O Lord God of Israel, the heavens cannot contain you, yet you are pleased to dwell in the midst of your people, and have moved us to set apart a space on which to build a house of prayer: Accept and bless the work which we have now begun, that it may be brought to completion, to the honor and glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bishop John prayed these words during the groundbreaking liturgy this past Sunday afternoon. The first sentence still resonates in my heart: “O Lord God of Israel, the heavens cannot contain you, yet you are pleased to dwell in the midst of your people...”
A line of us stood behind a pile of dirt, wearing hard hats and holding shovels. A few feet in front of us stood representatives of our congregation, and behind them was the concrete foundation of our Mission Outpost. And where was God? Not in the heavens, waiting for the construction of the building, but right there with us, already in our midst.
A little later, Karen Groat took a stick and scribed into the dirt the words, “JESUS HOME.” I love this image. Right there on Hoadly Road – people driving by and living in neighborhoods on all sides – right there Jesus is making his home. And soon it will be filled with the presence of God when we, the people of Immanuel (“God with us”), walk through the doors.
Come celebrate with us this Sunday at Beville. Beginning at 10am, we will celebrate the reality of our life with God, as we do every week through liturgy and music, in the Word and the Eucharist. Immediately after the service, we will celebrate this next milestone on the road to our Mission Outpost, eating and singing together, and watching the video of the groundbreaking. Don’t miss this opportunity to share in our life together.
Your Pastor in Christ,
