Recently my wife and I traveled to Europe where we experienced 5 different countries, slept in 16 different beds, and walked over 100 miles. This was not a resort vacation but an expedition.
There were two experiences in our travels that were emotional for me. One was visiting the American Cemetery in France. So many young lives were lost in the battles for the beaches of Normandy on D-day. So many gravesites and so many names of real young men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It was very sobering.
The other experience was visiting Salisbury Cathedral. It seemed that every village had a church, and every city had a Cathedral. All of them beautiful and grand in architecture and historical significance. The Salisbury Cathedral was one of the biggest and grandest in size, number of statues, and detail of glasswork. It was overwhelming. Perhaps what made it my favorite was hearing the wonderful acoustics of the choir singing as they rehearsed for an evening performance. It was incredible to think of the generations of people who worshipped there, contributed there, and were buried there. This Cathedral along with many others was the grandest structure the people of those days could imagine in honor of a God who is beyond imagination. Certainly, God is honored by their efforts. However, in the end, it is not the Cathedral that is impressive, but the hearts of the ones who built it in genuine worship.
When Christ died and the curtain of the temple was torn in two, God signified that He does not desire to dwell in a building but in the human heart. We are the temple and cathedral in which God desires to live.
Acts 7:48 – However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.
1 Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
I Peter 2:5 – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
It is sad to think that many European Cathedrals have become little more than museums. Great architectural relics of the past. The truth is that God desires a relationship with each one of us, a holy of holies in our hearts.
This truth leads us to ask several questions.
- What kind of “heart Cathedral” have we prepared for God to dwell in?
- Is it a holy place, reserved for God alone or do we welcome other idols to be set up there.
- Is our relationship with God current in our hearts or it become a relic of the past?
I think of the old chorus and may it be our prayer:
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you. Amen
Blessings,
Pastor Vern