New Churches

“Designing a Mall-Like Ambience for Worship” (Nov. 8) left me feeling despair for the church at large. The “unchurched” are not going to be brought to God at a cappuccino cart at an unchurch. If architects are being directed to eschew religious symbols so the gathered masses can feel “safe and secure like in a mall,” what message does that send about where God belongs when these folks prioritize their lives?

Modern architecture is fine. Worship is not about a building. But it is about a focus on the Almighty. These “neutral, comfortable places” that appear to be more concerned with providing food kiosks than a challenge to lead a godly life will ultimately fail because the people who come there aren’t being asked to make a commitment to anything more exalted than their own comfort. The upside is that when they do fail, it will take a minimum amount of retrofitting to transform them into office or retail spaces.

LAUREL DELMAR MURRAY

Valley Village