Sunday, December 31, 2017

Celebration and Healing











The photos above are from a couple different visits to York Minster Cathedral, probably my favorite place on earth. One time, as you can see from the photos above, we were on the rooftop, taking photos of the swirling snowflakes.

Although the photos are of York Minster (because I've not yet visited Lichfield), the following excerpt is from the book, For All God's Worth, by N.T. Wright. Writing about Lichfield Cathedral, where he was dean at the time, he said,

"...let's get hold of one thing: St. Chad did not come to Lichfield to tell people that if they were already good enough God would be happy to have them on his side. The eighth-century Lichfield Gospels, which we treasure in the cathedral, were not lovingly illuminated because they said that if the people of God were without blemish then God would bring in his kingdom. No. The reason why Chad came to Lichfield, and the reason why an ancient scribe lavished such craftsmanship on those priceless pages, is quite simply that the message in those Gospels is even more priceless: the message, that is, that the true God takes our brokenness and in Christ makes us new; that he picks up the pieces of our life, yes, even of our muddled attempts to follow him, and sticks them together again in a new way; that he heals those who are broken in heart, and gives the medicine to heal their sickness; that he promises new life, resurrection life, beyond all our sickness and death. To celebrate precisely here is to celebrate not the wonderful achievements of the church but the healing power of God to build his church with battered and broken building-blocks, including people like you and me. Celebration and healing; it is all God's work.:"




Have a blessed Lord's Day.


Judy

16 comments:

MadSnapper said...

Amen and Amen to the excerpt message. Happy New Year, I wish you and yours many blessings. I love the view of all the roofs from above. beautiful photos

eileeninmd said...

Hello, wonderful message and photos! I wish you all the best in 2018, Happy New Year to you and your family.

ellen b. said...

Yes and amen. My husband took the same photo of the roof of York Minster without snow falling back in 2004. A very Happy New Year to you and yours!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Beautiful words. Thank you for sharing them. May your blessings from God be abundant in the New Year!

Chatty Crone said...

Takes my breathe away.
Happy New Year! Sandie♥♥♥

Carla from The River said...

Prayers for 2018!
xx oo
Carla

NanaDiana said...

Beautiful images and thoughts and words, Judy. I am sure the pictures don't even do it justice.
God bless you as you embrace 2018...praying for good things for all of us. xo Diana

Terri D said...

Amazing photos and words with which to begin our 2018 contemplations on life and God and family and friends...

Happy new year to you and yours!! Love & hugs.

Linda said...

Thank you! We meant to go to church but overslept - something I haven't been doing lately!
All in all it was a good thing. We had ice on the roads today. Yes! Right here in Texas and you KNOW we don't know how to drive on ice!
Thank you for sharing the excerpt in today's post. Timeless and priceless....

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Great message Lynn HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. I wish you good health, happiness and peace in 2018

Vee said...

Fascinating that this is your favorite spot on earth. Happy New Year, Judy!

Lesley UK said...

I got married at Litchfield Cathedral. It was open to the public, so we had an enormous 'congregation' consisting mainly of American and Japanese tourists, who joined in with great enthusiasm. (It's a long story of how that all came about. It wasn't a normal situation. lol)

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

The York Minster is such an inspiring house of worship. How thrilling you were able to take the tour to the top! I'll never forget stepping into this majestic cathedral. Happy New Year, Judy. xo ♥

Deborah Montgomery said...

These cathedrals are awe-inspiring. I'm re-reading Pillars of the Earth again for book club, and this time I'm wondering how differently it would have been written if a Christian had written it. Ken Follett admits he is not a believer. Still, it's quite a look into the work of building a cathedral.
I notice you read a lot of NT Wright. I have not read him. If I were to read one of his books, which do you recommend I start with?
Happy New Year! xo Deborah

Barbara said...

Well-phrased. We need Him so much, for everything. We cannot possibly save ourselves.

Happy New Year to you.

podso said...

Powerful words and yet so simple. And you have some beautiful photos of your favorite place on earth! Wishing you a wonderful new year--joy, peace, grace and growing closer to our heavenly Father.

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