In the spring of 2015, Lorraine and I and 12 other travelers set out on a cathedral tour in Europe. We viewed many of those magnificent houses of prayer vaulting heavenward, testifying to the creating and redeeming work of God.
While these cathedrals continue to support the ministry of Jesus Christ, they also function as museums, housing treasures of the past. Millions of tourists, including our little group of Canadian Lutherans, flock to marvel at them.
Our tour included another treasure-house, the Louvre. Now, that’s not a house of prayer. Rather, it started out as a palace for the French kings. When the population finally wearied of the royalty’s excesses, this sumptuous palace became one of the most-visited museums on earth, housing many treasures.
After our brief visit, we gathered on the lawn of the Louvre for a simple lunch that concluded with Word and Holy Communion. There, on the grounds of the Louvre, that celebrated treasury of artifacts, we ministered and received Jesus Christ, truest treasure for the past, the present and ages to come.
O God, thank you above all for the priceless treasure that you give for our sake, Jesus Christ. Because of your redeeming love in him, we boldly ask a costly thing: treasure us. Amen. — CR