Oh also, Lord deliver me - how many of the folks who say “the church is not the building” are poor and/or from cities? Because in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, & Washington DC, churches are some of the few places where *anyone* can walk in and sit in quiet, beauty, & peace.

Yes, the Church is more than a building. But buildings are public offerings in love to the glory of God. I made a good salary in LA, & my apartment was horrible. My neighborhood was horrible. My church was quiet, beautiful, and full of people who couldn’t buy anything.

Personal space, privacy, & beauty are things reserved for the rich in so many cities. Churches (at their best) democratize dignity. They are meant to house humanity. You needn’t buy anything or be anyone to seek refuge there. It is *insulting* to think that buildings are nothing.