"I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”" (Psalm 122:1 NIV)
Let us all go to the house of the LORD to praise His Holy Name. Let us be gathered together as one so that peace may dwell among us and in us.
Our feet are standing in the gates of the Kingdom of God. It's almost like we have one foot in and one foot out, yet not quite. There are two kingdom. We are of; we belong to the Kingdom of God that was ushered in at the crucifixion of our LORD. Yet, we live in this world. As heirs of the Kingdom of God, we praise His Holy Name. As sojourners in this world, we pay to Caesar what is Caesar's.
Caesar demands much. God gives. He gaves us His only Son that we might live. He gives love and He gives His peace. He gives us His peace through the Christ and in receiving that peace we are reconciled to Him and to one another.
I remember as a small child going to the house of the LORD to worship with my grandmother whenever I stayed with her. The services was in Finnish so I didn't understand much. What I did understand and what has stuck with me through all these years was, as everyone was leaving they shared the peace of the LORD with the pastor. "God's peace be with you." It did not appear to me to be a mere ritual. They all appeared to really mean it. It made a lasting impression. For those who have attended Worship at Zion Lutheran, Skanee, you've probably noticed that the sharing of the peace is just a little out of hand. Not only are hands extended in peace and reconciliation, there are many holy kisses of peace being shared as well. There may be "issues" at times between parishioners, but when the peace of the LORD is shared, all walls are torn down and we are made whole. We are one. Following Worship, as was the custom of my childhood, I also share the peace with members as they leave. It's not just have a good day, or good to see you. Those words may be spoken, but as they depart the House of God, it is with these words. "God's peace be with you."
The House of the LORD, the church, is where we gather to worship Him, where we receive the Sacraments, hear His Word, and so many other things. Maybe we should think of the House of the LORD as larger than a church building. The church is wherever God's people are gathered.
Remember, how, when according to Matthew, the temple curtain was torn in two at Christ's death giving us access to the Holy of Holies. Something else happened as well at the tearing of the curtain. The walls were broken down. The Kingdom of God was ushered in, the Spirit of God poured out into the world, raising even the dead. (Matt 27) The Kingdom of God is indeed at hand.
"Believe me, this world is not the Kingdom of God, but at the same time the Kingdom of God has come. "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”" (Luke 17:20-21)
Our feet are standing at the gate, may the peace of the LORD be with you all. Pr. J
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