Misdirected worship

I just read this news piece: Priests brawl at Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus.

Yesterday I met another local pastor who complimented our church on our new building, and he followed the compliment up with "But I heard you had a lot of opposition".

"Really? Actually we had no opposition within the church. Everyone was excited to build a new facility, even if it meant the old building had to go". And that's true. There was sadness at having to demolish the old place, but we don't worship buildings, and it was seen as a necessary step for accomplishing our mission.

I continued with "Any criticisms about our building didn't come from our members, but from people who worship buildings that house the church rather than the Lord of the church." Sadly, I'll bet those comments came from the mouths of professing Christians who just don't get it.

Sure, we get emotionally attached to church buildings. But the only thing that makes a building a "holy place" is when people who house the Holy Spirit are its occupants. Otherwise it's just a building.

What do you think those priests in Bethlehem worship? What's with jealousies over cleaning up after Christmas? How very non-Christian.

And I thought it was only Baptists who got into fights like that!