Precious

In Lord of the Rings, Gollum has a ring which he calls 'his Precious'

I sometimes think that Christians view their ancient churches with the same sentiments. Recently we visited some of our more elderly Cathedrals and churches. Winchester is a case in point. Over the centuries it has been in a constant state of change, as it was built / rebuilt / added and subtracted to. Why? To accommodate the needs of the local and religious community in that place. I don't know what decision processes were gone through each time, but I guess that current need was foremost in their minds.

Could it be changed now? What if someone suggested a modern addition to the structure, maybe in glass and stainless steel??

I wonder how that would go down? Not too well, I guess!

How 'precious' is the building to a 21st century custodian?

Chichester Cathedral is slightly different. Although I guess that the structure is very much considered 'precious' these days, the inclusion of modern tapestries and windows adds the impression that this is still a living place for worship.

Should we really be so precious about our church buildings? After all, they were originally built to serve a worshipping community in a contemporary manner. Are they still able to do that with their rigid formality?

Are we guilty of preserving in aspic our Christian heritage, rather than building upon it?