Pentecost 13 (1 Kings 8:1-30)  08/26/2012

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A few weeks ago while on vacation with my family I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a cruise to Alaska! The cruise was a trip to one of the last frontiers in the United States. Although tourists descend upon Alaska every year, much of the landscape has retained its rugged natural beauty: glaciers stretching toward the ocean; mountain peaks reaching toward the heavens; and clouds, fog and rain seemingly ever-present, covering the entire region in a soft white blanket. Once I had finally accepted the idea that “water” (in its various forms) was simply part of the trip, the clouds and fog seemed to enhance the beauty of the landscape rather than detract from it. Throughout the week, the fog never fully obstructed our view; but instead seemed to rest like a delicate white stole, draped over the majestic mountains, shrouding the sacred beauty of the area. As we stood on the deck of the ship and looked out and up, the landscape appeared mysteriously beautiful and incredibly large, so large, in fact, that keeping objects in perspective was often difficult. The 250 foot wall of the glacier face appeared to be half that high and mountains that appeared close enough to touch were in fact miles away (which meant a lot more rowing during the river boat excursion than first expected!). The might and majesty of nature seemed beyond containment and the vast beauty of the region had no end.

This morning in our first reading we hear King Solomon give praise to God and speak to the people of Israel on the occasion of the completion of the holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple had been constructed to the exact dimensions that God’s revelation had prescribed and the magnificent Temple was an amazing accomplishment, but Solomon feared that the Temple was not nearly adequate to serve as the house of God. The majesty and might of God seemed beyond containment and the vast power of God was never ending. Solomon declared before the people, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27) In the chapters preceding our lesson this morning, the author of the First Book of Kings described the details of the magnificent Temple: nearly 100 ft. long, 50 ft wide, and 50 ft tall; constructed by the most gifted craftsmen and artisans available; finished in the finest woods and finally covered in gold! But regardless of the Temple’s size and amazing beauty, Solomon feared that God was beyond all that could be offered by human hands. We are told that “a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.” (1 Kings 8:11) Just like the clouds that wrapped themselves around the majestic mountains in Alaska, the cloud filled the Temple and the people stood in awe. In their amazement, the children of God withdrew from the Temple and felt the powerful transcendence of God.

The transcendence of God, explained to us through images of distant heavens or unreachable mountains topped with thunder and lightning, often fill our hearts with wonder and perhaps cause us to take a few steps backward. But the transcendence of God is only part of our understanding of God’s presence; only part of our relationship with God. As King Solomon prays to God in the presence of the people of Israel, he repeats God’s promise to his father, King David, as he declared, “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” (1 Kings 8:25) To walk with someone is an “up close and personal” undertaking, an action that displays intimacy and relationship. To walk with God reveals that in addition to God’s transcendence there is an intimate imminence that is also an essential part of our relationship with God. Intimate moments with God can and should be shared in many forms and fashions, but God declared to King David through his promise and to us through Scripture, that our relationship with God is profoundly formed through moments of sacred intimacy. If we are to accept God’s invitation to walk with Him, we will find our acceptance compelling us into action.

After spending a few hours viewing the majestic Alaskan mountains from our ship we finally pulled in to Juneau and were able to take a closer look. We made our way to the center of town and boarded a Tram ride that brought us nearly 2000 ft above sea level, only half the height of this particular mountain. Trail guides were available to explain the mountain’s plants and all the wild creatures that called the mountain home. We walked around a bit and tried our best to avoid patches of mud and slippery rocks, and we finished our walk with a much better understanding of the mountain’s life and history…a truly interesting morning. We descended the mountain and spent the afternoon rowing down a river that started in front of a glacier and stretched all the way to the ocean. Our long day was filled with moments that revealed the character and beauty of the rugged Alaskan wilderness. As we slowly made our way back to the ship after a tiring day of exploration, my son captured a beautiful picture of the sun setting over a distant mountain. Both mountain and sun were of course partially obscured by fog, providing some dramatic effect to an already majestic scene. The mountains were just as mighty and majestic as they had been the day before, but after a full day of exploring the wonders of the area there was something quite different in this picture. I had walked on these mountains; I had rowed down their rivers, and silently seen the eagles keep watch in the trees high above. My intimate exploration had changed my understanding of these transcendent mountains. God invites us in to a relationship of prayer and holy living because through these intimate and sacred moments of exploration we will be transformed; transformed as children of God and transformed as Christians. Know that God is among us and invites us to walk with him in sacred ways. AMEN.