WATCHWORD:
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
Meditation:
Touching the Face of God
Have you been to the Sistine Chapel? It is a stunning experience. It was not what I expected. The room itself is long and narrow with a vaulted ceiling filled with frescos, high above the floor. The lighting is dim in order to protect the famous paintings. You are cautioned, as you enter, to maintain silence, and your time in the chapel is limited. The overall impression is reverent and breathtaking.
Without sounding like a Vatican guide, you are looking up 65 feet to approximately fifty-three individual frescos, each one depicting Old Testament characters or events. In the center of the ceiling is the iconic scene that most of us think of when Sistine Chapel is mentioned: God Creates Man. We see two muscular figures, with God, minimally clad, reclining, reaching His hand down, to naked Man reaching up. The two did not touch, though Man is trying.
Throughout Mosaic law, being in the presence of God, even hearing His voice, will bring death. Touching God? Impossible! The barrier between man and God, impenetrable. That is until the resurrection. The symbolism of the curtain being torn in the temple, announced the forgiveness and approachability of God.
Man seeking to reach out to God. In Greek mythology we have Icarus flying on waxen wings trying to reach the sun, seen as God. We see the efforts to touch God in literature and poetry, often prayerfully.
John Magee, poet and fighter pilot during the early years of World War II, captured his feeling of awe in flight with his poem High Flight.
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth,
Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of –
wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence.
Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along,
and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air…
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high un-trespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
You feel akin to this poet-pilot, set free of earth, yet in the embrace of God. This poem was written about 1940, just a year before he was killed in a mid-air collision over England.
The sense of God’s graces that touch us: Sunsets, love in the eyes of a child, a flower, gentle breeze, all cause us to know that God is near, earth and heaven draw closer, and there, within reach is God. To touch His face is to feel His presence around you, and His inspiration pulls you forward, knowing that He is there, with you, holding you in the very palm of His hand. And, somehow, you can imagine what John Magee was feeling while swept along in flight, in the embrace of the Almighty. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”
And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand
Another Prayer Song to Close:
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
There’s a holy hush around us as His glory fills this place
I’ve touch the hem of His garment
I can almost see His face
And my heart is overflowing with the fullness of His joy
I know without a doubt I’ve been with the Lord
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
Amen.
