63, we read about the quenching water that can satisfy us:
(1) O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
When we are thirsty within, we know Him who brings satisfaction. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit, who brings the living water to us. His presence can cleanse us within and flow through our hearts and minds, overflowing to those around us. When our souls are barren and struggling, He is the One who brings times of refreshing. When we are tired, He brings renewal; when we are weak, He is strong - we can partake of the incredible living water, that will totally satisfy our souls.
+++++
In a moment of worship while underwater - inside of a great fish - Jonah shows us how we can respond when we are overwhelmed by life or tried by negative circumstances of our making. Check out these verse from chapter 2 of the book of Jonah:
2 And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.'
He aligned his heart with the heart of God, and we read in verse 9:
9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord."
When one scouts out a location for a new church, I would think it to be unlikely that underwater would be a consideration. But, that's the announced site for a new Orthodox church slated to be built off the coast of Crimea.
And, according to a Christian Today article, it has the blessing of Archimandrite Tikhon, who is a described as a "keen diver," as well as the the 'Mother of the Beavers' diving club in Sevastopol and the Night Wolves motorcycle gang, known for their right-wing nationalism.
The church will be a few hundreds of feet off shore, near Sevastopol, at a depth of over 65 feet.
Already, there has been a cross around 10 feet tall that has been erected - the first part of the construction. The article says that the Archimandrite told RIA Novosti that the building would look like a normal church. He said, "Inside there will be images, icons – everything that you would find in a church." Also, before the summer diving season ends, divers also plan to install a table and massive concrete candle holders.
No word on how they plan to keep the candles lit.
Tikhon also wants the site to feature relics from the Crimean War, which was fought in the mid-19th Century, which saw Sevastopol besieged by British and French forces in a campaign that included historic battles such as the Charge of the Light Brigade. There would also be relics of the battles of 1941-42 against German forces. Tikhon hopes it will become a tourist attraction.
Tikhon also wants the site to feature relics from the Crimean War, which was fought in the mid-19th Century, which saw Sevastopol besieged by British and French forces in a campaign that included historic battles such as the Charge of the Light Brigade. There would also be relics of the battles of 1941-42 against German forces. Tikhon hopes it will become a tourist attraction.
It will be named after the patron saint of sailors - St. Nicholas.
Several thoughts about this new construction. First of all, this is a certainly a unique location and design for a church. So the diving club and the motorcycle gang want to team up with the church leader for worship. That's cool, and a reminder for each of us as Christians that when you have a group or groups of people that you want to reach, that could come together with a common purpose or background, then there's an opportunity for ministry. It's exciting to hear stories of God showing up in the midst of unique, non-traditional places, and we can be open to that.
I also thought of the significance of water throughout the Bible. The sacrament of water baptism is a vivid picture of the cleansing from sin and the new life we can experience through Christ. When we thirst spiritually, we can be satisfied by God's living water.
Water can also represent trial, even judgment. Noah and his family came through the water - their obedience produced salvation, while water was used as a tool of judgment for the world who rejected God. And of course, there was the story of Jonah...
You might say there was a bit of an underwater church or at least a worship site involving the Jewish prophet named Jonah, who experienced a transformation in his life in the belly of a great fish. Out of the depths, he called on the Lord and the Lord was faithful to deliver and establish him - an unwilling prophet, who righted his course and went to preach to a people who needed to hear the message of the Lord. In our deepest moments, when we are feeling overwhelmed by the waves of life, we can come before Him and experience His strength.
No comments:
Post a Comment