Glory of God, I

As a young boy, I remember adults in my home congregation lecturing the children that we shouldn’t run, roughhouse or be loud in the church. It was the house of God and was to be respected. I distinctly remember being yanked by the ear down from the balcony where we tweenies had huddled to be away from the noisy potluck supper. I remember sitting through worship services that seemed to drag on and on. I also remember that no matter when I entered the church, a feeling that this somehow was a special place filled me. It does to this day. But I never saw a cloud fill the church, not even when the youth grilled the pancakes at the pancake supper.

But when Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant into the new temple, when the priests had offered the sacrifices and the Levitical singers began to sing praise to God, the glory of God in the form of a cloud filled the temple. It was a wonderful moment.

The glory of God still fills our churches, not in cloud form but through bread and wine, Word read and expounded, songs sung and prayers offered. And the glory of God fills each member of the church through the Holy Spirit breathed into us. Wonderful.

Glory of God, fill your church and the hearts of your people. Amen. — DAB