often find myself teary-eyed when people step into the aisle and make their way forward for I know it is not done lightly. It is done with trepidation, thought, and hope. I am filled with joy that these people have allowed me to share in the personal faith moments of their lives.
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