What Lies Beneath?

Got my shovel. Got a wheelbarrow. Got one of those hard hats with a light on it.

I’m going on an excavation!

I’m marching into the sanctuary, right down near the front, and I’m digging in.

Here’s why:

I just returned from the Holy Land. It was a great trip. I saw the sights and walked where Jesus walked…

And went in a bunch of churches.

The place where the angel visited Mary? They built a church on top of it.

The place where Jesus ascended to heaven? They built a church on top of it.

The places where he was born, crucified, rose again? Church, Church, Church.

I’ve visited more churches in the past 2 weeks than most Christians visit in a lifetime!

I know why the churches were built. Ancient Christians wanted to preserve these various holy sites. They wanted to glorify God. In many cases, the current churches were built on top of much older churches. It ‘s like a Christian layer cake!

Now I’m back home and I’m wondering: What lies beneath my church?

What gives a church its purpose, its mission, its reason for being?

There’s got to be more to it than relics and ruins. After all, Jesus didn’t really cover that much territory. Chances are (unless you’re Mormon) Jesus never performed a miracle in your hometown, or mine.

No, I think a church is meant to be more than that. More than just a museum for old holy places.

What lies beneath my church is ground. The same ground that Jesus walked on, halfway around the world.

Holy Ground.

What makes it holy is the ever present grace of God.

There is grace in a park. In a courthouse. In a McDonalds.

There is Holy Ground wherever God is acknowledged, wherever Christ’s love is spread.

I’ll never forget my trip to Israel, but I didn’t have to travel that far to be in contact with something so special.

And if you haven’t found it yet…

Keep digging.