I first drove by St. Stan's in Milwaukee in 1973. A friend from college lived in Milwaukee and when I went to visit I was stunned at the fiery reflection from its golden domes. A few years later I went inside. It was a marvelous building. As you can see in the video, this building decayed and its interior ornaments were in danger of being lost. The parish undertook a needed but expensive program of restoration and the building will be with us for many years to come, without its wonderful architectural details being at risk. Take a look for yourself.
My point in all of this is that when the people of God build well, there is something to repair and restore. When we do not build well, we must tear down what will not endure and rebuild. In rebuilding, we face the loss of our very connection to the past and the identity that is the fruit of the sacred deposit once entrusted to the saints before us. This is certainly true with architecture but it is no less true of the forms of worship (the Divine Service), doctrinal catechesis, and Christian calendar. These we inherit and these are means to form and shape within us the Christian character that is the fruit of God's work in baptism and the flowering of His purpose in our lives flowing from baptism.
"My point in all of this is that when the people of God build well, there is something to repair and restore. When we do not build well, we must tear down what will not endure and rebuild."
ReplyDeleteThat applies as well to the Romanist religion at St. Stanislaus! The Romanist religion should be torn down, instead of being coddled, especially on a Lutheran blog.
LOL
ReplyDeleteStrickert, I think your mom is calling you.
LOL
ReplyDeletetubbs, I think the Antichrist is calling you.
It's not the art, it's what it depicts that makes the diff between Romanist and Evangelical (Lutheran) art. It irritates me, because I see it all the time from Lutheran sources, when I see Lutherans encouraging a bold use of the visual arts by showing us non-Lutheran examples of it. Sigh! There are several 19th century Lutheran churches in and in the umgebung of Milwaukee that have very bold usage of visual depictions of Lutheran themes. Same for many Evangelical churches in Europe. Use Lutheran art to encourage Lutherans to use more of it! Please. (ref: Blessed Virgin Mary church in Wolfenbuettel (Hauptkiche Beatae Mariae Virginis), 1st purpose built parish church as an Evangelical worship space after the Reformation) https://www.flickr.com/photos/drmartinus/sets/72157623676055406/
ReplyDeleteAlso, for looking at all the churches in Germany try: www.kirchbau.de
Great video! Definitely going to try and stop in to see St Stan's on my next visit to Milwaukee. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Larry. St Stanislaus, St. Josephat’s, St Adalbert’s, SS Cyril and Methodius were an integral part of my youth. While we were members of the “modern” Polish parish, Blessed Sacrament on Oklahoma Ave and 41st St, I used to ride my bike to visit and pray at all of these beautiful Polish parishes. Next time you get to Milwaukee, you have to see the renovation of St. Josephats on Lincoln Ave and 6th St. They painted over much of the detail after Vatican II, and then renovated it.
ReplyDeleteWe have served Lutheran parishes in Poland (Sweithlowice and Jelenia Gora) whose art and architecture are amazing. In Jelenia Gora there is a church built as a Lutheran Church but the Roman Catholics took it from us. The church was built to be “as beautiful as the Polish Roman Catholic Churches and was built before the Counter-Reformation restriction that all Lutheran churches must be made of wood, not stone, and out of the town square and without an entrance on the street. All the Romans did to the church was to add a tabernacle and a cheap looking Mary altar.
I could go on and on, and if you are interested I can share pictures I took when we served there.