Genesis 28:10-19
John 1:43-51
Surely the LORD is in this place--and I did not know it! How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
The House of God
What do you think of when you hear the phrase, "House of God." In your mind, what does the house of God look like?
For me, me the quintessential house of God is the Gothic cathedral with its stone walls, vaulted ceilings, large stained glass windows and vertical sense of space. I don't know how it works for a worshiping community, but there is a sense of holiness that you experience before you even walk in the door.
The recent trend in mega church sanctuaries has been away from "churchy" architecture toward utilitarian "econoboxes" with large open spaces that can be used in a multitude of configurations. Useful, but not very inspiring.
I read the results of a recent survey conducted among young Christians. It seems that this new generation of Christians favors a return to a more reverent form of church architecture, so that the worship space itself becomes part of the experience of God. Good on them. I agree with them.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from large cathedrals and mega churches are the little country churches built with love by their parishioners. These little wood frame churches often convey a tremendous sense of reverence toward God despite their small size.
Our Old Testament reading today concerns a very different kind of house of God.
Jacob's Journey
It's a long way from Beersheba to Haran - about the distance from Savannah, Georgia to Richmond, Virginia.
Jacob had been on the road only a few days. The trip would take 10 times that long. He had been traveling the ridge road through the Judean hills, and he came to a place called Almond Tree - or Luz, in Hebrew.
When he got to Almond Tree, the sun was going down. He had been walking - fast - all day. He was in a hurry. He was hot. He was tired. He was thirsty. He was hungry. He was alone. His future didn't look very bright. He laid down in the dust and literally pulled up a rock as a pillow. And he laid down.
This is not how he pictured things turning out.
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