Isaiah 6:1-8
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
When I was a child, the phrase “The Lord is in His Holy Temple” was sung as an opening anthem or part of the liturgy for worship. It is a phrase that takes on special significance particularly when we seem to feel vulnerable or depressed or know that we have really blown it. Entering the doorway of the church, God’s holy temple, we discover something very powerful wrapped up in those words.
In this instance, Isaiah feels himself to be in the very presence of God— in a holy place where he experiences “the Holy One.” When you reread the account (Isaiah 6:1-8) you can imagine how Isaiah felt. There, in the very presence of God, the Lord of Hosts, he feels unclean. Yet, in this very same Holy Place, Isaiah receives forgiveness and is made clean! As a result, Isaiah responds by volunteering to do what God needs him to do! It is a life-changing moment!
The same is true for us. Sometimes we come before God with a whole backpack full of “stuff” that seems to make us walk off kilter. Sometimes we look around and see things going bad and our response is, “Why doesn’t someone do something about it?” It is at that point that God calls us into His presence.
It is in this Holy Temple of God, that we bring our guilt, our weariness, our depression, and something wonderful happens. The God who heals and brings wholeness pours his forgiveness, love, and newness into our lives. When this happens, we see we are called to serve and bring that same healing power to others. As cleansed and chosen people of God, we can answer our own question. God empowers us to “do something” and we become God’s voice and hands in our world.
What an awesome God we have! “The Lord IS in His holy temple” to meet us there just as we are!
Prayer: O Holy God, we come into your presence today. We too feel unclean, unworthy of such an experience. Cleanse us, heal us, that we might hear your voice calling us into your service. Amen.
(Picture: Holy Cross Lutheran, Albuquerque, NM – 2007)