Thursday, April 2, 2015

Respecting the Holy.


When I was a wedding photographer I always tried to respect the customs of the church and this included the policies of the priest or pastor. A great many of these had grown to dislike the photographer because some were disrupting the ceremony crawling around the bride and groom and heaven forbid if a flash was used! The Catholics were also particularly watchful for any activity upon the altar, for they considered this a sacred place. Usually pictures could be made, with flash at the altar after the wedding.  I remember one wedding when the priest spoke from 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. It was beautiful and eloquent.
 
American Standard Bible
 
1Co 13:1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4  Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
1Co 13:6  rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
1Co 13:7  beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8  Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
1Co 13:10  but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.
1Co 13:12  For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.
1Co 13:13  But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
 
A most eloquent presentation about love. After the wedding I was trying to organize the wedding party and the groomsmen were clowning around...on the altar! Like lightning from above the priest attacked me with much scorn. You have desecrated the altar! I was trying to make the required formal wedding portraits, now I am accused of being a son of perdition. I humbly said, I will try to get them to be respectful, as I do respect the altar. (In truth a believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so to attack a believer, you are attacking the temple of God.)  Later on at the reception, the priest came to me and apologized to me. I received the apology with all humility. This illustrates that even right after we read a scripture, that we can behave quite unruly; we will be tested. We must walk the talk, for without love as our motivation we as an unpleasant noise.
 
1Co 13:1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

We know to do right, but we often fail.
 
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand.
 

Stand in faith , truth and much love. Treat others with all respect.

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