3rd Sunday after Pentecost:

Thou hast created all things,

and for thy pleasure

they are and were created.

(Revelation 4:11)

We just returned from a serendipitous family rendezvous at Mission Beach—all sixteen of us. A beat up, old beach house accommodates us all plus daily visits by extended family and friends. It’s not the beauty of the house that draws us, but the beauty of what can be seen, taken in, and experienced from the house.

From the second story deck we view the ocean, contemplate its waves, and at the right time, make our move with boogie boards, and one day, with the help of friends, even surf boards; to rollick about in the ocean’s watery bounty. Eventually, we walk back across the sand to our beach house and view the wonders from a distance. You need some space to contemplate the wonder of it all. That’s the way it is with beauty. It’s spacious.

Now, we’ve returned to our distant homes with memories of the beauty of creation and the beauty of God’s creatures. Each family has its distance—its God given spaciousness. But there is a longing that maybe one day we can do it again. It is a rehearsal for That Day when we will all be gathered together in the eternal beauty of God’s Glory.