Which King?
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. John 6:15 (RSV)
Pieces of barley bread were gathered, enough to fill twelve baskets. No mention if any fish remained, but the multitude was satisfied. The disciples are doing what Jesus had asked them to do, trying to understand another miracle, a sign pointing to the reality of who Jesus is.
It is not surprising that some in the thousands begin to consider the advantage of making Jesus their king. The priests made promises as did the Romans, but those never seemed to materialize. Jesus had fed thousands with an abundance that exceeded anyone's expectation or hunger.
The idea spread quickly as person after person heard and liked the idea. A king, a bread king, would meet their hunger better than anyone they had ever known. They wanted a king and would not take 'no' for an answer.
Just as the idea gained momentum, the multitudes discovered that Jesus was gone. Disciples grilled as to His whereabouts; searches were made, even songs praising Jesus were sung. But He was gone.
Jesus had encountered a bread temptation before, in the wilderness with forty days of hunger gnawing at his stomach. 'If you are the Son of God, cause these stones to become bread,' a silky smooth voice suggested. 'Let me see your power, Jesus, either here in the wilderness, perhaps here by Sea of Galilee, fresh from the wonder of feeding thousands.'
Humans want a king who will meet their wants, going beyond their needs, to fulfill their hearts' desires. How many times have we followed a leader who entices with a promise of all we want to give us treasures we long to have. How many times have we let someone rule over us only to discover that the bread offered hid within it a hook?
The crowds who wanted Jesus to be their bread king did not know that He already was their King. One day, some would begin to grasp this as they saw Jesus on His throne outside the wall of Jerusalem. There, hung on the cross, crowned with thorns, they would see the King, the Bread of Life. It may have been that among the crowds gathered by the Sea, feeding on loaves and fish, some would grasp the truth.
Jesus is our King. He is the Bread of Life who blesses us with far more than we could imagine or deserve. From Him, we have received life, life in Him, fed and nurtured by Him. Our King, who has given Himself for our forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Thank you, bless you, King Jesus, who has given us not what we want, rather that which we could not have apart from Him. We have the Kingdom. We have eternity.
Politics and the Eighth Commandment
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
What does this mean?
Answer: We should fear and love God, and so we should not tell lies about our neighbor, nor betray, slander, or defame him, but should apologize for him, speak well of him, and interpret charitably all that he does.
It is the responsibility of believers to be aware of and involved in the political life of their society. As we do so, in light of our faith, we help make our nation a more fair and just place to live. For us to be involved, we must become as informed as we can on the issues of the election, of what the candidates offer as solutions for the issues, and what would be the most helpful for most people.
As I have written in other Monday emails, the Church does not endorse one political party over another. All parties support values that are consistent with the faith as well as support values that are at odds with the faith. It is our responsibility as believers to affirm what we believe through our vote and participation in the political process. As in all things, we are to serve God over any other power, and if that earthly power is against the Lord and His will, then we cannot support that power.
I do want to address what is unChristian in our political process. It does not take deep thought to see that the flood of ads on TV are unChristian.They are nothing but negative, defamatory, and at times, wicked. They violate the Eighth Commandment. They appeal to sinful nature in us to regard ourselves better than others and the wicked pleasure we often get when someone else stumbles. If all a candidate does is tear down their opponent, then one can question the values of that candidate. The only thing these negative ads do is drag us all down and continue the divisions that plague our nation.
As Christians, we are to regard our political opponents with charity seeking to understand their positions and why they hold those values. If we are able, we ought to clearly state what we believe and why. It is unChristian to attack and defame anyone because we do not agree with their political stand. Yes, if what they advocate is contrary to God’s will and purpose, then we must oppose them. However, the constant violation of the Eighth Commandment we see is not what Christians do, nor should we support those who choose to do such things. As Christians, let us do what we can to contribute to a good and useful political process. Let us encourage others to do the same and in so far as it is possible for us. Let us ask the candidates not to use these negative ads, but to state clearly what they plan to do should they be elected.
On the Authority of the State
Greetings in Christ,
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Romans 13.1
One of the presidential candidates stated last week the if any religious institution refused to preform a same-sex wedding, that they should lose their tax exempt status. I have pondered that pronouncement for some time. I find it deeply troubling, but not for the reason most might think
Yes, I can find no Biblically solid justification for marrying any one other one man to one woman. No one has been able to give me a Biblically sound argument to change my thinking on the matter. This not some homophobic reaction on my part, those who advocate same sex marriage have not shown from Scripture anything that justifies it and as a pastor of Christ’s Church I have vowed to preach and teach according to what the Scripture reveals of God’s will and purpose.
My main concern lies in that a secular government should not be in the business of dictating to Christians what they believe. While we can and should be loyal citizens of the nation in which we reside, our first loyalty is to God. When a state tries to impose its vision of the faith on believers, especially when that vision is contrary to the Word of God, then our loyalty to God demands we resist the state.
True, all governing authority comes from God, but if that authority is misused in an effort to make the state the source of what we believe about our Lord, then the state has made itself an enemy of God and must not be obeyed.
Odessa, Texas and Prayer
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," Matthew 5.43
I am frustrated beyond words — seven more dead in Texas, another 20 plus wounded. These are only the deaths by violence that made the national news. We will probably never hear about the other 161 people who die violently on the same day.
There is a sickness in the human soul fed by the poison of hyper-individualism that leads us to regard anyone beyond ourselves as an object to be used and cast aside when we are done. It is at epidemic proportions in our society, displaying no signs of diminishing. We expect and demand the 'right' to whatever we want when we want to with little regard for how it might affect the lives of others.
Most of the solutions hinge on restricting someone else's rights, passing stricter laws, and more draconian actions which may stem the tide for a time. However, over time they will feed the alienation and resentment those who act violently already feel.
We hear this cry from more and more corners of our society. No more 'thoughts and prayers', action is the demand. The pressure to do something is growing, but it will probably only deepen the divide. We might even pass legislation that will severely restrict gun sales, maybe even ban certain types altogether. If history is at all relevant, we tried prohibition early in the 20th century. It led to more crime and violence.
Jesus gives us the starting point, learn to love your enemies. Pray for them, pray prayers that are about real people we have met, talked to, gotten to know even if everything they espouse is repugnant to us. Jesus stood face to face with those who hated Him. He prayed for them, wept over them, and gave His life for them.
We need more prayers, now more than ever. Prayers for those killed and wounded, prayers for their families, prayers for law enforcement and EMS who must face the victims and the violent. Prayers that our Father will transform our hearts so that no hate resides there, and prayers that He leads us to seek out the very ones who would do the world harm, praying that we might show them Christ's love and His desire to heal them as well.
On Ash Wednesday
Greetings in Christ,
Lent begins this Wednesday as we receive a smear of ash on our foreheads and are reminded that we are dust, and to that dust we will return. This human reality is one that we all share, from the highest to the lowest, death is our final event in this life.
I was watching an archeological video last week about the discovery of the grave of a young woman at the Jamestown settlement site in Virginia. She died over 400 years ago and all that was left of her physical being were a few bones and her partial skull. Forensic artists took that skull, made exact replicas of it and using well defined techniques, applied clay to give reconstruction of her face. Once they finished you had a very striking resemblance of what she may have looked like. It was almost life like, save for the fact that though they could restore her face, they could not bring her back to life.
She could be any one of us. Should some archeologist open our graves in 400 years time they might find our bones, they may even have more advanced means of reconstructing our appearance, but they will not be able to reanimate our bones. Death will still seek to claim us.
Though we will all one day return to the dust from which we came, death’s claim on us will not be eternal. We begin Lent in somber reflection knowing that it will end in victory as Jesus rises from the grave. We know that His triumph over death is and will be ours.
On The Death of Martin Luther
Greetings in Christ,
On this day, in the early morning hours, Martin Luther died not far from the house where he had been born. As he struggled with the pain and fear he was asked, “Do you want to die standing firm on Christ and the doctrine you have taught?” Luther responded in a loud voice, “Ja!” dying a few moments later. His life long journey of faith had come to its end and Luther died trusting in Jesus.
There are times when we Lutherans might be accused of being obsessed with death. It may seem that way, especially in a culture that tries to minimize the reality of death, but we as Lutheran Christians are committed to the witness of our Lord Jesus risen from the dead. We don’t obsess about death, but we do not pretend it isn’t real.
To live as a Christian may mean many different things as we seek to follow our Lord. The vast majority of those are good and useful things, showing love and mercy to the neighbor. However good and useful those may be, the core of our faith is centered in the death and resurrection of our Lord and our being joined to that truth through Holy Baptism. We live out our lives saying, ‘yes’ to the Lordship of Jesus in every circumstance of life and, like Martin Luther, in the face of our own death.
It is this great confidence we have in our Lord that leads us to be bold in our witness to Him, out of deep gratitude for our salvation as we share the Good News with all.
On Time
Greetings in Christ,
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Woody Allen
"Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon
I don’t normally regard either Woody Allen or John Lennon as great Christian theologians, but these quotes attributed to them have a truth in them that we would do well to hear. The simple truth of every human life is that we only have the day in which we are living. Yesterday is gone and we cannot recall it. Tomorrow has not arrived and we may not be here to greet it. Today is all any of us is guaranteed.
This does not mean that the past is something we abandon once it is past. That is a huge mistake for we can learn a great deal from the past. Another quote reminds us, “Those cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” so the past can be a useful teacher for us. While we do not yet possess tomorrow, we can prepare for it. We are good stewards of time if we look to tomorrow needs and prepare for them.
We more we understand the petition of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘give us this day our daily bread’ the more fully treasure the past and look hopefully to the future. As we learn that our lives are lived in God’s time and purpose we discover that in living each day is the way in which the past lives for us and the future is already ours.
Living in the present surrounded by the love and mercy of our Father we discover that all things are ours.
On The Silence of God
Greetings in Christ,
Why dost thou stand afar off, O Lord? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble?
Psalm 10:1
I have gotten in the habit of checking the rain gauge as one of the first things I do each morning. It read an inch and a half this morning. It also tells me that we have had 7.2 inches so far in October and just under 100 inches for the year. We have gotten to the point where jokes about the rain fall flat and there is a gnawing anxiety about the crops. We can resonate with the opening verse of Psalm 10, wondering if God has hidden Himself, turned a deaf ear to our prayers.
It is challenging to remain hopeful when everything seems to be going against you. Most of us will experience a time in our lives where God’s mercy and grace seem absent, that He may be hearing others when they pray, but not ours. It is a very hard place to be. The suffering becomes increasingly hard to bear and our faith is strained to the breaking point.
St. Paul experienced this as well: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Like St. Paul, we must learn the sufficient grace of God in Christ. We may never in this life know or understand the reason for the suffering and challenges we have faced. As we trust the Father in Christ, even in our weakness we can know that Jesus is with us.
On Charity and Love
Greetings in Christ,
There is the way I should very much like the world to be, and there is the way the world is. Like the verse from one of our hymns dreams; "Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found; brought here together by Christ's love, by love we thus are bound." the dream is a world filled with charity and love. What we have seems to be a world overwhelmed by self-centeredness, greed, lust, anger, and hate. Another senseless murder in the news last week, public leaders of every level spewing all manner of anger and hate toward those who disagree. Our society wanting the freedom of individual sexual expression and then stunned by what that 'freedom' brings into the lives of others. I could go on and on, but that is the path to despair.
Few are giving the opportunity of changing the whole world, but all of us have the opportunity of being the Light of Christ where we are. All of us who follow Jesus can ask the Holy Spirit to so guide our lives that each day becomes an opportunity to live more fully in Jesus. We have the opportunity to love those around us as we have been loved in Him. The is a selfless love that seeks only the blessing of others. This love does not seek personal gain or advantage over others who are made in God's image. We have the opportunity to live in Christian charity, that is to refuse to let the poison of hate, anger, and lust rule our lives. Rather in charity toward others, we see them as precious and priceless Children of our Father in Heaven.
We may not be able to transform the entire world, but we can become a Light of God's charity and love where we are.
On Two Tragedies
I am sad beyond words at the death of Mollie Tibbetts. No one with normal human emotions could feel anything other than profound sorrow. I can also understand the anger at the man accused of her murder. His was a brutal and senseless act. I pray that justice is served and he never know freedom again.
I am also deeply grieved over the murder of Shanann Watt’s, a pregnant mother, and her two little girls, Celeste and Bella, by their husband and father in Colorado. His was an act of cruelty goes beyond the boundaries of human understanding. I pray for justice in this case as well.
Both situations are first and foremost human tragedies of unimaginable sorrow and pain. Yes, one was done at the hands of a man who came to this country illegally while the other was done by a man who is a natural citizen of our nation. Who the accused are and where they have come from should not be our focus at this time. Our focus should be on the death of five human beings whose lives were ended by the darkness that lies in human hearts.
We must take care to not to use Mollie’s murder as a political talking point that seeks to serve our particular view of our nation’s immigration policy. Now is not the time for that discussion nor should we use her death as a tool to drive our agendas while her family is still in very profound grief.
On Suffering
Greetings in Christ,
‘Out of the depths I cry to thee, O LORD!’ Psalm 130.1
I have been thinking about suffering of late. We all hope for and seek a life that is full and complete. I know of no one who looks for loss, pain and sorrow. Yet suffering comes to nearly everyone in some form or another.
Some experience the loss of health and face the prospect of a disease becoming the main focus of their days. Many must contend with chronic pain that is unrelenting which erases any joy that might come. An illness is for many the event that leads them to death itself and progresses toward that end without faltering.
Other experience emotional suffering which is far more common than folk would realise. For far too long emotional and mental suffering was something no one talked about. It was regarded as a moral failing, personal weakness and something of which one should be ashamed. Thankfully, we now regard emotional and mental struggles for what they are, an illness that is no different than any other physical ailment. Still, people often carry this burden in silence for fear no one will understand.
There is suffering that come when the rains won’t quit or the darken skies drop tornadoes on Iowa fields, towns and cities. The response to this suffering is often immediate and generous. However, as time passes the focus goes elsewhere and those impacted by these events are left to struggle through the long recovery.
We live in a time when we learn instantaneously of disasters, violence and other tragedies often as they are happening. We often need to turn away, not because we do not care, but because we can bear it no longer.
In all of these things and more the believer’s faith and confidence in God is tried and pushed to the limits. It is not unusual that our human strength fails us and we are overwhelmed by doubt. It is at this point we cry out to God from those depths that we all have know or may still know. We cry out, pleading with God to hears us.
At those moments may the spark of faith within us hold tight to the promise Jesus made on the Mount of the Ascension, ‘Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
On Governmental Authority
‘Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.’ Romans 13.1
Scripture is a source of blessing and comfort as it points us to our loving Father who has given us our salvation through His Son. Scripture is at the very heart of our journey in faith. Christians strive to use Scripture in their daily lives carefully and faithfully.
Sadly, Scripture has been misused throughout the ages to justified all manner of abuses. The first verse from St. Paul's letter to the Romans has been used by nations to cover all manner of wrongs and evils. Yes, the Christian is to obey the ruling authorities as all authority in heaven and earth belongs to God, which He grants to human authorities. It is the responsibility of the Christian to be aware of what their government is doing, if the government is acting in a just and fair manner or if it is acting outside the will and purpose of God.
If the government is seen to be within the purposes of God, then the Christian ought to obey even if they do not completely agree with everything the government does. If the government goes against God, then the Christian is not bound to obey the government, indeed, the Christian is called to resist an unjust and immoral government.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July next week, let us give thanks that we live under one of the best and most just systems of governance the world has ever seen. It is not a perfect system, but it strives to improve itself as the needs arise. Pray for all those in elected office, that they govern justly and fairly and exercise your rights and responsibilities as a citizen.
Wisdom of St. John of Kronstadt
You are angry with your neighbor, you despise him, do not like to speak peaceably and lovingly to him, because there is something harsh, abrupt, careless, unpleasant to you in his character, in his speech, in his manners—because he is more conscious of his dignity than perhaps is necessary; or because he may be somewhat proud and disrespectful; but you yourself, your neighbor’s physician and teacher, are more guilty than him. “Physician, heal thyself.” Teacher, teach yourself. Your own malice is the bitterest of all evils. Is it then possible to correct malice by means of evil? Having a beam in your own eye, can you pull out the mote from the eye of another? Evil and faults are corrected by good, by love, kindness, meekness, humility, and patience.
On Loving the Enemy
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44–45
How far would you go in keeping these words of Jesus? ‘Love your enemies?’. Can Jesus be serious? Doesn’t He know how evil some people are? How can I, how can anyone, love those who seek to do us harm?
I have pondered this part of the Sermon on the Mount ever since the first time I heard them. Then I read those words, several times, and I still cannot wrap my mind around what they are asking of me. Jesus' words are plain enough, love those who are your enemies and pray for those who would harm you. It runs counter to every instinct of self-preservation that is within me. Jesus is asking us to go to a depth of love and charity that is truly a foreign land to us.
I begin to discover how to explore that foreign land when I first read St. Paul's words in Romans: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10 Jesus gives Himself for us, who by our rebellion have become God's enemies, to the point of His death on the cross. It is the mercy of the Father through His Son that transforms those who are His enemies into His dear children. It is that kind of love that has transformed the world.
Jesus calls us to love as we have been loved, even to the point of surrendering our lives in that love so that even our enemies might be transformed. It is not an easy path for there is a cross in it, a cross upon which self-love dies and the new self-arises. It is who we are in Christ, called to love even those who are our enemies.
On Welcoming the Stranger
Greetings in Christ,
At one time you could see printed under a help wanted sign: “Irish Need Not Apply”. This could have meant for my ancestor, Eve Shaddock, that she would not be allowed to work in the United States. My friend from seminary days, Glenn Nagashima, a fifth generation American, had in his family history the internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. During World War I, German Americans were not allowed to worship in German as it was considered disloyal to the nation.
I am not sure how much you have heard about children who are illegally entering the country with their families are being treated. It appears that many are separated from their parents, who have been arrested for entering the country illegally, and are being housed separately.
I do not know all of the facts of the matter. I do not know if this is being applied to all families or if the separation is long or short. I do not know which administration of our government instituted this policy.
I do know that the firestorm that this has created online and in the media is intense. There are at times circumstances where removing children from a dangerous situation is warranted. I do not know anyone in law enforcement who likes the idea of separating children from their families, but they do so when the safety of the children is paramount.
Then there are times when those who make the laws overstep what is good and decent and create situations where more harm than good is done. Automatically separating children from their families as a practice mandated by law without due process is wrong.
If this is the policy of our government, then it does not follow Jesus. Far more troubling is the use of Scripture by some in the government to justify what appears to be an unfair practice. Scripture is to be used to lead people to our Lord and not to give legitimacy to an unjust law.
We are a nation of immigrants. Nearly every one of us has come from some other place to this country. We have always found a way to welcome the immigrant. We have not always accomplished this perfectly, but we have found a way.
I pray that we continue to find a way to welcome the stranger that is just and fair to everyone.
On Suicide
Greetings in Christ,
“Out of the depths I have cried unto Thee, O LORD, O LORD, hear my voice.” Psalm 130.1
Recent celebrity suicides have been in the news causing one to wonder why these folk who appeared to have it all going their way took their own lives. Reports also detail a disturbing rise in suicide rates across the nation as well as in several European countries. Again, questions are raised as to why people in some of the wealthiest nations find life too challenging to bear.
For far too long we have been unwilling to talk about suicide and the factors that lead up to a person ending their own life. Add to that the guilt and shame the survivors experience and it is not surprising that we still are uncomfortable talking about it.
Christians who believe that each person is created in the image of God it is an act of love and charity to openly discuss suicide and to address the factors that lead up to it. Like the psalmist, many people live their life in the depths of emotional and spiritual pain. Life for them is often so challenging that the thought of struggling through another day is so painful that they would rather not go on. Depression and other emotional illnesses are often at the root of suicide. It is important to begin regarding all emotional and psychological illnesses as illnesses. A person who is depressed can not just ‘get over it’ any more than a person with high blood pressure will that disease away. For far too long we have treated emotional illnesses as a moral failing and not a disease. Like all diseases, it has to be diagnosed and treated.
As Christians, we also need to try to comprehend that nearly everyone is carrying a burden that is a challenge for them to bear. They may on the surface appear to be doing well, but underneath things aren’t as good. We often cannot change the circumstances of another’s life but can be there for them. We can listen, really listen to what they are saying. It may not be easy for them to put into words what their struggle is like, but to have someone take the time to hear them is an important step toward helping them get their life back on track.
Of course, if someone actually threatens to harm themselves, that is the time to act. If the danger of self-harm seems immediate do not leave the person alone until medical help can be obtained. Call their doctor, the local law enforcement or EMS and get them to the ER.
The vast majority of suicides can be avoided by another person taking the time to truly care about the one who is struggling. It won’t solve all their problems, but it will provide them with someone who believes their life is valuable.
On Feast Days
Greetings in Christ,
On my liturgical calendar in my study are several useful tools. The days are color coded to show the season of the year or the Feast that particular day celebrates. As Lutherans, we are familiar with a few of the Feasts of the Church year, Easter, Christmas, Pentecost and such. We may even know some of the less familiar Feast days such as St. Peter and St. Paul. All of the important witnesses to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are remembered on a Feast day, usually the day of their death.
All around these major and important Feast Days are lesser know witnesses to Jesus. In the month of June we could observe the Feasts of Blandina and her companions, June 2, who were martyred in 177 A.D.. We could celebrate the Council of Nicaea on June 12. We could give God thanks for the ministry and witness of Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, A.D. 444, whose Feast day is June 27. Nearly every day of the week has a remembrance of persons on events that were important in the life of the Church.
Most Protestants don’t observe Feast days as we are concerned with making too much out of them at the expense of Jesus. It is true that we should keep our focus on the Lord, but it is important that we learn from the witness of those who have gone before us. Their examples of faith and service can inspire us to a deeper devotion to Jesus as well as a better outreach to the world around us.
On Memorial Day 2018
Greetings in Christ,
They went into the maelstrom of war. Some went at the first call, others when they were called to go. They faced those who would harm the innocent at home and abroad and said, 'You will not pass, not on my watch' Some did not come home having given their lives in the defense of us all. They sleep now in foreign fields, at Arlington and thousands of tiny cemeteries around the land. Remember them, not just today, but always as we live our lives in freedom and peace.
On the Holy Trinity
Greetings in Christ,
This coming Sunday, May 27, is Holy Trinity Sunday. On this Sunday we are called upon to contemplate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, One God in Three Persons. Every effort to adequately explain the Trinity without falling into heresy breaks down at some point. Perhaps the best way we can begin to grasp the nature of the Trinity is through the Athanasian Creed, which we will use this coming Sunday.
Of course, as we will see as we confess the Athanasian Creed that it does not explain, it confesses the Trinity. In the worship and witness of the Church, a confession is a statement of faith and acknowledgment of the truth. We confess that we believe in God whose completeness and perfection we cannot begin to understand. We trust that God whom we worship in all His holiness and beauty is also the God who has made Himself known in the person of His Son, Jesus.
In Jesus we are shown the love and mercy of God so we can learn to love the God we cannot see or comprehend. In Jesus, we receive the unbounded grace that flows from the Trinity. In Jesus, we are drawn to the Trinity so the completeness of love that is the Trinity might become our dwelling place.