Covenantal God - 4 David and his house

Covenant with David  II Samuel 7:1-17 (I Chronicles17:1-15)

When King David, the mighty giant slayer and nation builder finished building a fine palace of a house for himself to live in, he decide to honor the God who made it all possible for him to live in peace and plenty.  He will build a house for God.  As scripture reveals, however, the famous temple in Jerusalem was to be called "Solomon's Temple".  How ironic that even when God seemingly agreed to "reside" in a given place, that place became known as "Solomon's".
God remains the builder of people, of community, of grace and faith.  We are invited to be housed by God's presence who builds into us a holy dwelling place.

Holy, Ubiquitous, Elusive,

God of our beginning and end,

we confess that we really would

like to have you settle down,

move in next door,

give you an address that is familiar

to us.

We confess that we would like

to name and claim you for ourselves.

We confess that we would like

to design a nice space and place

that suits us

for you to live nearby.

Like David, your beloved,

we too want you to live

and move among us,

to be close enough to

stop by for a cup of coffee,

a cup of sugar, or a glass of wine.

But you, the one in whom we

live and move and have our being,

you can not be confined to our

neighborhood nor to our structures.

We might build a fool proof theology

for you to live in

but you will have none of it.

You do not need the security of

walls and roof to store your treasure.

You have called your people your treasure.

The whole earth and all creation is your home.

The vastness of the universe cannot contain nor

confine you

whose thoughts and ways

are beyond our comprehension.

Covenant maker God,

Builder of all that is,

help us

to allow you

to construct who we are

for your dwelling place is

within.

Come, Covenant Maker

be who you will be

and reside with us again.

Amen.