How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah
As a boy, I remember the first time I went to Veterans Stadium for a Phillies game. I was enthralled at the neon green fake grass and the noises. This must pale in comparison to the exhilaration the Jews felt when they first beheld the temple. It rivaled the pyramids of Egypt in splendor and it must have been visible for miles, like the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages. It must have had the same effect on Israel’s enemies and caused them to be in awe of their God.
Cape Community Church is gearing up for another season of Code Blue for the unsheltered. I often wonder if there is a similar feeling of awe when our guests enter our church. Do they feel the presence of God here? I sense fear in them but that is fear of rejection but the love they feel quickly dispels that. God is love and those he loves are commanded to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are commanded to love our neighbor as well. By our love, our guests experience the awe of the Lord.
Dear Lord, thank you that the church is people who love you, each other, and their neighbor. Help us to present your awesome love as the Church of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church