“The narrative of Creation is the story of God creating a sacred space in which to dwell with His creation, humanity…What we see in Genesis is precisely the reverse of this pagan practice. Upon the completion of His own temple, His own sacred space, God then creates His own image. After creating a human person as His image, God Himself breathes into him the breath of life, opening his nostrils and causing him to live and function as God’s image. The gift given to human persons is to be the means by which God acts in His creation.” (Fr. Stephen De Young)
“Believe it or not, you are sacred space. Paul in particular refers to the believer as the place where God now tabernacles—we are the temple of God, both individually and corporately.” (Michael S. Heiser)
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple,” the apostle asks the Corinthians, “and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 6) Jesus’ response to the Samaritan woman’s question affirms the same thing: each of us who lives “in Christ” is a temple, a sacred space, in which Spirit and Truth work together to enable us—with joy, freedom and thanksgiving—to offer true worship to the Father.” (Fr. John Breck)
“…we understand that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we ourselves are a sacred space and temple of God and a member of the “Body of Christ.” We are made and formed in the Image and Likeness of God. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…” This is what sets us apart from all of creation. Mankind alone was created to be in the image and likeness of God. Human beings were created to be sacred, a sacred space, a sacred temple of the living God. As beings created in the image and likeness of God we are called to become more and more like God and in so doing we are called to sanctify ourselves, all those around us, as well as our culture and our time. We are the vehicles by which time, space and culture are transformed and sanctified. We are not bystanders but active participants in the story of salvation that is a movement of a people towards God and with God. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to work on our own salvation, sanctifying the space, time and culture we touch so that we may transform and restore to God, the time, space and culture in which we live.” (Fr. Joseph Purpura)
“…we have a concept of sacred space. We use our church buildings almost exclusively for worship. There are times when we offer a catechism class in the church sanctuary. There might even be some parishes that don’t have a dedicated church sanctuary, that utilize their worship space for multiple purposes, including fellowship. However, even in these multi-use situations, there is a concept of the sacredness of the space. There won’t be a paint-ball tournament in the sacred space, or a basketball game, or a violent movie. Because these uses are antithetical to the sacred space used for worship. Saint Paul tells us that we are supposed to see our bodies as temples, as sacred spaces that are set aside to glorify God. Ideally, that is what we are supposed to do with our bodies. Our bodies, of course, are multiple use bodies. We have one body with which to pray, but also to work. Our bodies get dirty when we mow our lawns, or go hiking. Our bodies should be used for exercise and physical exertion. They should also be used for fun. We should laugh, we should enjoy ourselves. However, the chief function of our bodies is to glorify God. Therefore, even when we are having fun, we should still see our bodies as temples of the living God.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
“To enter into that sacred space, in this culture and with the usual demands on our time and energy, is no easy matter. We may try to pray each day, read through the Prayer Book prayers, or open the Bible for a few minutes, all in an effort to “come into God’s presence,” as though God were “out there” and had to be invited or coerced to enter our life. We forget that the heart is more than a physical organ. It is a temple, where the Holy Spirit dwells with grace and power. Our task is to enter the space of the heart, to descend into its sacred depths, and to stand in humble awe before Him.” (Fr. John Breck)
“We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you sacred space where you can go deep into your heart and connect with God. It is the place where you can close off your family, your worries, your job, and your distractions, and go deep into your heart, where you will find the peace that comes from Christ.” (Abbot Tryphon)
“The arts and the aesthetic become a way of working out “the feeling that there is something inadequate in our way of life, that we live by an order which represses what is really important.” …The result is an immanent space to try to satisfy a lost longing for transcendence; in short, this creates a “place to go for modern unbelief” without having to settle for the utterly flattened world of mechanism or utilitarianism — but also without having to return to religion proper. And so we get the new sacred spaces of modernity: the concert hall as temple; the museum as chapel; tourism as the new pilgrimage.” (Charles Taylor, James K.A. Smith)
“Instead of sacred and secular, we should reframe our understanding of reality as sacred and more sacred and let that flow into our daily thoughts and actions. Think about this. Even before there was sin and broken communion, there was the reality of everything being holy but also a special kind of holiness, a special kind of sacred space and time. We see this in the first creation account in Genesis. God blessed the seventh day, the Sabbath, and set it apart from the other six days. There was no sin yet that marred the world. All was still good without stain. Adam and Eve, had they not sinned, would have still participated in the seventh day as sacred time and space.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“For many people, the virtues of silence and solitude, virtues that lead to stillness…should remain the concern only of monastics. With the usual demands on our time and the level of noise pollution we all have to deal with at home, in the streets or at our place of work, these virtues seem to be a luxury we can little afford. Even if we really want to reshape our lives to introduce moments of “sacred time” and “sacred space,” the effort seems to be too much. We are too rushed in the morning, too tired at night, and too busy in between, even to say a few prayers or read a few lines of Scripture. How can we be expected to cultivate silence, solitude and an enduring stillness under such conditions? The question, unfortunately, is usually rhetorical. It represents an objection and a refusal. Nevertheless, for those who desire it, cultivating those virtues, at least to a modest extent, is very possible. It requires a certain discipline and, at first, a good deal of patience. But little by little, the experience of inner stillness creates a longing for God that is self-perpetuating. Gradually it becomes a necessity in our life, like eating, sleeping or breathing. We cannot exist without it.” (Fr. John Breck)
“The narrative of creation is the story of God creating a sacred space in which to dwell with his creation, humanity…Upon the completion of his own temple, His own sacred space, God then creates His own image.” (Father Stephen De Young)
“The idea or concept of sacred space is woven into our existence. That is why we need to create sacred spaces where we worship and praise. The Church is sacred space but we also need the church in the home, a placed in the home that is set aside as sacred space for prayer and worship.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“…Holy” literally means ‘set apart for a specific use.’ If something is “holy” then it is used only for one, singular, focused, purpose and for nothing else … It is single mindedness that makes holiness. It is exclusive devotion that creates sacred space…Make a space holy in your home, your heart, your community and then “keep” it holy by focusing your devotion and your purposeful love in remembering the “holy” purpose for which that space exists. Setting a specific place as holy in your life, as sacred, as special, also keeps the chance alive that all places in your life can become holy as well.” (Father Barnabas Powell)
“Seeing home as sacred space motivates us to invest our time and energy here…how wonderful to have a sacred space in the home, a space reserved for Him.” (Kathy Coffey, Elissa Bjeletich)
“Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you sacred space where you can go deep into your heart and connect with God. It is the place where you can close off your family, your worries, your job, and your distractions, and go deep into your heart, where you will find the peace that comes from Christ.” (Abbot Tryphon)