Our online service from this
past Sunday at Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church can be found HERE. A
transcript of the sermon and prayer is available HERE.
In these difficult days, I
like to see what my fellow pastors are writing about. Here's a
reflection from Rev. Becca Crate, who is the pastor of Springfield
Presbyterian Church, in Sykesville, Maryland.
“As our traditional sacred
spaces of sanctuaries and chapels close the doors due to the
pandemic, we are called to find a new way to experience the holy. It
is in uncertain times like this where we remember again and again
that the church is much more than a structure, a building, a place of
bricks and mortar. The church is a faithful group of people
journeying together, lifting each other up, and learning how to
translate what they know of God into their everyday lives.
These three pictures are
places in which I have found holiness
The first image, the isle of
Iona, entrench me in reminders of the saints who built an abbey in
the 900s, with stone and masonry, leaving something for generations
of faithful who would flock to the island. When you turn from this
viewpoint, you are surrounded by bare beaches and land untouched,
which reminds me of the wonder of God’s creation.
The second image is an alley
in Boston, and even there in the unexpected, we find the sacred. In
the dumpsters, the urban landscape, the very grit of people working
and living together in tight quarters. It is also an alley in a busy
part of the city, so taking a moment to step into the silence and the
quiet in the midst of busyness is a reminder for us to sidestep into
the holy spaces.
The third image is my
backyard, in rural Maryland, as you look out to my neighbor’s barn,
the small stream that runs through the brae, and the sun that
beautifully shines on the trees. Overhead there is usually a hawk,
sometimes an eagle, and more often then not you find God’s
creatures of all kinds in this landscape. This is a reminder that
outside my door, if I stand still, the holy and sacred places are
right there.
We may miss the fondness of
stained glass windows, of organ pipes, and of pews, but may you know
that the holy isn’t entrapped in that place. You can find the holy
and sacred wherever you go, if you stop and look and wait and watch.
In the green hills, in the breath of the wind, and in the symphony of
the city streets, God is waiting. You ultimately have the opportunity
to decide what is sacred and what is holy. Go, find the holy and
rejoice.”
For
some music “When I Look Into Your Holiness.”
Let Us Pray: Generous
God, I come before You now, seeking Your presence and the comfort of
Your Spirit. Lead me, guide me, and turn me towards the sacred and
holy, where I experience a joy, a peace, a solace like no other.
Amen.
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