Last Sunday, before Sunday school, I stood in the JM sanctuary. I know it's just a room, but often when I stand there, when it's empty and quiet, I feel like it echoes with the presence of God. Maybe the quiet just makes finding Him easier, or maybe there is a spiritual memory of all of the times He has made himself known to me in that room, but often when I need a moment with God, I can find Him there.
One of the lectionary readings this week is Genesis 28:10-19a. It is the story of Jacob. He is on the run, leaving home, when he falls asleep in the wilderness. He sees angels ascending and descending a ladder. God is standing next to Jacob, and He retells him about the promise made to Abraham and now to Jacob, and then says, "Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
When Jacob wakes up, he says, "Surely the LORD is in this place -- and I did not know it!"
Sometimes I think that we come into church -- the building or the group of people God has formed into His Church, and we don’t think to look for God. If He were to walk up to us, and stand beside us, retelling us of His promises to us, we would be surprised to find that He was in church at all.
With our Vision and Mission before us, we are in the process of stepping out in faith. Andy Stanley, a minister in Georgia, says that the bridge between hope and faith is the promise of God. God promised Jacob, and He promises us that He will never leave us; He is always with us.
Surely the presence of God is in this Church.
There will be risks that we will be asked to take as we live into God's dreams for His Church. There will be times when we might be afraid. Stepping out into unknown is frightening. I know that it is. We should never forget that the presence of the Lord is in His Church. This Church -- this body of Christ that is assembled and meets on the corner of 5th Avenue and 10th Street -- is the dwelling place of God. Do not be afraid, for He is with us.
Jacob called the place where he found God, "Bethel ." Bethel means "house of God." This building, this sanctuary, this assembly of God's Children into the Body of Christ -- all of them are the dwelling places of God.
We are blessed by God to be a blessing. Do not be afraid. Just step out of the boat and walk on the water.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this placeKim Matthews
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angels' wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
(lyrics by Lanny Wolfe)
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