The building itself was amazing, and was built in the 1100's. I would be one of the first to jump up and say "You can have church anywhere"... "The church is the people, not a building"... and so forth... All true.
And yet... there is something about the architecture of the cathedral that to me hints at the glory of God in ways that "modern" churches cannot. The height, the symmetry, the detail, the grandeur all point to a God that is so much bigger than we can comprehend. And yet he is a God who loves us and invites us to sit in his presence and worship him. Mind-blowing.
There is also something special and awe-inspiring to realize you're getting to worship somewhere that has been lifting up Christ for about about a thousand years, give or take. Regardless of your theological background or opinions on that denomination, take a minute to ponder that. Christians have been coming in THAT building for ONE MILLENNIUM to worship the Lord. Incredible. That's just something we don't have access to in the States.
As we are part of a Protestant chapel that has Christians from all sorts of denominational backgrounds worshiping together in one service, I thought it was only fitting that the sermon the priest gave was on Christian unity: our focus should not be on what divides, but on Christ, the cross, and the gospel, and how we can be taking that to our community for the kingdom. It was a great reminder that we can worship and serve the Lord wherever we are, and at whatever church we are.
Probably what ministered to me the most though was the music. The acoustics were incredible, and getting to hear their choir sing the Nicene Creed and the Sanctus before the Eucharist (Communion) was absolutely beautiful. It re-instilled a sense of reverence and awe of the Lord that I often just assume without really taking time to let it sink in.
I pray that I and my family can regularly have experiences like this as a good reminder about the God of history, space, and time who we serve.
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