A. Art in the church is important because beauty is important.

God is beauty. His creation is beautiful. And we, his creations, are made to recognize and appreciate beauty. Worshipping in a space that is made to be beautiful is natural for believers (in both the Old and New Testaments). Conversely, worshipping in an ugly church would be incongruous.

B. The visual arts are important in the church because they always communicate, whether we intend them to or not.

A work of art communicates something—but so does a lack of artwork. So we want to be intentional about what we communicate, and how we communicate it. Our beliefs are manifested in the houses of worship we create, even the materials we use. What are we saying about our God?

C. Since art communicates, it is useful for teaching.

Yes, Lutherans are quick to latch onto visual art if we can squeeze some utility out of it—and that is certainly not a bad thing. If Lutherans thought the only purpose of art was to catechize, we could still go very far with it. In the hands of skilled artists, the truths of scripture transcend the written word and preach passively to our eyes, even while the spoken word preaches to our ears. This taps into the sacramental aspects of worship—that if the gospel truths are faithfully portrayed through visual means, the art becomes a “handmaiden to theology” (to borrow Luther’s terminology), and God may work through it to strengthen our faith.

D. From a vocational standpoint, liturgical art is important because God has given us those talents to develop and use to his glory.

One body, many parts. Certainly, artistic gifts can be used to God’s glory outside of the church, but if the example of Bezalel (Exodus 35, 36) is anything to go by, then using them to beautify the church itself is also God-pleasing. If the didactic nature of art exposes a potential for sacramental benefits, then here is also a sacrificial aspect. A high standard of artistic beauty is not cheap, but reflects a reverence for the place where God physically meets us with his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. The Christian heart, in faith, is moved to give God his or her absolute best. 

E. Houses of worship should be set apart from daily life.

Holy means “set apart.” This does not mean that every church or chapel needs to look like a Gothic cathedral. But it does mean that ecclesiastical architecture is clearly distinguished from residential, commercial, and industrial architecture. It means that when we choose to beautify the inside of God’s house, we’ll do it in a way that is distinct from how we furnish and decorate our homes and offices. That “Sabbath” time of worship is meant to be an oasis—we step out of our mundane daily lives and put one foot in heaven. We turn off / tune out the noise of the world and sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to his voice. In the same way that smelling a whiff of a hot apple pie makes you yearn for a reunion with your grandmother (and a slice of the real thing!), a beautiful, well-crafted worship space should make us yearn for heaven.