Date: 16 Aug 2000
Time: 04:50:35
This will be my last Sunday as summer intern pastor at the church, and I am thinking of connecting the lesson from I Kings with a bit of a farewell message to the congregation. I am planning to focus on v. 31, Solomon's protestation that God cannot be confined to a house (my prayer of confession focuses on our tendency to imprison God within the church and forget about God as soon as we leave the church). I was going to preach about how God is everywhere, not just in the church building on Sunday morning, and the same God will still be present in the lives of the congregation and with me as we go our separate ways. I may also use vv. 41-43, about the foreigner (myself) coming into the congregation. I still need to do more exegesis on these last verses, however. These are early musings, but I am trying to get my sermon done, or at least partially done this week, so that I can spend next week packing. I would love to hear more ideas, so please let me know what you think!
The early bird preacher (for a change!), Desiree in ND :-)
Date: 17 Aug 2000
Time: 16:08:32
To Desiree in ND: I think you have found an excellent application for this text in your situation. There always seems to be two ways of thinking about the temple/church building. On the one hand, we know God is not confined to one time/place. On the other hand, we all need sacred places. Solomon acknowledges that God can't be confined to the temple, but also wants his temple to be a place made sacred by the presence of God. One might ask if our church buildings are sacred places, and if so, why (or why not?) One might also consider the possibility that all creation is sacred since God is present everywhere. Good luck! CSS
Date: 18 Aug 2000
Time: 02:26:40
Since beginning my current call, I have struggled to try to bring together seeral small and struggling congregations into one vital witness for Christ. The sigle largest barrier has ben the deep, committed, emotional ties to the edifices and the bricks and mortar, pews and fonts that had served their parents and grandparents. In that light I have come to a place where I am viewing the construction of the Temple as the original heresy of God's people. With this act, the people move from being a tabernacle people who worshipped God in the high places and where ever they were to a people who had to go to a sacred place a place. RevJCY i PA
Date: 18 Aug 2000
Time: 02:28:36
Since beginning my current call, I have struggled to try to bring together several small and struggling congregations into one vital witness for Christ. The sigle largest barrier has be,en the deep, committed, emotional ties to the edifices and the bricks, mortar, pews and fonts that had served their parents and grandparents. In that light I have come to a place where I am viewing the construction of the Temple as the original heresy of God's people. With this act, the people move from being a tabernacle people who worshipped God in the high places and where ever they were to a people who had to go to a sacred place a place. RevJCY in PA
Date: 22 Aug 2000
Time: 12:34:07
This is a great opportunity to fool around with the question why we have church buildings anyway. My Confirmation class once said they thought they could do away with the ordained clergy--they could each just meet and pray (all clergy I tell this to groan and protest what about the history of interpretation of scripture and all else they'd be throwing away), but they liked having a special place to worship God because they went there intentionally. When they got into the building, it focused their thoughts on God, and not on all the other distractions. I used to facietiously suggest we'd save so much money if we all just met in my garage for worship, but I wonder about needing that Christian symbol, including steeple, to focus. JMK in PA
Date: 22 Aug 2000
Time: 16:49:25
I am using this passage with the Ephesians reading. The House of God, the Church, is more than a building. We treat the building with respect, because it represents the dwelling place of God just as we, the Body of Christ. represent Christ's presence in the world. People need to be able to find the gathering place of believers when they arrive in a strange place. They(we) need to have an external focus to start from... also, the traditions and rituals of worship are connected to the "church." Speaking the gospel boldly is sometimes a difficult thing to do! The building, the traditions, and the rituals help to bring us closer to God. In this way, they are a "means of grace." early thoughts.....
RevJanet in CNY
Date: 22 Aug 2000
Time: 22:58:30
Hi all.
Another early thought, sparked by Desiree in ND: "our tendency to imprison God within the church and forget about God as soon as we leave the church."
I agree, having seen a congregation through a rather necessary building rennovation a couple of years back. It was (and IS) a constant struggle, keeping alive the vision of a God who is larger than our buildings, not to mention our puny and self-centered dreams, etc.
I am wondering, though, if we can address "our tendency to imprison God within the Church [People!] and forget about God as soon as we leave the Church [People!]." Might this reading be an opportunity to address some of our "We've got it, they need it" attitudes that the Church still clings to?
Might we be able to pray, with Solomon, that when other people pray, even if they are simply praying "to whom it may concern" prayers, that God will hear and answer, so that even "those others" will discover the closesness of the God they don't yet know? Might we be able to get off our high horses, and have OUR eyes openned to the presence of God who is not limited to US, either?
Rick in Canada, eh?
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 16:23:19
One possible approach to this text lies in Solomon's question: "Will God indeed dwell on the earth?" We have in the Christ-event the answer to that question. In the Gospel lesson for this Sunday, Jesus is the bread of heaven which has come down to earth. His disciples confess that he is the Holy One of God. God will dwell on the earth in Jesus - - and in the followers of Christ. God's purpose is to dwell in the midst of God's children. Nearly the last verse of the Bible declares, "See, the dwelling place(literally, "Tabernacle") of God is among humanity" (Rev.21:3) As followers of Christ we make the presence of God known in the world. Just some thoughts . . . CSS
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 17:52:02
Some of the places that are sacred for some may be offensive to others ie. The young mother/father of three who escapes to the washroom to restore her sanity. That washroom could be a sacred place. Thinking of the attachments we have to buildings and how as preachers we can often harang people. I recently working with a congregation and arrived unanounced one sunday. As I entered the church there was no mission statement or vision for the congregation, just a big sign refering you to the Building Fund -- I then listened to the preacher tell people not to be attached to the building. The signals conflicted.
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 17:54:41
The location of the Temple at the heart of the community, the location of the symbol of the presence of the Lord at the heart of the temple. As a picture it moves us to those things that we hold at the centre --
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 17:57:58
One of the histroric Churches in Scotland -- Dunblane Cathedral -- has a sign on its front lawn that read "Monument Open 10am daily" - It seems that when we construct the building and make it too important, we change the Christain faith from a radical movement to a static "Monument"
From movement to monument.
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 19:35:50
HI y'all ! it is interesting that this scripture comes up as we consecrate a building fund campaign, which i'm not sure we have ever done before. i am leaning toward chronicles where David sort of consecrates the building vision. It is a struggle. we really do need space , not only for worship - although the dream is to build a sanctuary, but for the choir to practice and kids to play and learn, and for our people to come together. we have met for ten years in a house withan added on all purpose room. one advantage is there are people who have not been in church come in and feel comfortable. we don't want to lose that feeling of helping others feel comfortable. any way, struggling with a new thing.
thanks and blessings, rachel
Date: 24 Aug 2000
Time: 20:48:03
Rev. JCY in PA: There is a good article by Walter Bruegemann on the very line of thought you are following. Go to The Text This Week web site, click on the RCL readings for this date & click on the I Kings passage, you will find it listed there. I think you have to balance this view, however, with the fact that the story relates that the Shekinah glory of God (the cloud), filled the Temple. Even when we are over-extravagant in our worship trappings, God is still present. This is another example of the ready availability of God's grace to all, a major point of this text. Good luck in your efforts in ministry! Ken in WV