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Jane M. Gardner has been president of the Quorum of
High Priests since the 2007 World Conference. As a member of the World Church Leadership Council she gives primary direction to the Temple Ministries team at International Headquarters. She lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. |
There are additional sacred ministries that will spring forth from the Temple as rivers of living water to help people soothe and resolve the brokenness and pain in their lives. Let the Temple continue to come to life as a sacred center of worship, education, community building, and discipleship preparation for all ages. —Doctrine and Covenants 163:8b
The Temple is a building in Independence, Missouri. It is
static, bound to a location in the Midwestern United States. Yet, through its
spiraling architecture, it communicates a dynamic message about the intersection
of the Divine with humanity. While experiences in the Temple embody this
intersection in diverse ways, the symbol of the Temple has the potential for
even wider influence. How does the Temple as life-giving symbol have an impact
on ministries of the church worldwide? What ministries “spring forth from the
Temple as rivers of living water”?
First, it is important to understand the Temple as a symbol, not just a place.
Why do we need symbols? Tony Chvala-Smith, Community of Christ theologian,
responded to this question by saying: “Divine truth is too big for us to
comprehend without symbols.” We depend on symbols to inspire us and inform our
journey as disciples. The spiral design of the Temple illustrates concepts we
have received through divine inspiration. For example: “Understand that the road
to transformation travels both inward and outward” (Doctrine and Covenants
161:3d). As we recognize the depth and possibilities of these words, the Temple
as symbol can provide an actual map for this journey.
The possibilities are limitless. Velma Ruch, in her book Summoned to Pilgrimage, described the importance and depth of symbols this way: “It [a symbol] is like a pebble dropped in the water from which circles of meaning continue to spread until they disappear into infinity” (p. 31.
Spirals are woven into nature and creation as “sacred geometry” based on a recurring “divine proportion.” Temple architect Gyo Obata wanted to create a structure that related to the patterns found in nature—in oceans, skies, and the earth. The spiral found in pinecones, seashells, and nebulae were part of Obata’s thinking. In other words, spirals exist throughout creation, from the tiniest DNA to the enormity of the cosmos. So, in the use of the spiral in the Temple, we have a symbol that intimates God is present throughout the universe. All of creation is sacred. Velma Ruch, again:
The spiral has been a significant symbol for humankind from the beginning of time because it incorporates in its form the natural structure of the universe, both in its whole and in its parts…. The spiral is representative of the dynamic and upward circling nature of growth….—Summoned to Pilgrimage, 32
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Temple Strategic Team's |
Notice also the cross in the image created through the efforts of the Temple Strategic Team. Its presence and placement reflects recent counsel: “Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God’s shalom, invites all people to come and receive divine peace in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:2a).
The cross, a powerful symbol in the wider Christian tradition, presents a vital message when combined with the symbol of the spiral. Andrew Bolton commented on the use of the cross as a part of this Community of Christ Temple illustration:
The cross rightly understood belongs in the center of this new symbol to remind us of the Christian tradition, that the way of Jesus is suffering love, and that we are to resist those who oppress, demean or diminish the worth of any person. To pursue the restoration of shalom (as peace and justice) on earth is purely naïve and romantic if it does not take seriously the suffering that already exists in the world and the suffering that it will take to change things.
Presiding Evangelist Dave Brock echoes a similar thought:
No other symbol defines Christians like the cross… Our task, I believe, is to lift high the cross, to preach Christ and him crucified, to repent of the abuse of the cross (and of Christ) but reclaim it as the ultimate symbol of love, the ability of God to overcome the worst kind of human violence through non-violent love, a hint of resurrection as sung at Easter.
Looking at the image of the spiral and cross, you may be able to imagine the “rivers of living waters” as they flow from the Temple. In John’s Gospel, Jesus articulates the promise of living water:
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” —John 7:37–38 NRSV
Jesus makes this proclamation against the backdrop of water rituals performed in the Jewish Festival of Booths, a re-creation of the people of Israel wandering in the desert and God providing refreshing water (see Exodus 17:1–7 and Numbers 20:2–13). Jesus boldly declares that anyone who truly thirsts can come to him for “living water” and that “rivers of living water” will flow out of the hearts of believers. Can you see the visual representation of this idea in the image of the cross and spiral?
As a denomination we often gather for events: retreats, camps, mission center conferences, Peace Colloquy, and World Conference, to name just a few. As we leave such gatherings, we have the potential to be “rivers of living water” for those who could not be present. We share our vibrant witness of experiences, what we have learned, and our testimony of God’s presence so that others may begin to understand the possibility for healing brokenness and pain in their lives. Sharing is the key. Without it, the living water cannot flow from our hearts.
At
the last World Conference we gathered in the Temple sanctuary to worship in a
way that would help people begin to soothe the brokenness and pain in their
lives. After an inspiring message by President David Schaal, international
participants from Korea, Chile, United States, and China led us in a responsive
reading. As the congregation sang, “God Who Touchest Earth with Beauty,” the
international group formed a circle around a large globe, preparing for a Prayer
for Peace. Then, spontaneously the participants reached out and put their hands
on the globe while the prayer was offered. It was a powerful moment. It was a
blessing of Earth through the symbolic act of laying on of hands. It was an
example of an “additional sacred ministry.”
In my travels since World Conference, I have seen countless globes being prayed over in congregations and mission centers. It “springs forth from the Temple,” and the liturgical pattern that people found meaningful and memorable in the Temple is being shared throughout the church.
The Temple is dedicated to the pursuit of peace, and a ministry that flows from the Temple is the Daily Prayer for Peace. Not only is there a daily service in the Temple, but the service is available on the church’s Web site (www.CofChrist.org/prayerpeace/) so that it can be shared as a daily discipline around the world. This practice of praying for peace is transformative, as the testimony of Blair White, Bountiful USA Mission Center president, affirms:
On a beautiful October Sunday afternoon, I found myself in conversation with Bruce Crockett at the Kirtland Temple. Shortly before one o’clock Bruce indicated he had to go to the Spiritual Formation Center for the Daily Prayer for Peace and invited me to read the prayer for those gathered. With that personal invitation and participation I started the practice of reading the prayer for peace on the church’s Web site each day. Not long after beginning this practice, I realized that the places where I was reading began to be transformed. My locations became sacred, and the temple, the dwelling place of God, soon was understood not as a temple located in Kirtland, Ohio, or Independence, Missouri, but in my very being. I am the temple that is to be an ensign of peace in the world.
What if—no matter where we are in the world—we could recognize a Community of Christ gathering because a prayer for peace is offered? Every worship service, every day at camp, every conference! It is a corporate and individual discipline emanating from the Temple, but with all Community of Christ “pursuers of peace” sharing these prayers for peace, the ministry circles the globe, and lives are transformed.
As an international group pondered the Temple as a lifegiving symbol for the global church during the first meeting of Temple Team International last September, one participant said, “The Temple as symbol meets people no matter where they are. Everyone feels ownership, even if they are not physically present.”
In a recent meeting of World Church leaders, President Steve Veazey provided a glimpse into our ever-growing understanding of the Temple as a symbol for the denomination:
The spiraling, Christ-centered symbolism of the Temple and its stated purposes reveal the essence of God’s presence with us, especially in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. These images and ideas serve to focus the church on our identity, message, and mission. As we become a people of the Temple, we will be led to embrace what matters most in the life of the church. In fact, without the ongoing influence of the Temple, we would not be as focused as we are on:
The need to approach the Divine in awe and wonder in an increasingly skeptical and secular age.
God’s vision of peace for creation and our call to pursue peace.
The interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual dimensions of the universe.
Peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit as the essence of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Wholeness of body, mind, and spirit as a desirable condition for all people.
The essential meaning of the Restoration as healing and redeeming agent.
The life-long inner and outer journeys of discipleship as depicted by the symbolism of the Temple.
The church’s call to be a sanctuary of Christ’s peace in the world.
The call to engage in ecumenical and interfaith relationships because the Temple is to be a house of prayer for all faiths.
It is our intent that the Temple continue to come alive as a “life-giving symbol” that focuses our mission in the world. Some aspects of that will be experienced in the Temple, and other aspects will flow from the Temple as insights, ministries, and resources that will enrich the life of the church spiritually.
Ministries flow creatively as rivers of living water from the Temple and out of the “hearts of believers” for the blessing of God’s people. May the beauty of God’s creation found in the temple, whether spiraling architecture or the human variety, provide inspiration, healing, and the impetus to Go! Pursue peace!
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