Friday - the House of the Lord

Prayer:  For the Church universal O Lord,  and for those who enter it with faith and reverence, grant us Your love.  For those who preach about the Love of Your Son,  grant them knowledge and servanthood.  For those who teach about the Love of Your Son,  grant to them wisdom and sevanthood.  For those who reach out to those who are poor and downtrodden,  grant them peace and joy in believing.  This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It was the Roman Emperor,  Constantine,  that decided Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire.   So it was in 313 AD that Church buildings began to be built.  Glorious Church buildings so that the worshipper could worship God in all His Glory.  The idea for building stunning Churches (inside and out) was for the people in the community to want to go to Church and to make the worshippers feel that they were worshipping in the House of God – in the new Heaven.

Read  Psalm 122

The House of the Lord.    The Church we attend is the very House of the Lord.  Today we focus more of our energies on keeping the House of the Lord repaired than spending time in worship.  This is sad.   We need to be reminded yet again what our Church building is all about.

The Portico or Narthex  is the place where we enter our Church.   Traditionally the Portico or Narthex faced the west so that those leaving the Church would see the setting of the sun and stand in awe of God’s  marvelous glory.   Today we enter the Narthex and this is where we find our Church bulletins,  hang up our coats,  are greeted by greeters,  pick up any Church mail,  put any mission opportunity bags in bins, talk to our friends,   or  pick up our hymn books.  But the Narthex  is more than just  a place for Church administration and business,  the Narthex is the place in the Church were we greet God.  Each time we enter a Church,  we should say a prayer of thanksgiving that we can worship this day and delight in being in God’s presence.   Or memorize Psalm 121 or Psalm 122 and silently pray this prayer as you enter the Narthex.

Prayer:  Prepare our hearts this day O Lord to that when the Sabbath comes we may go up to the House of the Lord with great joy.  Amen.