Rocks - smoothed by the ages

Today was the last official day of our tour.  I have two more days here to process, rest, pray (and shop) - my dad and I leave late Friday night.  Today we started early, going to the Church of the Resurrection by foot at 6:30 in the morning.  As we entered this building with a very nondescript facade, we were greeted by singing and chanting in another language coming from around the corner.  It was a Catholic mass taking place at the entrance to the tomb of Jesus, behind it the Coptic priests were chanting in a small service of their own surrounding a small "shrine" where they believe the head of Jesus was at when in the tomb.  (hard to briefly explain the spacial reality)  Throughout this church which is shared by 6 difference branched of the church (Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian), there are many different worship areas, venerating many different things, there are stones - lots of stones.

There is the stone which some say was at the base of the cross, the stone upon which Jesus' body was prepared for burial, the stone of the tomb (the tomb itself was chiseled away by some invader along the way) are the main ones.  Then the entire structure, with all its additions and rooms, is made from stone.  There are stones carved into arches, and stone walls with small crosses carved in by passing pilgrims.  What stuck me is how smooth the stones are.  They have been polished by the touch of a million hands, made to shine by the passing of a countless stream of shuffling feet, people seeking to connect with the story of the Bible, with Jesus, with God.



Just looking down at the floor is a reminder of how many people have passed this way....

polished...

We ended the day in the middle of nowhere.  Of course there is no middle of nowhere here, everything is close, every place has a not just a history, but multiple histories, but we were in a agricultural valley between Jerusalem and the coast.  The land which was the boundary between the Israelites and the Philistines as Israel became a nation once it crossed the Jordan.  It is this valley where the youngest brother David fought Goliath (I picked up 5 smooth stones from the creek bed), and the area where the Israelites - in a desperate move - bring the Ark of the Covenant into battle.  God didn't go for using it as a good luck charm - it was captured, and the priests son's were killed.  But that wasn't the main reason we came to this area, it was to see some rough stones. (read it in 1 Samuel 4-6)

A few years ago something amazing was found here, on a hill, near a village that has passed into antiquity.  Tombs - tombs carved into the the gently sloping hills.  Tombs with ledges carved into them to place a body upon while it decomposed into bones.  Bones which would later be placed into an ossuary and kept in the cave.  Yes, people back then really did sleep with their fathers...  These tombs were only discovered three years ago.  There are no signs, no trails, some have been cleared out, others are still undug, most have some trash in them as they have been used by local shepherd boys - but they have been dated to be within 150 years (+/-) of the life of Jesus - and they are rough.  They haven't been smoothed and polished, I got cobwebs in my hair as I crawled into one, they are the closest thing to the tomb where Jesus was laid, they even have a lip for a large stone to fit under to seal the door.  Neither in the Church of the Resurrection nor here in the wilderness did I see the actual tomb which could not keep Jesus contained - but Jesus came to be among the rough stones more than the smooth.

Where am I going with this?  Some other rough stones today were down in a basement chapel in the first church.  It was the chapel for the prisoners - a dark, rough, unadorned chapel - reminding people of Jesus's complete journey to the tomb.  This journey included being held with criminals awaiting execution.  And he was a target as a prisoner, beaten and abused, surrounded by rough stone.  But this is why he came.  Jesus challenged those who walked daily on the smooth, polished Temple stones.  He gave hope to those who were prisoners pressed against rough walls, lifted up those thrown down on rough gravel, and proved power over death which is wrapped in a roughly hewed cave in a hill.

This is getting long, but I have a bit more, using what our guide Marlin Vis pulled together for us today.  When the Ark was captured (when God was held captive) do you know who rescued God?  Read 1 Samuel 5 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/1-samuel/5.html for the account of God's work.  And when Jesus (God with flesh on) was forsaken, killed and placed captive in the ground - who rescued him?  It is the power of God!  Jesus is scary because Jesus is powerful.  We want Jesus to be smooth and polished, but rather he is powerful and unpredictable.  "Jesus is Good, but He is not Safe."

If what we do becomes so routine that the path is polished smooth, we need to make sure the vibrant Spirit of God is still moving and guiding us.  If we never get scraped, or hurt, we need to ask ourselves if we are surrounded by the people who Jesus came to save.  Jesus bumped up against the rough stones, do we?

But I still really like smooth stones, today I laid my forehead on the place venerated as the foot of the cross.  (most pilgrims who come to that point kiss it - I couldn't go that far) - and here felt the power of God (even though there is no likely hood that the cross was actually at this spot).  The smooth stones of familiar worship are powerful, but they need to keep us connected to the solid, rough, tough, eternal, awesome, beautiful Rock.

Tomorrow is time to think, write, pray about what God wants me to share of all this on Sunday....

It is indeed a Good Night - I hope you have one too.