Sacred Spaces
With so many sites and churches, one would think the holiest spots would have been during our morning touring--the spot where Jesus met the disciples, the church built over Mary's house, the path of Paul. But the most sacred spaces on the trip for me were those times of worship and reflection away from the crowds and the designated locations.
Above is our morning worship space next to the Sea of Galilee--worship in the round, with the lower left view through the trees out onto the lake. One afternoon, I spent some time there reflecting on the day and the movement of God in our lives when a small breeze ran through the tree tops. The leaves of the tree I was sitting below were wide to the point of being almost round, thick, and almost perfectly flat. As the breeze moved through them, made a clapping sound that made me think the trees of the field clapping their hands. That had always sounded like a strange verse--and praise song--to me, but I suddenly knew in a new way what that meant. I scanned every Psalm trying to find the verse--turns out it's Isaiah--but I'm thankful for the time and the reminder of the Ruach that God is indeed always with us.
Isaiah 55:1-12 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
