When I was in the military, I had the opportunity to speak in many different chapels. Some were very simple. One even met in a former storage facility. But others were impressive, historic buildings. One was even featured in a popular Hollywood movie.

But the most impressive-looking church at which I’ve spoken was in Portland, OR. The church was covered with stained-glass windows that were over 100 years old. There was a large balcony built of hand-carved wood. There was an enormous pipe organ whose pipes practically covered a large wall.

Obviously, the church had been in that community for a long time. I wondered how many people had attended church there, and who had spoken in that pulpit in the past. When I began my message, I commented that the building was more than I deserved.

As impressive as that building was, there were also indications that its glory was fading away. I suppose the building could hold around 500 people, and I’m sure that in past years the sanctuary would have been packed. Portland is a large city and certainly has the population to fill the seats of that auditorium.

But when I spoke, there were probably fewer than eighty people there. I wouldn’t take it personally if some were to say that attendance was down because of the day’s speaker! However, I was assured that the size of that Sunday’s congregation was typical.

There were additional signs of the church’s fading glory. The beautiful stained-glass windows, which depicted various scenes from the Bible, could only be seen from the inside. If you ventured outside to look at them, you found that they were covered with opaque protective glass. The church had to protect the expensive (irreplaceable?) glass from vandalism.

Of course, American culture has changed dramatically from the time when the church was first built. We have gone from a society where most of its citizens attended church to one where fewer do. While downtown Portland once needed such a large auditorium to hold the people who came to worship, a much smaller place would suffice today.

The change in culture could also be seen in the streets around the large building. There were homeless people and addicts. During the week, the church even sponsors groups to help people with certain addictions. I’m certain that churchgoers in the early 1900s could not have imagined what would become of the building in which they took so much pride, as well as the community in which it was located.

Some would look at the situation and feel sad because of the changes that have taken place. Others would say that such a beautiful building should never have been built in the first place. Perhaps the Lord would not approve of such an expenditure of money, no matter the historical time frame. There were people in need in the early 1900s, and the money spent on hand carvings, stained-glass windows, and a beautiful organ could have been better spent.

No doubt, there will be differences of opinion on these matters. But there is surely one thing on which we can all agree. As I looked at that beautiful building and saw its fading glory, I was reminded of a truth Peter stated centuries ago. It is not just the glory of that church that is destined to fade away. All the glory of this world will follow suit. Peter refers to everything in this creation and says that “it will be dissolved” (2 Pet 3:11). This world, and all that is in it, will be destroyed and replaced by a new earth.

There are many things in this world that are beautiful. We can appreciate that beauty and be impressed by it. But we shouldn’t be fooled. It is all passing away. Sometimes we can even see a foreshadowing of it before our very eyes.