March 14, 2020: Day 42 – I Kings 6

We are back.  It has felt like over these past few weeks we have been drinking water out of a fire hydrant trying to keep up and figure out how do we do church together.  A quote that I heard this past week that I really liked said the following: “We are still the church, we’ve just left the building.”  I like that.  And speaking about the building…

We find ourselves here in I Kings with Solomon who is depicted as building the temple just as he had promised his father that he would.  Solomon builds the temple in 7 years.  We have the details that go beyond probably any of our interests, but keep in mind that the temple is considered the house of God.  Interestingly after we read that this house is finished, Solomon then finishes his own house which takes almost twice as long.  We find the statement that Solomon finished the house a number of times.  It was a big deal.

But just think that we are of such a different mindset from those in the Old Testament.  We do not believe that God lives in the church.  But the church location has become such a real focal point for our communion, for our common life together.  Now that that is taken from us we are appreciating how important a location to gather is for us.  But again, we are still the church, we’ve just left the building.