Birdsong

Early summer mornings out walking by the river, I'm always aware of birdsong. Sometimes melodic, sometimes chirpy, never fails to lift my spirits. I reckon I must hear at least ten distinct species in the space of a few hundred yards as I walk through the park. The little groups of goldfinches I find the most delightful as they bounce among the branches. Their tinkling sounds like so many miniature bells in the trees.

Psalm 84 uses a bird metaphor to illustrate the joy off living close to the place where God dwells. It makes me sit up and think.

How lovely is your dwelling-place,

    Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

    for the courts of the Lord...

Even the sparrow has found a home,

    and the swallow a nest for herself,

    where she may have her young –

a place near your altar,

    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Now, why would a sparrow or a swallow necessarily choose to build their house in an old church. As it happens, they often do. Is it because of the lofty spires and the beautiful stained glass windows? Hardly. Is it because they have an acute sense of the presence of their Creator God. Probably not. I guess the reason is much more prosaic. It’s because a church is more open, more accessible than a private house. Because a church provides a place of security and peace in the higher nooks and crannies of its towers, away from the noise and dangers of the city streets. A place you might bring up your children in safety - next to where God dwells.

And therein, lies the lesson for us. That’s what church, our church, God’s community here in Lisbon, should be like. It’s not about beautiful architecture and religious symbolism. It’s about easy access, a place that is open to all comers and where people feel welcome. A place that is safe and secure, where the weak and injured can feel cared for. And a place that encourages growth, where we would want to see our families brought up and instructed.

That’s the place we love. Thats the place where God dwells.