A Great Cathedral

I am learning a lot of new things in retirement.  As one who had never been any closer to a cow than the meat market, I spend a good bit of time tending the moma cows out in the pasture.  And, as one who has had trouble figuring out which end of the screw driver to use, I have learned that there are many tools for fixing things I never knew needed fixing.  Prior to getting to the farm, I had never driven a tractor and now feel like someone has died when it has some kind of mechanical problem that keeps it and me from working.   

To think about all the new things which have come into my life in these last twelve years would make for a long list.  Surprisingly enough, one of the most important new things which has become a part of my life has to do with the way I have come to understand the presence of God in my life.  For a life time He and the church was inseparable.  And while the church still remains an important part of my life, it is not the only means by which the presence of the Holy One is experienced and neither is it the only means of hearing His voice.   

Much to my surprise I have come more to the place of Brother Lawrence who came to know God's presence in the kitchen midst the pots and soapy water.  Or, to put it another way, He came to know God's presence in the ordinary things experienced in daily living.  Such is how it has been in these years of being on the farm instead of being in the church.  The church is indeed a holy sanctuary, but the creation is a great cathedral that points to the beginning, the end, and on into eternity.