Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:1)
When I tell people I live in Lincoln, the response I get is usually a reference to the Cathedral; Lincoln is in many ways synonymous with our wonderful place of worship. It is therefore a huge privilege for me to have been given this
opportunity to serve here for a short time and I have gained some unique insights behind the scenes as I have come to appreciate the major contribution of the dedicated teams of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly for the benefit of those of us who worship here. The Cathedral is a beacon of light and hope pointing to God.
In some ways the Temple in Jerusalem in first-century Palestine held the same
synonymous status; When people heard the city Jerusalem mentioned they
thought of the Temple and vice-versa. As we left the season of Epiphany, we
accompanied the Holy Family to the Temple to present Jesus as the firstborn son to God and in a sense the Temple itself was a silent witness to the drama which was unfolding. The original Temple was constructed by Solomon as an edifice in which God could be close to the people and the whole structure of the offerings was designed to allow sinful humanity to approach God, although according to strict rules. The Ark of the Covenant was placed there which is thought to have contained the presence of the Lord…
