Vatican and church today

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” I Corinthians 1:25

Some thoughts to share after a day visiting the Vatican Museum in Rome on Saturday (yesterday):

Do the brilliant accomplishments of mankind compare to the wisdom of God? Would the sculptures, fountains, roads, walls, castles, and museums all built to glorify man ever compare to the glory of God which is called out by every living thing, every sunset, every valley, mountain stream, and ocean wave? Can you even compare?!? Oh, the glory of God is everywhere! The evidence of His presence - fingerprints of an Awesome Creator - on everyone and everything! I am in awe of God’s intricate design - too complex to fathom and yet the simple beauty of a setting sun still causes my heart to skip a beat and tears to well up in my eyes as the common yet miraculous scene I behold shouts “THERE’S A GOD! THERE’S A GOD! THERE’S A GOD!” ... and this colorful ballet of light and shadows was set into motion by a word. Just a word from the lips of our Creator. That’s it... and this magnificent applause to the God of the universe happens, by God’s grace, every day.

Now, before I stand on my little soap box, let me just say that I appreciate the beauty of the art that I saw at the Vatican Museum today. We are to give our best to God and I do not judge the hearts of the artists who put forth so much effort, time, and skill to create the masterpieces I saw today. That is not my place. All beauty is God’s beauty and we worship God with the gifts and skills he has given us - and it is right that we give our worship to Him through art. I am an artist myself - I just have a problem with the fact that a place of worship to God has been turned into a tribute to man and a place to make money. The object of worship that I saw today was not the One True God ALONE.

“I am the LORD; that is my name, my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8

.... ok now it’s soapbox time.

I look around me, here in Rome at the evidence of years - centuries of building, learning, striving, self-improving, intellectual advancement, more building, more creating, more, more more.... Most structures are for the purpose of glorifying a mere mortal... a created being - rulers, conquerors, the pope, even ancient church leaders. I’m reminded of the fact that this all - even though it is beautiful to behold in this moment and even reminds me also that God is not limited by time and was God even long before these structures were built - but it is all dust. WE are dust! Here today and gone tomorrow. (Ps 103:14 “For He knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.”) Man thinks they accomplished something great when for centuries people flock to visit something like the Vatican. Today we saw hall after room, after room after hall of amazing paintings, tapestries, and sculptures. It was a little much to take in all at once. Even our Rick Steve’s travel book says on p. 834 “After long halls of tapestries, old maps, broken penises, and fig leaves, you’ll come to what most people are looking for: the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.” Quite honestly, though, Kelly and I were a bit nauseous after visiting this. All the tour books tell you to visit here. It’s a “must-see” according to most. But for us we were struck with the fact that, basically - in a place where at some point in time this was supposedly a place of worship, it has become a money changing mecca of idolatry. Gift shops around every corner selling picture books and rosaries - postcards and keychains. I walked on with eyebrows angled down and a slight twinge of pain in my stomach. I’m not even going to start with the heresy observed in some of the paintings!!! Mary in the center with Christ on one side and God the Father on the other, the Spirit resting on her?!? Um..... nope. Jesus bowing down to Peter, handing him a pair of keys?!?! Um.... nope again. I could go on..... Amazing as this art may appear, much of it was devastatingly inaccurate, giving glory where it does not belong. One day, though, it will be reduced to dust. So what is all of this for? Is there anything that lasts?

Oh, but there is! The Word of the LORD endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”) He has said that His glory matters. He has said that people matter. That is why He sent His Son to die on a cross, rescuing all who would put their faith and trust in Him from a life of striving emptiness, nothingness, and an eternity of suffering. He has made a way for us to know Him here on earth, and to spend eternity with HIM in heaven! He has come so that we might live the abundant life of a life in Christ and so that HE gets the glory! We are for Him. A life of worship to Him alone - undivided - indeed is what He desires for us... so that we have eyes to see His glory in all things big and small, but not just observe it - be a part of it - a living, breathing act of worship to our God. So let our art be for HIM! Let our lives be for HIM! Let our worship be for God ALONE and not for ourselves or for man. No one deserves glory except for the One True God, the lover of our souls and Creator and sustainer of the universe here, now, and beyond what anyone knows, sees, or can fathom - past, present and future!

.... soapbox dismount.... and she sticks the landing!

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church today.....

went to church this morning at an English speaking multi-cultural Baptist Church in Rome. The body of Christ is alive and well here! They had all the visitors stand at the end of the service and introduce themselves. Kelly and I were tempted to stay seated but, alas... we did stand. There were other visitors there from Ukraine, Colorado, (Chicago and Phoenix), Florida, and Asia! People in ethnic dress all the way to calico print dresses to Armani. Talk about an experience! And we all sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness" together to start and end the service. Oh, the body of Christ is amazing! Praise the Lord for His faithful followers who worship and gather in all corners of the world!