In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. – Psalm 95:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 15, 2013): Psalm 95 & 96

I am admittedly amused by all of the people that seem to believe that they can only find God is inside the walls of a church. The belief is most definitely a by product of an age that produced some of the most beautiful cathedrals that could be imagined. Every aspect of these places of worship was designed to draw the view of the person upwards toward the God of the Cathedral. The history of our understanding of how it is that we need to build large buildings, in the early days of architecture was literally driven by the desire to build lofty buildings as homes for God. And that was in turn driven by the large buildings built to honor the gods of the ancient world. These temples were the places where the gods took up their seats on the earth.

When Israel cried out to Samuel that they wanted to be just like the other nations, they were specifically talking about their desire for king, but it didn’t stop there. Israel would set themselves up to be in competition with the other nations with everything that they did. They wanted their nation to be more beautiful; and their people richer and smarter – in everything they wanted to be the best. So it is no wonder that David looks at the temples of other gods and desires to build a temple that is better to his God. But God turns him down. One thing that I continually miss in the Bible is that God never asks anyone to build him a temple. And the reason is that he didn’t need it. Isaiah would write that God says that “Heaven is his throne and earth is footstool” (Isaiah 66:1.) What need have I to have a temple built for me? Just walk outside, the majesty of the mountains and the depths of the valleys, the mighty oak and the delicate flower – all of these things which you cannot duplicate in your wildest dreams, these things are my footstool – the place where I rest my feet. You think that this temple will honor me, but the place where I put my feet is more glorious than anything that you can build. Can you imagine what heaven is like – the place where my being lives?

So the psalmist reminds us that God’s presence is known in the deep of the oceans. In the ancient world there was no idea how deep the oceans were; no person alive had ever been there. The only ones that visited the depth of the sea were lost to us forever. But God’s presence was there. And even the highest peaks, again in the ancient world the highest mountain tops were places where men were too frail to ever visit – but God was already there.

I know of a church that meets outside without the benefit of a building. The church is in a rain soaked northern city so I am not sure how they actually accomplish what it is that they do, but I think they have the right idea. After all, why would we not want to serve God in the midst of his handiwork, rather than worship him in the middle of the inferior things we have built with our own hands.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 97