Faith in a Time of Pandemic – The Loveliness of Creation

Rejoice in the beauties of the earth.

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XCV
The Loveliness of Creation
(6/30)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O God of All; my soul longs for the courts of God’s people.
(Psalm 84:1-2; read entire Psalm 84.)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O God. Most of us are missing our sanctuary. It’s simplicity and quiet beauty, the light shining through the windows, the piano and choir, children running up the aisle, friendly faces, scripture, preaching, and singing, all nurture our souls. But we are in a type of exile. For reasons of health and safety, our own and others, we are still worshipping on Zoom. We grieve not being in our sanctuary and yet we have discovered a sanctuary on Zoom. We have seen friendly faces, sang hymns, spent time in quiet, reflected on scripture, and conversed before and after worship.

When Jacob woke up from his dream of a ladder of angels, he exclaimed, “God was in this place – and I did not know it” and then named the place Beth-El, the home of God. God’s dwelling place is everywhere. Each of the earth is the holy of holies. All things are transparent to divinity for those whose senses are open. All is miracle, as Walt Whitman pens, to those who awaken to the wonders of life in all things great and small.

Behold wherever you are, you are on Holy Ground. Behold social media can be a sanctuary. Behold God is here, right where you are, providing wisdom and insight sufficient for every need. How lovely is your dwelling place, O God.

Here is a youth choir singing John Rutter’s arrangement of “For the Beauty of the Earth”

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Holy One, let us find God Online and in every encounter. Open our senses that we might see the infinity of all creation. Bless us with a vision of beauty, love, and justice wherever we are, and in every medium of creation. Amen.