Recently, I was asked to preach about the concept of Sanctuary, a word that has dual meaning. Today, we tend to think of The Sanctuary as the room in the church in which we worship God. In times past, the word Sanctuary simply meant a place of safety, which prompts the question, Is our sanctuary a safe place? We know the world around us can be unsafe in terms of danger, disease, and disagreements. So, perhaps we can offset that by committing to make ourselves a Sanctuary for others, that is, a safe person. Before, during, and after worship, may the words to this chorus be both our anthem and our prayer: “Lord, prepare me to be a Sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living Sanctuary for you.” Amen.
The Rev. Cyndi Parr served as Interim Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Dalton, GA between 2013 and 2014.
