Being a member of a...
Illustration
Being a member of a traveling choir was a very educational experience. We would come to each church wondering what it would look like, smell like, sound like, and (most importantly) feed us like.
Several were the times when the peacocking pastor would plume his tail and strut us through his magnificent domain. "These pure lead windows ... these solid oak doors ... these plush carpetings ... this five-rank organ ... this baptistry ..." I think you get the picture. A tour of pride can be exciting at times. But sometimes the new shoes can bruise the heel and cause blisters.
Solomon's prayer is a request for the wearing of the old shoes and that comfort of faith and righteousness be upheld. His prayer is one which begs for a human edifice to be the means to an end, to the glory of God and not the glory of human effort and resultant pride.
Then again maybe we clergy should ask ourselves if we can pray this prayer with conscious sincerity and walk in the shoes of Solomon.
Several were the times when the peacocking pastor would plume his tail and strut us through his magnificent domain. "These pure lead windows ... these solid oak doors ... these plush carpetings ... this five-rank organ ... this baptistry ..." I think you get the picture. A tour of pride can be exciting at times. But sometimes the new shoes can bruise the heel and cause blisters.
Solomon's prayer is a request for the wearing of the old shoes and that comfort of faith and righteousness be upheld. His prayer is one which begs for a human edifice to be the means to an end, to the glory of God and not the glory of human effort and resultant pride.
Then again maybe we clergy should ask ourselves if we can pray this prayer with conscious sincerity and walk in the shoes of Solomon.
