by Richelle Hecker

He takes away our sin and leaves us a place to worship.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Believe it or not, it is possible to walk into a cathedral unexpectedly. Numerous times while out hiking I’ve come across a grove of trees, a meadow, or rock formations that seemed placed there specifically for worship. They all direct my mind immediately to the smallness of me and the greatness of my Creator.

This time I was not on a mountain hike. I was on a road trip with my children and visiting a museum in Missoula, Montana. We poked into various old buildings learning about lives of people in our nation’s past. When we popped inside one structure I was surprised to find myself inside an accidental cathedral.

The red cone-like structure, built in the 1940’s, is called a tipi burner and was used by sawmills to burn waste from milling operations. The sunlight pouring through the top of this burned up metal building created a stained-glass type image. I immediately felt like I was in a place of worship.

How appropriate of a place it was! This time I was reminded of all that God has done to deal with my sinful self. I hope that I am not the worst of sinners, but I know that God has done a lot of work in me and that He still has much to do. I am far from perfect. Here I stood in a place where milling waste was disposed of by burning it all up, reminded that God does the same with my sin. He removes it far from me like chaff in the wind, then burns up any leftover trash so that I am completely free from it. He makes me a new creation.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Psalm 51: 10-12 New International Version

Praise God that He does all this and more! Perhaps our burned up sin leaves us with a stained glass cathedral heart ready for worship.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado