Between meetings yesterday evening (around 4:45 or so), I went into the sanctuary to think, vision, and pray. As a part of this, I opened all the shutters that I could reach and turned off all the incandescent lights. I find few things as inspiring as a house of God illuminated solely by the light of the sun. As I sat in the back of the sanctuary just taking in the scene, my mind started to process what it is that is so special about a holy worship space like this one. What is it that acts as a magnet to bring back the faithful each week? What is it that makes some people avoid a sanctuary or a church structure altogether?
I believe that it is due to the environment that we find ourselves in at a given time when we are told or are expecting to worship God. Many wonderful and powerful things have happened throughout the centuries in houses of God throughout the world. People have been healed, delivered from demonic power, individual and family reconciliation has occured, warring factions have come together as one under God - not to mention the miraculous encouter with the sacraments that is such a part of the fabric of worship. On the flip side, we have also seen sanctuaries used to divide people in un-Godly and un-Holy ways, such as dividing men and women, dividing people based on race, sending children out during the worship service, to continue battles involving family and church politics, to manipulation of the flock by some who had been selected to lead God's people. Sanctuaries are symbols, and like so many other symbols in our lives, mean different things to different people based on past experiences.
So where am I going with this? I encourage you this week as you come to worship Sunday morning to take a moment and pray for all whose lives have been touched by life in the church. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving that God has so graciously provided so many places in the global community for the Divine will to be done and recognized, including ours. Pray also a prayer of confession and reconciliation for those tragic events and misunderstandings that have occurred in houses of God, including ours. Pray that whenever the people of God gather as one, nothing more and nothing less than God's will shall be done. Pray that the new are welcomed with opening and loving arms, not just a quick handshake and 'how ya doin' (if anything at all). Pray that those who, for whatever reason, feel estranged and unwelcome, will once again be at peace in the house of God. Pray that all of us may be instruments of God's peace, recognizing what is truly important, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by that which is truly unimportant.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
I believe that it is due to the environment that we find ourselves in at a given time when we are told or are expecting to worship God. Many wonderful and powerful things have happened throughout the centuries in houses of God throughout the world. People have been healed, delivered from demonic power, individual and family reconciliation has occured, warring factions have come together as one under God - not to mention the miraculous encouter with the sacraments that is such a part of the fabric of worship. On the flip side, we have also seen sanctuaries used to divide people in un-Godly and un-Holy ways, such as dividing men and women, dividing people based on race, sending children out during the worship service, to continue battles involving family and church politics, to manipulation of the flock by some who had been selected to lead God's people. Sanctuaries are symbols, and like so many other symbols in our lives, mean different things to different people based on past experiences.
So where am I going with this? I encourage you this week as you come to worship Sunday morning to take a moment and pray for all whose lives have been touched by life in the church. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving that God has so graciously provided so many places in the global community for the Divine will to be done and recognized, including ours. Pray also a prayer of confession and reconciliation for those tragic events and misunderstandings that have occurred in houses of God, including ours. Pray that whenever the people of God gather as one, nothing more and nothing less than God's will shall be done. Pray that the new are welcomed with opening and loving arms, not just a quick handshake and 'how ya doin' (if anything at all). Pray that those who, for whatever reason, feel estranged and unwelcome, will once again be at peace in the house of God. Pray that all of us may be instruments of God's peace, recognizing what is truly important, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by that which is truly unimportant.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
