YOU are not hidden

At noon, I put on my coat, grabbed my keys and headed over to the church as I do every day for prayers. It was very cold today and there is no heat scheduled to come on at that time of day except for the Wednesday Eucharist. That’s okay. It’s just me. I faced the altar, bowed and walked up the chancel steps to the chairs. I gathered the prayer list, prayer book, and the book of Lesser Feasts & Fasts. I found a seat and got settled. I took a few moments to catch my breath and I looked around at all the sheets and coverings over everything. There’s been a lot of dust produced because of the on-going construction and it became necessary to protect everything by covering them. Even the tabernacle is covered. I found myself thinking, “Are you in there, Lord?” As I prayed, I began to feel YOU close and with the prayers, I looked up at the reredos where your likeness stands. I began to address each prayer to YOU by looking up at YOUR likeness. This brought me some comfort during this time of prayer. But, YOU are not in the images around the church; not in any man made object or symbolic way. YOU are not hiding beneath the sheets on the altar. Still, I know YOUR closeness.

How fitting that today was the feast of St. Ambrose and the psalm for the day was one of my very favorites beginning at verse 5 and ending with verse 11: “One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” And, “You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face. Your face, Lord, will I seek.”

I will always seek your face, Lord. And I know that I will always find you in my seeking.