Tim Reardon contrasts a monument to the Egyptian pharoah Ramses II, or Ozymandias in a poem by the English poet Percy Shelley — to the temple that God would build from the time of David through to the time of Christ. The poem, Ozymandias, is a comment on a monument to fallen power — a call to fear. And so we begin in 2 Samuel 7 with God telling David that he will not be the one to build a temple — that honor, and primarily the relationship involved, would be for his son Solomon.

Fast forward to Ephesians 2:11-22, to Paul’s description of the temple of God’s people built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and the cornerstone of Christ Jesus. This temple is dedicated to Jesus, and inhabited by the Spirit. And the power of God in this temple manifests in mercy, in Spirit, and in life. This is the temple that God chooses, and it is holy. This holiness is based in the love of God, and a call to be something for the world — also loved by God. And we live out God’s call within a community of the Spirit. This is the work of God.

This past year has been especially difficult — for us as individuals and as community. What are the hidden things that we carry that make community challenging?

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