Sunday, November 11, 2012

UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE...

Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC
proper 27 meditation

Oh hear now how the proud claim, “I built that!” –
smug in abundance, demanding of praise,
no credit to the carpenter,
anonymous hands bought and bruised to raise
temples of conceit on the habitat
of the wild, the poor, the stranger.
“Unless the LORD builds the house,
their labor is in vain who build it.”
The tests and triumphs of mere mortal rule,
at best, may imitate a discerned
intent of our one Creator,
at worst, displace eternal gifts un-earned
with fleeting fragile robes consumed as fuel
to warm bare greed’s known successor.
“Unless the LORD builds the house,
their labor is in vain who build it.”
Oh Lord, oh builder of The worthy home,
let not our eyes be blinded by false pride
or the bribes of an oppressor
tempt a hungry soul to forsake the guide
of Love that feeds and shelters as we roam.
Praise to Thee, one true confessor.
(Marthe G. Walsh)


St James' Episcopal Church, Bear Creek SD

7 comments:

  1. Oh!!! That's wonderful! May I print this out and share it with the people of St. James'? -I will be with them next weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the piccie, Grandma.

    Am I right in thinking that's a frame for hanging a bell in the foreground? If so, is that the top of the bell we can see at the apex? I expected the bell to hang loose within the frame. I see you have LPG as your heating; being the US I expected oil. No burial ground - is there one nearby?
    Judging by the shadows we're looking along the South side of the building which makes the door we see in the East wall where I'd expect the altar to be - or have you accidently reversed the piccie? And what's that short pole for with the white cylinder on top that's between us and the frame?

    Sorry about this Grandma, but I used to a churchwarden and have a life-time membership (as yer do) of our church's fabric committee! Other people's churches are always interesting aren't they? And sometimes its more interesting than the theology!

    Regards, Charley Farns-Barns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charley, Entergy supplies our power,and I believe natural gas is the source.

      My friend margaret is priest-in-charge of Cheyenne River Mission and serves several churches there. Perhaps she'll drop in and answer your questions. I do know that the funeral party travels some distance from the church at times, so I expect not all the churches have a nearby cemetery.

      It's quite windy in the area, and the congregation may take the bell down when no one is there.

      Delete
  3. Grandmere, if you ever get to England again, ask MadPriest to take you to Ripon. Go on a summer evening to hear the town hornblower blow his horn at 9 in the evening, and look up at the Town Hall...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James, I've been to Leeds but not to Ripon. I'll keep your suggestion in mind if I return to England.

      Delete

Anonymous commenters, please sign a name, any name, to distinguish one anonymous commenter from another. Thank you.