I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

(NLT, Psalm 122:1)

Why do we go to a church building anyway? After all the bible advocates that people form the church.

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

(NLT, Matthew 16:18)

However, the building is a neutral place for like-minded people. The first Christians did not have a building, so they met in homes. Today, although some churches may start in homes as well, they become too small to accommodate all attendees when there is extensive growth. There is something unifying, inspiring and supportive about having people with the same mind in the same place.

Whether the purpose is for religion, sports, or a movement, a meeting place provides tangible as well as intangible benefits to everyone. The most expensive religious building is the Masjid Al-Haran located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, costing $100 billion. The SoFi stadium, which is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers is the most expensive NFL stadium in the country, costing $4.9 billion to build. With such large amounts of money spent on these types of buildings, there is clearly significant value in believers and enthusiasts gathering in the same place.

Even though a building can be a designated place for everyone to meet, there must be a unifying purpose. An estimated 250,000 people attended the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” on August 28, 1963. There is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a Dream” speech. People traveled from all over the country for the event. Because of the cause, no matter the distance, even without a building, they were glad to gather.

Today I offer a tribute to those of you who stand for Christ and gladly gather with others to worship Him.