How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Psalm 84:1-2
Begin this morning’s reflection by reading Psalm 84:1-2, out loud slowly three times. How does that make you feel? Are you reading it with passion because it is a true statement for your life? Are you reading it quickly, and once only, because it is far from true? Do you read it with longing and hope, that one day it will ring true?
Don’t despair if these verses don’t ring true for you!
The Bible in countless examples sets the ideal for us. God knows that we aren’t perfect. God knows that we cannot attain perfection in this life. However, He sets the bar at perfection because that is the aim. Anything less than perfection is mediocre and incomplete, and that is not what God wants for us.
Imagine if these verses read, How mediocre is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul is meh, yea is lukewarm for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing occasionally to the living God.
Ideally, worship of God brings us great joy. Does it bring us great joy each time we do it? For most of us, probably not. But there is something special that happens when we are in worship, whether we are into it or not. There is a beautiful quote by Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, regarding worship:
We have to go to Liturgy, even if we stand there like stumps. Some will say: “I’m not how I should be. I don’t understand any of it. My mind can’t concentrate there.” But go, no matter what. One elder said: “When you stop into a perfume store, your clothes smell fragrant after you leave, even if you didn’t buy anything.” This is what happens, he says, when you go to Liturgy. Maybe you won’t be able to do anything spiritual, but even the fact that you went, that you stood there like a stump—that’s already something. So tell yourself: “I’ll go as I am—an unhewn log. After all, God knows how to hone down the unhewn log.” And if you don’t go because you say, “I can’t, I can’t concentrate,” then everything will get worse and worse, and you’ll never get better.
I’m reminded of the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” where the church was a “sanctuary” for criminals and undesirables. No one could forcibly remove someone from a church. It was indeed a “sanctuary,” a safe place from any trouble one might be in. Obviously, the church is a sanctuary in the sense that it is a holy place. But it is also a “sanctuary”, a place of refuge from our troubles.
There is something special about the church building. I’m not talking about the decorations and the icons. I’m talking about the peace and serenity that is in the church. When I look up at the walls of the church, not only do I see the likenesses of the saints and the angels, but a quiet strength, like an impenetrable fort in the midst of a great battle. I see a lighthouse on a stormy night. And this is just the building. Which is why I love to be in church, even when there is no service going on, or when there is a service with few people, or when Orthros starts and only a handful of people are present. Because I feel safe and secure just being in church.
Worship adds another dimension. When there are people present, whether they are singing out loud or just quietly there, there is validation, there is encouragement, that there is a group of people who are on the same journey. We may not all be in the same place as far as our faith, our knowledge or our commitment. But we are all on the same journey. And no one needs to feel alone or isolated.
One of history’s greatest ironies is playing out before us on a daily basis. In a period of time where we are more connected to the rest of world by technology, we are becoming more socially, emotionally and spiritually isolated than ever. Worship helps lessen feelings of isolation because in the prayers of the service, the priest is praying for all those who have gathered. And since that number is always greater than one, a person isn’t truly isolated spiritually when worship is taking place. In worship, we stand in the presence of other people, as well as in the presence of the saints and especially in the presence of the Lord.
While our church is packed to overflowing on most Sundays, not every service is packed with people. Under normal circumstances, weekday worship is rarely in front of a full church. Not every service is memorable. Many are even mundane. But church is our sanctuary, it is a safe place no matter how we feel and no matter what is going on in the world. And there is a level of joy in worship, each time we gather to worship. Because there is a level of peace every time we are in the presence of Christ in His holy sanctuary, our sanctuary. In reiterating the words of Psalm 46:10, Be still and know that I am God, worship allows us to be still, it quiets the mind from the constant movement. Our minds are being altered by the frequent grabs of the phone, and even if all that happens is a disruption in this unhealthy mental pathway because we have taken a break from the stimulation of the phone, we have accomplished something in worship.
Visit the sanctuary of your parish as often as possible!
How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Thy altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and My God. Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, ever singing Thy praise! Blessed are the men whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are the highways of Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rai also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield O God; look upon the face of Thine anointed! For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; He bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee! Psalm 84
Reflection question: What is my soul longing for beneath the surface of my daily routine?
