Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness~2

We all need to be reminded of holy things because "the world is too much with us." One of the reminders in England is the ringing of church bells. From all accounts, England is no longer a spiritual country, choosing rather to take God for granted with their stiff-upper-lip attitude. This has been true for many years now, and it's showing in their choices.

So even though there are at least 160,000 church towers with bells ringing out a reminder of holy things in their villages, it's what is in their hearts that matters. In this 4th chapter of  F. LaGard Smith's Meeting God in Quiet Places, he has told us that there are tiny golden bells on the bottom of the priest's robe to announce his coming before the Lord, so that he would not die.
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A thousand years later, when Zechariah prophecied about the day the Savior of the world would revolutionize the nature of worship before God. Zechariah says:

"On that day, 'Holy to the Lord' will be inscribed on the bells of horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar." What a dramatic change from tiny golden bells on a robe to bells on horses! What a shift in attitude with the enormous "holiness gap?"

We don't understand all the underlying meanings, but the message for us is clear. If you have ever felt that you aren't worthy of being loved by God, or felt at such a distance from Him that He doesn't even care that you exist, or that your guilt is too great for Him to cover, then read on.

LaGard says: "The good news is that, with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we are no longer kept at arm's length from God." Christ has himself completed the work of the high priest, bringing our guilt and unworthiness before God. He offered himself as the sacrifice, and while we are unworthy, He is worth for us. Where we are unholy, He is the holy Lamb of God. This means that Jesus has given you and me unlimited access to God. You can reach out and touch God. AND...because of the cross... God has reached out and touched you!" These are amazing and comforting words.

The moment of Jesus' death, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." This "curtain of separation" is no longer between you and God. Through Jesus, you can now approach the throne of heaven--an act that could not have happened when Aaron was high priest. Think about that!

LaGard goes on to say: "Jesus is our announcement, like the bells announced the priest. In one single hour of history, His crucifixion became the greatest moment of mourning, celebration and peace ever witnessed by humankind. Jesus' death was the loudest anthem of bell-ringing the world has ever heard!"

Yes, the bells are a reminder that YOU can approach God joyfully, and find help when you need it. Or the bells may remind you to love Him and praise Him in your life. God longs for a relationship with you, and you surely yearn for a relationship with Him. The bells peal out the sound of joy, which is felt in the hearts of many around the world.

Decide today that you will meditate more seriously on holy matters. So many of us are caught up in the poor quality of spiritual life that is dominant in our society. Only you can change your attitude toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.

Have a good weekend! Remember to thank God always.

Blessings...Mimi 

Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness

Among those  who approach me I will show myself holy. Lev. 10:3

Yes, I made it to Santa Fe and back by 10 A.M., just in time to have lunch at Hannah & Nate's with my friend, Alice at 11 A.M in Corrales. This small restaurant uses organic produce from Los Poblanos Organics, a farm that isn't very far away from them. I am getting about 2 deliveries a month from LPO, and I enjoy the fresh, organic produce, as well as products from other organic companies.

Today I'm adding another of my summaries from Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith and it's from my original blog, so please be patient. Chapter 4 from Meeting God is probably my favorite parable from this book. The idea that golden bells on the edge of a priest's garment mean so much is very moving. See what you think. 

This parable equates the ringing of church bells to holiness. There are about 160,000 bell towers in England. In fact, most villages have bells in the church tower to tell the villagers that something important has happened. Births, deaths, weddings, and even times of peace after a war are all cause for ringing the church bells.

Some of the bells are over 10 feet in diameter and very heavy...weighing tons. And in England, there must be bell ringers who have practiced the art of "change-ringing." This style of ringing dates back at least 3 centuries. The bell-ringers are proud to pull the ropes of the bells perfectly. There are episodes in All Creatures Great and Small series about a group meeting to practice their bell rope pulling. But what all of this got to do with holiness?


Bells are mentioned only twice in the Bible. The garments of Aaron the high priest were sacred and included a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic, a turban, and a sash. Instructions for making the robe say that it shall be made of blue cloth with pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the bottom of the robe with gold bells alternating between them. Aaron wore it when he ministered as a priest before God in the Holy Place. The explanation for the bells is: "Their sound will be heard when the priest enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die." DIE???!!! The tiny golden bells were a matter of life and death. 

How could this be? Because the high priest was the only mortal man who went into the presence of the God of all creation. Anyone else entering would die. It seems the bells were to announce the coming of the priest before the Lord--the unholy one before the Holy One.
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I'll continue this parable tomorrow with more explanation about the bells. Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

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Blessings...Mimi