Finding Sanctuary

 

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

Psalm 84:10

 

In Luke 2, we read about the prophetess Anna who “never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day” (v. 37). For her, as for the psalmist, the temple was a better place to hang out than anywhere else. I wonder if this was part of what Solomon envisioned with his grand temple complex: that those who came up to Jerusalem would never want to leave God’s house.

 

Have you ever spent an entire day at church or participated in an overnight vigil in God’s sanctuary? In ancient Israel, temple worship was constant. There were always priests around saying prayers, singing psalms, or making sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people. What else might you do, and see, in God’s house?

 

Some modern sanctuaries have become not just houses of worship but also focal points for justice in recent years. Dozens of U.S. churches, bearing banners that read “We Choose Welcome,” have become sanctuaries for migrant refugees. What might it be like to literally take refuge in God’s house today?

 

God, be with those who seek sanctuary today. Amen.

 

Shirin McArthur, Marana, Arizona

From “These Days, Daily Devotions for Living by Faith”

https://www.pcusastore.com/Pages/Default.aspx?ContentID=14604&Title=These-Days