222. But essential Divine worship in the heavens does not consist in
going to church and hearing preaching, but in a life of love,
charity, and faith, in accordance with doctrine; preachings in
churches serve solely as means of instruction in matters of life. I
have talked with angels on this subject, and have told them that it
is believed in the world that Divine worship consists solely in
attending church, listening to the preaching, observing the sacrament
of the Supper three or four times a year, and performing other acts
of worship according to the requirements of the church; also devoting
special times to prayers, and at such times, behaving devoutly. The
angels said that these are outward acts that ought to be done, but
are of no avail unless there is an internal from which they proceed,
which is a life in accordance with the precepts that doctrine
teaches.

223. That I might learn about their meeting in places of worship, I
have been permitted at times to attend and to hear the preaching. The
preacher stands in a pulpit at the east. Those who are in the light
of wisdom more than others sit in front of him; those who are in less
light sit to the right and left of these. There is a circular
arrangement of the seats, so that all are in the preacher's view, no
one so sitting at either side as to be out of his view. At the
entrance, which is at the east of the building and on the left of the
pulpit, those stand who are being initiated. No one is permitted to
stand behind the pulpit; when there is any one there the preacher
becomes confused. It is the same if any one in the congregation
dissents; and for this reason the dissenter must needs turn away his
face. The wisdom of the preachings is such as to be above all
comparison with the preachings of this world, for those in the
heavens are in interior light. The church edifices in the spiritual
kingdom are apparently built of stone, and those in the celestial
kingdom of wood; because stone corresponds to truth, and those who
are in the spiritual kingdom are in truth, while wood corresponds to
good, and those in the celestial kingdom are in good.{1} In that
kingdom the sacred edifices are not called churches but houses of
God. In that kingdom they are without magnificence; but in the
spiritual kingdom they are more or less magnificent.

{Footnote 1} "Stone" signifies truth (n. 114, 643, 1298, 3720,
6426, 8609, 10376). "Wood" signifies good (n. 643, 3720, 835