Pretty sad that it is now October and I am only writing about the third day of our vacation in July! Such is the life of a busy mother. Moments for pleasurable journal writing are rare!
Sorry if this is too long-winded for some of you. You don't have to read it all. I am adding all the details I can because I am going to turn this into a book for my children for a Christmas present.
We visited the temple of the Community of Christ church. The temple is open to the public for guided tours. The boys thought the outside looked like a space ship. Their view changed when we went in. They were all impressed with some of the beautiful artwork that is inside.
Before entering we paused to let the kids examine
some statues in the courtyard.
Here a young man and boy are
beating their swords into plow shares .
The Community of Christ focuses its
worship on "proclaiming Jesus Christ
and promoting communities of joy, hope, love, and peace."
They promote international peace.
some statues in the courtyard.
Here a young man and boy are
beating their swords into plow shares .
The Community of Christ focuses its
worship on "proclaiming Jesus Christ
and promoting communities of joy, hope, love, and peace."
They promote international peace.
The kids wanted to pose with the statues.
They were confused about the young statue-boy having long hair
and insisted he must be a girl!
We tried in vain to explain
the concept of men having longer hair in the 1800's!
Does he look like a blacksmith?
This is the beautiful 5,684-pipe
organ that is in the Temple Sanctuary.
The Community of Christ holds a
Daily Prayer for Peace
in the sanctuary--365 days a year.
These services are led by religious leaders
from different denominations.
Mckay was dying to go up
on the balcony and see the organ.
Our very kind tour guide gave him permission.
Mckay was very polite and reverent.
I could see his fingers itching to play the instrument!
He told me later that
he really wanted to play some hymns on the piano.
I don't know if it was the beautiful room, the grand piano,
the thrill of sitting up on a stage in front of us all . . . .
or maybe all of the above.
He withheld himself from the temptation
and posed instead for a picture.
Symbols of world-wide peace and unity in the Sanctuary.
The girls are under the spiral--looking up into the "conch shell".
It was a unique and beautiful sight.
Our tour guide told the children
that if they stood directly under the center
of the spiral and looked up at it,
it would be impossible for them to hold still.
They all tried it,
and all of them stood there wobbling around!
We all had a good laugh and enjoyed the sight.
Looking up into the
Temple Sanctuary Spiral.
"The design was based on the nautilus seashell,
the ceiling rises 195 feet.
The spiral represents the inward and outward journey of discipleship.
It is symbolic of the importance of our personal relationship with God
and our efforts to share the peace of Jesus Christ
in communities throughout the world."
The cross on the exterior wall of the Chapel
is made from pieces of wood
donated by Community of Christ members
from areas all over the world.
There are 100 different kinds of wood in this cross.
It represents more than 50 countries
in which their church is officially established.
"The three olive branches at the center of the cross
are shaped like a descending dove.
Both are symbols of peace."
This is the entryway to the "Worshipers Path."
This is a spiraling hallway that lends itself to
peace, worship and reverence.
It has beautiful art work--
symbols of direction on our path to Jesus Christ.
I didn't take pictures through the path, but did take,
upon request of Ryanne and Leah,
pictures of the entryway art.
This is the Sacred Grove.
"Layers of carved glass represent the wooded grove
in New York where Joseph Smith Jr.
had a prayerful experience
that led him to found this church.
It beckons worshipers toward the sanctuary
as they seek their own encounter with the Divine."
Artist: Kathy Barnard
It is a beautiful and inspiring piece of work.
Next is the burning bush.
Leah especially liked this one.
"The multidimensional textile reminds us
of God's call to Moses found in the Old Testament.
God called to him out of a bush.
"'Moses! Moses!' He looked and the bush was blazing,
yet it was not consumed... 'Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing is holy ground.'"
—Exodus 3:2-5
Artist: Linda Henke
The next few pictures are not my own,
the hallway was much too dark
for my little camera to take pictures.
These come from the Community of Christ web-site.
Prodigal Son
A black granite carving represents the story Jesus shared about a young man who made some poor life choices but was welcomed home by his forgiving father. The parable of the prodigal son assures us God will always accept us with open arms.
"For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;
he was lost and now is found!"—Luke 15:24
"For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;
he was lost and now is found!"—Luke 15:24
Artist: Kathy Barnard
The Cross
For Christians, God's love and grace are embodied in the sacrificial life and death of Jesus. Worshipers walk through the shadow of the rough-hewn cross, which is empty, proclaiming the risen Christ. Jesus said,
"Take up your cross, and follow me."
—Mark 8:34
Artists: John Weller and Lee Sampson
This brass, copper, and steel sculpture inspires images about new life, bringing forth good fruit, and spiritual growth. The movement of the leaves inspires the worshiper to continue to journey toward spiritual encounter with the Divine. "The leaves of the tree are for the healing
of the nations."—Revelation 22:2
Artist: Suat Gurtan
Fountain of Living Water
At the top of the Worshipers Path is a fountain of water.
Water flows over the shelf of the granite pool,
symbolizing the abundant life God has given us.
The symbolic living water quenches our spiritual thirst,
cleansing and soothing our soul.
"The water that I will give will become in them
a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
—John 4:14
Try keeping your kids hands out of this water after a 45 minute tour . . . . yikes! I think by the end of this tour I was so ready to get out! Not because of the tour. i would have liked to stay longer. But the kids were dying--they could barely restrain themselves. Whew--it was a relief to get them outside and let them run. If youtake small children on this tour, ask for a short tour and a young tour-guide (they don't talk as much)!
Many of the elements of the Community of Christ, or Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day -Saints are beautiful and commendable. They do have a sanctuary of peace. They have much truth to offer. However, they do not have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; there are no temple sealings, many of the doctrines of Christ taught in the temple ordinances are not to be found in this community. Joseph Smith is not proclaimed as a prophet who saw God, just a man who had a "spiritual encounter" with the divine. I appreciate their efforts to send a message of the Love of Jesus Christ across the world and further rejoice at the peace they extend to all sects, religions and nations. I also share my own divine witness that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today--the fullness of the priesthood and its authority-- the blessing of eternal covenants with the Lord are found only in this organization. I commend the great good that other religious sects carry out on the earth but also extend a testimony and an invitation for all to seek the Lord's full blessings and promises that have been revealed to a latter-day prophets of God in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Back outside-- we cross the street and look back.
Here we can see the little white visitors center
that belongs to the sect called Hedrickites--
a small off-shoot of the Mormon church.
Behind their building we see
the Community of Christ temple spiral rising.
To the right is the grassy field
that Joseph Smith dedicated for
the building of the true temple that will yet be
raised to God in the New Jerusalem
by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We all had to pose at the Temple Site sign.
We do believe that the Lord will come to
His people here in the last days
and that the city of Zion will be built--temple included!
It is an exciting thing to think about.
He's just handsome!
~I love this kid~
Behind Wes and Mckay you can see the grand Auditorium
for the Community of Christ.
This is their World Headquarters.
This little plot of land where the temple will one day be erected
is owned by the Hedrickites or Church of Christ (Temple Lot),
--another splinter group
from the Mormon religion.
They are named after the founder, Granville Hedrick,
who claimed to have a vision to return and purchase the land,
which he was able to do in 1867 after the Saints had been
driven from Missouri.
The Church of Christ is a small group of about 3,000 members.
They have not built a temple on the lot,
but do have a visitors center.
I think they are probably serving a
wonderful purpose in the Lord's plan for this temple lot.
"The Stone", meaning one of the corner stones
laid to mark the temple.
Wes and Mckay are standing on the spot
where the corner stone was found.
I thought this church across the street was beautiful.
While Wes went into the Hedrickite Church to learn their beliefs,
the kids took a break. They were tired of tours,
so they played in the fountain
on the other side of the temple lot.
Not the end of day three, no--not yet!
But the end of this long blog!
