NEWSLETTER May 2019
Peace Talk
House of Prayer on Parker and Main
PASTOR’S MESSAGE Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God Our Father and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body – John 2:19-21 On the Monday of Holy week the world was captivated by the images of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in flames. Had Jesus spoke these words to us, as we watched, our reaction might have been similar to those listening to Jesus that day in the temple. However, the temple where Jesus stood was not on fire. Notre Dame took one hundred and eighty-two years to build. Much longer than the forty-six years of the temple. Still Notre Dame looked like it would be leveled to the ground. Many doubted it could ever be rebuilt. People were upset. Friends of mine wrote on Facebook how they wanted to see Notre Dame again or wanted their children to have the experience of seeing it. As the building burned a spokesperson of the church told the press “Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame.” As the roof collapsed the Archbishop of Paris called on people to pray and “If you wish, you can ring the bells of your churches to invite prayer." As Jesus hung on the cross, how similar the emotions might have been to those looking at Christ believing everything was now gone. The belief that Jesus was the Messiah was going up in flames before their eyes. Jesus died. The earth shook, people grieved, opponents jeered and the veil of the temple was torn in two. His body, His frame, laid in a tomb leveled to the ground. Then a miracle occurred. Jesus rose from the dead just as God had promised. When the smoke cleared away Our Lord and Savior stood victorious with sin, death and Satan conquered and under His feet. The temple rebuilt in three days, glorified and incorruptible. The day after the fire, people gazed into the scarred building expecting to see devastation, looking as if into a tomb. What they saw instead was a cross beaming, the windows and statues undisturbed, the relics preserved. It was a modern day miracle, the work of God’s protecting hand. People had feared losing this cultural piece, a beautiful artwork, a symbol of faith and yet in the end it stood by the grace of God and yet it is just another building. While the press focused on the French President’s call to rebuild and the generous gifts of companies and people to support the rebuilding the true story was taking place which was underreported. That story was that the true work of calling us to prayer was happening. The true work of gathering people together was happening. Calling people together as only Christ can do. These calling actions, by God, were occurring in a nation where only 5% of the population go to church but thirteen million visitors enter Notre Dame a year! A nation where over 2000 mosques have been built in the last nineteen years by the 3% of the population that identify themselves as Muslim. A nation where 35% of the population claim no religious affiliation. God used His house to communicate His message during the passion week of His Son. For the church has never been a building of brick, mortar and wood. It has always been His disciples, redeemed and forgiven, dead to sin and alive in Christ to live in Heaven forever more. SDG, Pastor John At the end of this month’s newsletter you will find an article by Peggy Noonan. Peggy is an author, columnist and former presidential speech writer. The piece is an opinion piece that is reprinted by permission of the Wall Street Journal. The piece includes Peggy’s emotional reaction to the event. In it Peggy asks: Why the fire at Notre Dame was such a grave emotional status for people of varying faiths?; What does the art inside the Cathedral, the statues and paintings mean?; And Why do we pay such attention to relics? The piece was submitted for publication in our Newsletter by Ray, an elder in our congregation. Please keep in mind. That what you read does not necessarily reflect the position of your Congregation, Pastor, District, or Synod. It is an opinion piece written and a discussion that took place between two Catholic women. It has many aspects that are useful for our reflection as Christians. Please feel free to read, reflect and most importantly be led to prayer or initiating a conversation based on thoughts or questions with me about what was written. I think you will find where she ends interesting.