The Mausoleum
Soul Snack 232/13 ...The Mausoleum
An ancient ecclesiastical monolith shadows the gates of the stadium called Christendom. This locked anachronism has only a handful of devotees waiting to enter. It is a Sunday morn. The doors glide as they are opened by a serious looking gent. His elegant robes with their bright seasonal adornment splash color and promise ceremony before the handful present. The faithful few silently enter this window to yesterday.
Bread is soon broken, wine is lightly sipped and right words are carefully chanted.
Mingling unseen is the evil this handful of church goers had long since ceased believing in.
As the calendar rotates through its weekly cycle the mausoleum welcomes particularly pride and riches Sunday after Sunday.
The Groom (Jesus) stands crestfallen in the doorway (at the back of the church for this is how the ancients built them) listening to those gathered reciting prayers to Him, but never turning to see Him.
Attention has been given to the activity about the Groom, but none have stopped, turned and seen Him.
The Groom stands behind them (He always has) but these devotees don't see this, for a mausoleum is the home of the dead.
The Groom came to create celebration, but the Bride still chooses a dead ceremony.
The Groom came to invite devotion, but the Bride still chooses a dead duty.
The Groom came to claim our attention, but the Bride still chooses a dead activity.
Jesus replaced ceremony with celebration, ritual with relationship and theology with truth.
(This short parable can be found in chapter two of GREAT MERCY)
GREAT MERCY is a prophetic analysis of a now ancient church written in modern parables .
Today's Soul Snippet:
"Outside the Stadium the world is completely devoid of Christian religious signposts."#
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#Michael Cartwright, GREAT MERCY ~ (Bloomington IN, WestBow Press, 2013), 40