Friday, March 17, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Psalm 84

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.

Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!

Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you. (NRSV)

Reflection

As I was coming out of the church one late afternoon, I was approached by a couple from Spain. They were visiting the city and were keen to see the sanctuary. “Churches are very special places, and in the city they are quiet," they said. I smiled and replied, “Yes, I know what you mean.”

What is it that awakens so profoundly when we stumble upon the beauty of a sanctuary? The psalmist waxes eloquent on the vision of a sanctuary of beauty, a place of encounter with the Holy, the quiet serenity, and the grand arena of God’s beauty. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts. ... My soul ... my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” There is simply nothing quite like it.

It is true that throughout the ages many grand cathedrals and, quite often, simple churches have held the awe and wonder of God’s presence. Lifted eyes, waiting hearts, wondering souls, ready spirits light candles, leaf through hymnals, wait for the word preached, the bread torn, the cup flowing, the water splashed. These places hold life and promise in a world that feels torn, sometimes asunder. No wonder we are drawn to them. No wonder we meet God here in this place. No wonder ... or maybe, yes, much wonder, because the encounter sweeps us off our feet! How lovely is your dwelling place, O God. What wonder!

Prayer

Thank you, O God, for your dwelling places, for the elegant cathedrals and the simple churches we enter. And thank you, O Christ, that you shine forth with beauty, filling these places with sheer grace and wondrous love. Amen.

Written by Lucy Forster-Smith, Senior Associate Pastor

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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