Tending the Sanctuary of the Triune God – Br. David Vryhof
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Br. David Vryhof
Trinity Sunday
You may have learned the Bible’s story of creation, as I did, at a very young age. The story describes how God made everything – out of nothing! Each day of creation brought something new: darkness and light, earth and sky, dry land and seas, the sun and the moon, living creatures in the water and on the land, and finally, human beings, made in the image of God. Seven days: that was the period of time it took for God to make everything – out of nothing – one day at a time. On the seventh day, God rested.
At some point in your education, you likely discovered that there are scientific theories out there, such as Darwin’s theory that the world was created by an evolution of species over millions of years; from the simplest cells emerged the diversity of creatures and environments that we have today. And learning this may have given you pause, because that was not how your Sunday school teacher had explained it. The two stories seemed to contradict one another. Did it take seven days or millions of years? How did it really happen?
The original recipients of the biblical story would never have asked that question or considered this a quandary. “How” it happened simply wasn’t of any concern to them. The Israelites were not unlike their neighbors in this. Religions and cults in the ancient Near East typically had stories about the creation of the world; today, they’re called “origin stories.” The Bible describes the origin story of the Israelites. It is mythological, not scientific.
It might be helpful here to remind ourselves that Christianity is not opposed to science, but to scientism. Science is a method for studying the natural world. Scientism is the belief that natural science is the absolute best or only way to understand reality and to render truth. It asserts that the scientific method should be applied to all areas of investigation – not only to chemistry, biology, physics, and astronomy, but also to religion, philosophy, ethics, and the humanities. Scientism often dismisses non-scientific inquiries as subjective and therefore invalid. Christianity’s quarrel is with scientism, not with science itself. We maintain there is truth and meaning to be found in the Bible’s account of creation, while at the same time recognizing that it is not a scientific description.
The Israelites had their own “origin story,” as did most of their neighbors. These stories did not answer the question “how” (at least not in any literal sense) so much as much as they tried to answer the question of “why.”
Why did God create the heavens and the earth? What is the purpose of creation? And inasmuch as we are a part of the creation, “What is our purpose? For what have we been created?”
John H. Walton, professor emeritus of Hebrew scripture at Wheaton College, offers us an interesting contrast to consider. First, he directs our attention to the final chapters of the book of Exodus, which describe how God directs the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Other religions and cults of the ancient Near East similarly described the construction of their holy places. In the account of the Israelites, as recorded in the book of Exodus, it is clear that God is in charge. Each step of the construction is carried out “as the Lord commanded Moses.”
“The Israelites [did] all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Exodus 39:42), the author tells us, and “Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him” (Exodus 40:16).
When all the furnishings were in place, the priests moved in to take up their stations, ready to work and to keep the sacred space. This was the second-to-last step. The last step, on the final day, occurred when the deity took its place. In other cultures, an idol was placed in the temple on this final day. In Israel’s account, we read that “the cloud – [which was the sign of God’s presence in the wilderness] – covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).
Now Professor Walton returns us to the story of creation. Each day a new creation emerges, God’s spoken word bringing it into existence. Each created thing serves a particular purpose, filling the whole cosmos with splendor and honor. In the second-to-last act of creation, on the sixth day, human beings are created. They move in and take up their stations, ready to work and to keep the sacred space. The creation is complete, and on the last day God moves in. God rests in God’s good creation on the seventh day.
Professor Walton writes, “In the ancient world, temple dedications were often seven days in duration. During those seven days, the functions of the temple would be proclaimed, the furniture and functionaries installed, the priests would take up their role and at the end, the deity would enter and take up his rest. If the cosmos is being viewed as a temple, Genesis 1 can be understood as presenting the creation of the cosmos in terms of a temple dedication.”1
What does seeing the cosmos as God’s temple mean for us? What does it reveal about why God created the heavens and the earth? First, it suggests that God created the heavens and the earth and all that inhabits them as a dwelling place for God, a place completely dedicated to worship and to the glory of God.
Why, then, did God create humankind? Because the upkeep of this Temple requires priests, especially attuned to the presence and activity of God in this sacred space. Here is a way of understanding the end for which we were created and the purpose for which we were made: we are keepers of God’s sanctuary, servants and priests in God’s dwelling place.
We were created to know God, to love God, and to serve God. Think of it: Of all the creatures God has made, only human beings have the capacity to know God. The scriptures make it clear that God wants not only to know us, but to love us, and to have us return that love. We are invited by God into a covenant of love. The knowledge and love of God prompt us to serve God, by offering God our worship, and by serving our neighbors. To know God, to love God, and to serve God: that is the purpose for which we have been made. Everything God has made is given to us to help us realize this purpose.
We are created to be the keepers of God’s sanctuary, the heavens and the earth, and all that they contain. We are to care for the creatures that move on the land and swim in the sea, the birds of the air; for the rivers and oceans, the mountains and fields; and for human beings, created in God’s own image. We are servant priests appointed for the upkeep of God’s Temple, honoring the creation and revering the image of God reflected in every person.
How then shall we live? With wonder and awe, with reverence and respect. We are to know, love, and serve God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to use all that is given us to that end. We are to approach one another, especially those who are different from us, with curiosity and wonder, recognizing that each of us reflects the image of God and is precious in God’s sight. We are to fulfill our function as keepers of God’s creation, priests of God’s sanctuary, with respect and humility and a spirit of service, honoring the whole of God’s creation and helping it to fulfill the purpose for which God made it. Above all, we are to live in love: love for God, for one another, for ourselves, for every living and non-living thing, in order that God may be rightly praised and glorified. Embracing the purpose for which we have been created is not only the way to abundant life, but also our greatest joy.
1. The researcher noted the citation based on work by the Rev’d Meg Junista, a staff member of the Center for Excellence in Preaching, whose insights inspired much of the content for this sermon.
What a beautiful and uplifting homily. One that answered many questions about our world and the wonders of life. Thank you. Will save this.