Soon the shopping seasons will be upon us. As a pastor I used to thunder outrage at how commercialism had hijacked these holy days of Advent and Christmas. But then we’d schedule our downtown shopping trip and delight in the store decorations and festive holiday atmosphere. I even find my mood lifted by the holiday design of a paper Starbucks cup! And even though much can be accomplished with a few keystrokes online, many of us will still brave the crowds and traffic to be in places with people. Place are important to us.
The sanctuary is a place. We could do church online, sort of. But many of us still gather in sanctuaries. In a sanctuary Hannah prayed and learned that, in her advanced years, she’d have a child one of whose descendants would turn out to be Jesus. That Jesus would predict the fall of the sanctuary in Jerusalem when the people would lose their place. But Jesus also predicts a new kind of sanctuary, God’s reign on earth.
Join us on Sunday to learn more about “The Once and Future Sanctuary” in a real sanctuary, with pews, and an organ, and voices singing. After worship we’ll enjoy the afterglow of Saturday’s annual Bazaar over refreshsments. The Giving Tree will be up and you’ll be invited to grab a tag and purchase a gift for a family in need.