Beloved Members of St. Martin’s,
In all of our readings this weekend, we hear of focus on holy places and spaces: Malachi is attempting to prepare the people of Israel to be able to worship once again in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. This is necessary because during the years of exile, the people’s collective memory of the parts of the covenant attuned to prayer in the Temple had faded.
Psalm 84 also starts with an outburst of joy as the psalmist stands within the boundaries of the Temple. I wrote about these first verse of Psalm 84 in my priest’s reflection in the Beacon this week. I love these opening verses from the Common English Bible translation:
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord of heavenly forces! My very being longs, even yearns, for the Lord’s courtyards. My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God! Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there the swallow has found herself a nest where she can lay her young beside your altars, Lord of heavenly forces, my king, my God! Those who live in your house are truly happy; they praise you constantly. (Common English Bible version)
The image of the sparrow and the swallow, two tiny birds who could both fit in the palm of one hand, so fragile and vulnerable, nonetheless knowing that they were safe by the altars of God—that really speaks to me. They feel so safe they have made their homes, their nests, right up alongside the altars of God. The utter transformation of the holy temple of God described here becomes even more vivid when we consider that in other biblical testimony, including our gospel, birds were more likely to be sacrificed near that altar than find their home there.
The concept of the church as a sanctuary and refuge is many millennia old--- going all the way back to the Torah. It is an obligation that is similar to the seal of the confessional. Worship spaces as shelters and refuges is a sacred tradition and fulfillment of the Law and Gospel. When the Church has NOT been a safe place for people, that has been a failure of our call to witness to the gospel of Jesus. May we ever be willing to stand up and stand with those who seek refuge, and mercy.
In Christ’s love,
Mother Leslie+