The shelter and the presence of God amongst us.
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
This week, I had a really interesting conversation with someone about spiritual endurance, the crazy-making chaos of the world around us, and the hope of peace. How do we manage to endure in our faith? To cling to it in the midst of all the challenges and struggles of this life? How do we continue to believe in the goodness of God, in the promise of peace, when it feels like the world we live in only becomes more and more divided?
These are all really good questions - and I know that they will resonate with many of you. And of course, there are no easy answers. Faith is a journey and a challenge; it's a choice we have to keep signing up for and opting into. And as we read scripture, as we follow the steps of the saints who went before us, we know that the world has always been full of obstacles, unhealthy invitations, and a happy home for the urge to individualism and exceptionalism. How do we grapple with this while managing to hold on to the good news of the Gospel that insists on justice and peace for everyone?
Surely part of the answer is about knowing who God is - and who we are in relation to God. Psalm 91, which is attributed to Moses, is famous for its opening lines:
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
Tradition tells us that Moses had just completed the building of the Tabernacle* in the desert when he wrote these words. So these words are connected to his experience of seeing and knowing God, and to the experience of the whole people of Israel who come to know God's protection and love for them because of the power of the Tabernacle - the place where God's presence rested. Moses is articulating a belief in a God who shelters and protects, and flagging for us our inherent need to rest and trust in the God who is a refuge and fortress for the faithful. For Moses and for Israel, this hope - this understanding - was stirred because of the Tabernacle - a place that was a part of their story, their identity, their living out of God's plan for them. And a place that helped them understand the mysteries and the presence of God.
I hope the words of Moses will spark your own thinking and praying about how God is a shelter and refuge for you. And about the spaces and places where God's power and love are revealed to you. Where do you find God and the safety of God's presence? How does this community shelter you and offer you the assurance of God's love? How are you a part of our work to shelter the community around us in the midst of this world that is so full of struggle? I hope that on Sunday, you'll seek the shelter of God and come to know more fully the power of God's love here in this place, as we gather for worship at St. Matt's. God bless you on your journey.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +
*Tabernacle is also the other word we use in church for the ambry - the place where we keep the consecrated elements, the bread and wine that have within them the presence of Christ. So our understanding of tabernacle is much the same - it's the place where we can tangibly find God.
Tags: Welcome from the Rector