A Service of Prayer for the Beginning of Day for March 10, 2021
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God. Psalm 84
In pondering today’s lessons the following questions arose: Where is God’s temple? Where is God’s dwelling place? All three readings focus on God’s house, the Temple. It got me thinking about our church building and what we might focus on when considering what to do about our building.
DIALOGUE
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia.
PSALMODY
Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Psalm 84
To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
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.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise. Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the LORD withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.
HYMN
How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place
Here are two versions of Psalm 84 put to music—one contemporary and the other traditional.
READINGS
Ezra 6:1-16
Then King Darius made a decree, and they searched the archives where the documents were stored in Babylon. But it was in Ecbatana, the capital in the province of Media, that a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices are offered and burnt offerings are brought; its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three courses of hewn stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. Moreover, let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its place; you shall put them in the house of God.”
Now you, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and you, their associates, the envoys in the province Beyond the River, keep away; let the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these people, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province Beyond the River. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests in Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his children. Furthermore I decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of the house of the perpetrator, who then shall be impaled on it. The house shall be made a dunghill. May the God who has established his name there overthrow any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”
Then, according to the word sent by King Darius, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what King Darius had ordered. So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
Silence for meditation.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.
GOSPEL
Mark 11:15-19
Then [Jesus and the twelve] came to Jerusalem. And [Jesus] entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Silence for meditation.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.
MESSAGE
Where is your temple? Where is your dwelling place?
Pondering the above lessons and thinking about our own church two questions arose in my mind. Where is God’s temple? Where is God’s dwelling place?
There is joy in the place where God dwells. It is believed that Psalm 84 was used in processions by pilgrims to traveling to Jerusalem. I get the sense that this psalm portrays God’s dwelling place outside of a building as the psalmist makes his way toward Jerusalem. But, The Jewish Study Bible provides some context to this psalm and it says, “The psalmist yearns to be in God’s presence and rehearses every step of the way to Jerusalem.There is almost a mystical quality in the intensity of the psalmist’s desire to be in God’s presence.” And where did the Jews believe God’s presence dwelled, but in the Temple.
The psalmist’s movement progresses from the courts to the altar, near where birds find a home, much as the psalmist wishes to find a home near God. The Valley of Baca is an unknown place on the way to the Temple. Some interpret this as the valley of Rephaim, where the baca trees grow. The early rain falls in the land of Israel at the beginning of winter. This reference suggests that the pilgrimage is for the festival of Sukkot, just before the start of the rainy season, when prayers for rain are offered. The final verses tell us that the psalmist prefers to stand at God’s threshold, merely setting his foot at the entrance and not fully entering the Temple, rather than to dwell, to reside fully, in the tents of the wicked. And I wonder what that implies! But, I believe it means even being at the door of the Temple is better than being outside where evil is encamped.
Today, due to the coronavirus, many are lamenting not worshiping within the church. The church building symbolizes a special place where we can be close to God. The nave, the place where the congregation worships is also called the sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place of peace, a place of refuge or safety, a place of holiness. Does that mean we can’t dwell with God in nature. No, but often people feel close to God within a church where it its quiet and they can meditate and pray.
As you know, Judah had been conquered by the Babylonians and sent to exile. The Persians then conquered the Babylonians and Cyrus, King of Persia, allowed them to return to Jerusalem. Furthermore, he allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple. Ezra 6 recounts the rebuilding and the dedication of the Temple.
Today we say the church is not a building, the church is the people and that is true. But here’s the thing…the church building is a place where God’s people “the church” come together to worship, to study and learn about God’s word, to be nourished and fed through preaching and through the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. It is also a place where God’s people come together for fellowship, support, and friendship. We experience God’s grace in this. place. We feel God’s activity and are filled with the Holy Spirit through music, liturgy, preaching, prayer, and sacrament. Can this happen in other places? Yes, we’ve worshiped in the park. But our building, its mere presence is a symbol to the community that God is active in our world. Which begs the question, do we worship the church building? That brings us to our gospel reading.
It is important to note that the cleansing of the Temple is sandwiched between the story of the fig tree. The author of Mark tells us that when Jesus and his disciples come to Jerusalem, they enter the Temple, look around, and they leave. What Jesus sees does not please him. The temple, which should be “a house of prayer for all the nations” clearly was not. The next morning after Jesus’s initial arrival in Jerusalem, he and the disciples are on their way to the city, and Jesus, being hungry, tries to find fruit on a leafy fig tree he has seen from a distance. The search turns out to be futile, because it was not the season for figs. Jesus utters a curse on the tree: “May nobody ever eat fruit from you!” The note that the disciples heard him prepares for what will happen the following morning.
Jesus and the disciples enter the temple for the second time and according to Mark, Jesus begins to cast out those who are selling and buying in the temple. He overturns the tables of the money changers and the seats of the sellers of doves. He does not allow anyone to carry any vessel through the temple. What was going on involved the buying and selling of sacrificial animals necessary for the operation of temple worship. The money changers exchanged coins bearing human figures—offensive from a Jewish legal standpoint—for specially minted Tyrian coins so that Jews could pay the temple tax. By preventing the passage of the vessels and instruments necessary for the operation of the temple, Jesus symbolically brings the activities of the temple to a standstill. Jesus’ action signals the end of the temple service—not in his own time—but forty years later. He queries, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? And then says, “But you have made it a den of robbers.”
In the morning, when Jesus and his disciples pass by the fig tree, they see it has withered away to its roots. Peter remembers that Jesus has cursed the fig tree and Jesus says to them, “Have faith in God.”
According to Mary Ann Beavis, “Many contemporary interpreters … connect the story of the fig tree directly with the narrative that it encloses: the barren tree symbolizes the metaphorical fruitlessness of the temple, even though this connection is not explicitly made where it would be expected. Since the destruction of the temple is plainly mentioned several times in subsequent chapters, it seems reasonable to posit that the destruction of the tree foreshadows the fall of the temple.
Where is your temple? Where is your dwelling place? The conclusion I come to in answering these questions are God’s dwelling place is where God resides…in our hearts. We lament the problems we are having with our building. It costs a lot of money to maintain and repair it. What we need to remember is that these concerns must not consume or overwhelm us. What goes on in our building is what is important. Perhaps our focus should be: Is it a place of joy? Is it being used to glorify God? Is it being used to minister to people outside its walls? Is it a place where faith and trust in God thrives?
In Christ,
Pastor Harkness
THE GOSPEL CANTICLE
Refrain:
In the tender compassion of our God the Dawn from on high shall break upon us.
Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. Refrain
Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us;
you promised to show mercy to our forebears
and to remember your holy covenant. Refrain
This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. Refrain
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God's people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. Refrain
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Refrain
PRAYERS
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray,
Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn, bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you—
for the sustaining goodness of your creation . . .
for the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
for the gifts of relationship with others . . .
for the communion of faith in your church . . .
Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray—
for those who govern nations of the world especially our president and governors . . .
for the people of our country, for the restoration of peace, and for justice . . .
for the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
for all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
for all who strive to save the earth from carelessness and destruction . . .
for the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . .
Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
Almighty God, the Father, ☩ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen.
HYMN
In His Temple Now Behold Him
1. In his temple now behold him,
see the long-expected Lord;
ancient prophets had foretold him,
God has sent the promised Word.
Now to praise him, his redeemed
shall break forth with one accord.
2. In the arms of her who bore him,
virgin pure, behold him lie,
while his aged saints adore him,
ere in perfect faith they die.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Lo, the incarnate God Most High!
3. Jesus, by your presentation,
when they blessed you, weak and poor,
make us see your great salvation,
seal us with your promise sure;
and present us, in your glory,
to your Father, cleansed and pure.
4 Prince and author of salvation,
be your boundless love our theme!
Jesus, praise to you be given
by the world you did redeem,
with the Father and the Spirit
God of majesty supreme!
Text: Henry J. Pye, 1825-1903, alt.
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