April 28, 2014
“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Isaiah 6:6-3
“…Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty-the One who always was, who is, and who is to come.” Revelation 4:8
The phrase “Holy, Holy, Holy” is mentioned three times in the Bible; the triple mention of a name or an attribute was very common in Jewish culture. As the angels around the throne cry out these words, they are the truth of God’s Holy Divine nature…reminding us, that as we come into His presence…He is the HOLY Father…the HOLY Son, and the HOLY Spirit…and we must come with adoring…reverent hearts…as we are welcomed by our Loving Father into His presence, through the blood of the Lamb, His precious Son, Jesus, The Holy One…
It is really interesting to me the things that we can remember from childhood experiences, things from the past…and the things which we absolutely cannot recollect. It is funny how the memory works (or doesn’t as I am discovering as Bill and I turn sixty wonder-filled years young this year). I had relatively happy high school experiences, participating in many extra-curricular activates, spirit club, cheerleading, debate team, etc., but I cannot remember a daily schedule or routine…I have vague memories of classroom experiences…but almost no details—(and I worried about our son not wanting to think about school)
But, years before high school, I attended first grade at a Jewish school…Temple Beth El…in Hebrew, meaning the “House of God”. I understand that my parents wanted to start me in a private school because I missed the birthday deadline to attend public school as a first-grader. I was told that I was the only Gentile attending the school at the time; and I clearly remember the first day of school arriving to climb into some risers to sing some songs which were very new to me…so different from the Sunday morning music we sang in my Episcopal Sunday School class. Strange as it was to me, the music was reverent, sincere, melodious…
As time passed and I carpooled with the sweet Jewish children; I remember the day that I was invited over to play with David…it just happened to be the same day that I think I bit, (Yes, bit) him on the back at recess…and it was the same day that he and I, together, pulled Eon’s boot off and threw it over the fence…and I was distraught, not because of our deviant behavior, but because we had to sit out from recess for a week…I guess I was fortunate that they did not expel me!
David’s mom called after school that day to invite me to come over to play. I remember standing in the kitchen listening to my mother as she spoke with his mom…waiting and waiting for the news to be reported …that I had planted some kind of wound…an injury…a bite on the back of her precious Jewish son…But nothing was mentioned…and my mother accepted the invitation and drove me over to play! I remember vividly thinking that it was a set-up to let him get even with me…I nervously went into his home…waiting for the ambush…but it never happened and, my perpetration was never mentioned by anyone, not even David. Instead, I was graciously welcomed into their home and we played inside and outside and had delicious snacks…
I remember one of the mothers driving a Volkswagen beetle with a sun-roof. I loved it when she drove because on the way home from school, my three Jewish classmates and I would take turns standing up in the seat to stick our heads out of the sun-roof, shouting or singing our choice of message! I always sang “Jesus Loves Me” at the top of my lungs…I do not think that I ever understood why they did not sing that song too. In fact, the moms would joke about “Deborah and her song!” But they were loving and friendly and “forgiving”…maybe my nice Jewish name helped with their acceptance!(my parents had agreed to name me Sharon, but when the nurse brought me out to my father, she announced that my name was Deborah….that was news to him!—or so the story goes!)
That first year of my formal education also introduced me to some historical information that would have a major impact on me for the rest of my life…I clearly remember a morning that my mother was driving car-pool and one of the moms came out to car to speak with my mother. She had a long-sleeve robe on and her sleeve slipped up as she leaned on our car…As she leaned and stretched out her arm, I saw a series of numbers tattooed on her wrist…
First of all, I had never seen a tattoo…on anyone…And I had never seen anything like that on a woman…a mother…So many numbers…on her wrist…I immediately turned to ask my mother, but she gave me the “Look” which I am sure that all of you are familiar with and I postponed what I thought would be a simple question…and later that evening, I received more information from my parents concerning this beautiful Jewish woman…I learned about a dark time of history when a small group of people were filled with hate and contempt for these Jewish people and they influenced and persuaded others to participate in the wickedness of the holocaust atrocities…I did not, could not, forget the content and the horror of the lesson I learned on that evening.
And, what I learned from these beautiful people in the year of school, and with the many Jewish friends I had later in my teen years was that they served a Mighty God…He was Powerful… He was Almighty… He was Creator…He was Faithful…He was the Holy God!
He is HOLY…
And I clearly remember many Sundays at the church where I attended services with my parents, until my father became disgruntled with the new liturgical doctrine of the Episcopal Church, and he quit going. My mother faithfully took me until it became too difficult for her because of her health…and then, they would transport me to and from the church on Sunday mornings. Families invited me to sit with them, but, I preferred to sit alone…to look at the splendor of our little church…The Church of the Holy Spirit…There was s peaceful and reverent atmosphere, as people quietly moved into the sanctuary. I was fascinated to watch as the processional slowly moved down the center aisle…led by the crucifer, carrying the cross, followed by the choir and the acolytes. It was always fascinating to me…I remember being taught to bow at the presence and the passing of the cross…at the mention of Christ…at the mention of the Trinity…and I recall the genuflection, which was a gesture of reverence and respect, touching a knee briefly to the floor, while holding the body in an upright position…I was taught to do this as I entered into the row of seating, and as I left the pew, always facing the altar…always facing the cross… And I also was required by my father, to wear the lace prayer cap that I received when I was confirmed at the age of twelve…So many things to remember…
And I clearly remember sitting and listening…listening…to the readings from the Book of Common Prayer:
“Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men…”
“Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended thy holy laws…”
I clearly heard and remembered that I was an unworthy servant…and that I erred and strayed and I was just like a lost sheep…and I certainly followed way to much the plans and desires of my heart…and wow, I offended some of God’s laws on a regular basis…gossiping, disobeying parents, being disrespectful…
But… from this beautiful and magnificent ceremony of the Episcopal Church and from the solemn Jewish schooling, I developed a sense of awe, and of amazement at the Great God Almighty…There was no doubt that He was Majestic, He was Astounding, He was Beautiful, He was Master, He was Powerful, He was Righteous, He was Victorious, He was Amazing, He was Zealous, He was Perfect, He was HOLY…But I thought…believed that He was unapproachable…
And I felt all of these attributes of the Holy God as the beautiful cross passed my row in my church and I felt compelled to bow my head, to lower my eyes…knowing and believing that I was unworthy to even look upon the beautiful gold cross….
I remember one of my absolute favorite hymns was “Holy Holy Holy” written by Reginald Heber in 1826 for Trinity Sunday, which celebrates the Trinity, the three in One, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.
This beautiful hymn filled the church with a rich and penetrating affirmation of the Holiness and the Majesty of our Father…and I vividly remember feeling compelled to bow my head and to feel my unworthiness as we sang the lyrics…Holy…Holy…Holy…
Oh, how I loved to sing that song…to recognize that there was something, someone so much bigger, more powerful, more worthy, more amazing than anyone I knew…
But, how I felt the unworthiness. And, I failed to hear the prayers and the words of forgiveness…I failed to hear about the love of God…I failed to understand…I failed to let go of myself and my efforts…I failed to listen with my heart and my soul…
“Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live…wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit…that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen…
I heard the words of man…but failed to read and to hear the Word of God…the Absolute Truth, the Truth about God’s extravagant Love!
I had absolutely NO idea how to get to that place…that place of forgiveness…that place of receiving the mercy to which my favorite hymn referred…And I devised my own methods to get there…I would try to be good…I would try to be better…I would make promises, only to break them…I even devised my own sense of penalties for my transgressions…especially after hearing so much of God’s Old Testament Law…It seemed to me that that was how The Great God Almighty operated…
After all…He was HOLY…there was no denying it….And I fell tremendously short of being able to stand and to look at the cross…to stand and to sing HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…
I stood on the outside court of the place of worship…the place where I wanted to go, but the place which I had no part of…no understanding of the promise of God…no comprehension of what God purposed, planned, and accomplished through the life, and the blood of His Son.
And, I know beyond doubt that thousands stand in this very place in their lives today…tens of thousands look upon…look into the place of worship where they yearn to go…where something deep in their hearts and their souls passionately seeks the inner court…the holy place…the place where God and man can meet…and where they can dwell together…and like me, they have absolutely no idea how to get to that place…they have no idea that this great God almighty is the God of sacrificial, perfect Love…they have no about Jesus Christ!
Lift Up Your Face…
And then it happened…Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God…who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven…because all sin and fall short of His glory… (Romans 3:23)
And our Lord lived and loved to bring us into repentance, because the wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23) and into relationship with His Father, through His blood…through His righteousness (Romans 5:6-8)…and He died and was buried…and He arose from the grave…to give the testimony of His hands, His feet, His side…to give testimony that He Lives…and He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father…and He sent the gift…the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to reside with and in the hearts of His people…
His Love and His death split the veil in the temple to allow me…to allow mankind to enter into the inner court, into the HOLY place where we can meet with God, where we, Jew and Gentile, can dwell with Him…because of the advocate we have with His only Son, Jesus…that whoever calls on the Mighty Name of Jesus will be saved! (Romans 10:9-13)
Alleluia!
He is HOLY…
And one day, one evening… the Love of Easter came into my heart…into the deep place which yearned for Love and for the presence of the Almighty God…The Love came into my heart and into my life in God’s perfect time…He took each moment and experience of my life and used them to bring me to the meeting place with Him…
And He waits for others to experience the Love of Easter, HOPE…the Love which changes everything…And they can meet the Jesus of Nazareth…the Jesus who came to save the lost…to save those who seek to worship in spirit and in truth…(John 4:24)… those who seek the Truth…those who seek to repent and in great sorrow, confess their transgressions which cannot be rectified by any other Name…other than by Jesus…He came for the Jewish children at my little school…and He came for the Gentiles at my Episcopal Church…He came for your loved ones…He came for your friends…for my friends…for the people in my city…in our state…in the world…all the tribes and the nations…He came so that no one would perish, but so that all would have eternal life…because He so Loved… (John 3:16)
He is HOLY…
Many years later…I can still remember, and I will not forget the sense of yearning to be with the Great God Almighty…to call upon the Name of a Shepherd…and I remember when Easter, when HOPE, came into my life…into my heart…and everything changed!
Today, we sing that great and wonderful hymn HOLY, HOLY, HOLY in my non-denominational church….But today, my worship has changed…I still remember the unworthiness of who I am without the Love of my Savior…without the Blood of my Redeemer…but today, I know that Jesus sits at the right hand of God, the Father, as an advocate for you and for me…and I sing…all the people sing…
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy, merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Lift up Your Face…
And today, I still know my unworthiness…but because of the Mighty Name of Jesus…I can lift up my head …I can lift up my eyes…I can lift up my heart as a living sacrifice to my King…to My Lord! And, I can lift up my hands to give the Holy God all of my praise…all of my worship…and I can lift up my face to smile as tears flow from my eyes and from my heart with gratitude…with the appreciation from that deep place in my heart, in my soul…And I sing with a joy that is inexplicable…With joy that transcends time…And yes, all His people can sing, All of you, my friends in Christ, can worship, All of you can sing…All of you are joy-filled…
And our wonderful worship team leads us…
“From the dawn of time the people sing…”
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…
My prayer is that the eyes of hearts everywhere will be open, will be enlightened so that they would know the hope to which they have been called…in Christ Jesus … (from Ephesians 1:18) For the Jews…for the Gentiles…for the friends…for the family…for the fathers…for the mothers…for the sisters…for the brothers…for the sons…for the daughters…for the husbands…for the wives…for the lost who are seeking…seeking…seeking…
“…That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11
Please view this video; be still… experience… Michael W. Smith’s beautiful worship celebrating with another incredible song affirming and proclaiming the Holiness of our Great and Mighty God…I join you in the ten minutes of celebrating the King of Kings…the Lord of Lords…who loves us enough to die, and then to overcome the power of death, so that we can lift up our faces to Him…so that we can lift up our hearts to Him…so that we can lift up our praise to Him…as He calls us His own,
Jew and Gentile…we are His…He is the Holy One!
Alleluia!
Abundant joy and love,
