nascent-adjective. coming into being; being born; beginning to form, start, grow, or develop: said of ideas, cultures, etc.

I have recently read about a Hindu temple built in the 16th century. It has a hall of fifty-six pillars which are carved from a single block of granite and most of them are designed to sound a specific note when tapped. How cool to have an instrument of that scale. How really cool to build that. I love the idea of a temple where men may strum/thump the actual structure in effort to call out to God. Yeah - I'm not Hindu and know almost nothing about Hinduism, but I do understand calling out to who I think God is. From the Vittala temple complex my mind ranges to the design instructions given to the builders of the temple for the God of Moses. I remember a few years ago I decided to start on page one of the NIV Bible and just read a few chapters a night. It was good. See, I had heard or read the "stories" but what I didn't have a chance to put together for myself was how they relate to each other...and if/how they relate to me or I relate to them... . It's like understanding the four stroke cycle without being able to see the crank shaft turn the prop - the prop then doing what it does and what's behind the prop... . Well it's just a lot more interesting to see the words which are conveying a small idea then a bigger idea then next thing you know there is a story there that begins to seem like it might even have something to do with you (or me). The book of Exodus describes how the temple or tabernacle should be be built ... it's interesting and minutely detailed (tediously so). Some scholars say it is a recreation or model of God's residential accommodations in heaven. I don't know - I haven't studied that or thought about it enough to have developed an opinion... . I do know that sacrifices were brought to the temple - and they were prescribed and specific - as an atonement for "sin". I'm not writing about atonement today - today I am thinking about temples. There is a lot of information on the temple - the current events around the temple mount and the "re-building" of the temple and the temple's role in Bible prophecy would all have to be part of an in depth study on the Judeo-Christian view(s) for the relevance of the "Temple of God". But - again that is all well beyond my little musings this morning. I am thinking about the temple described in the new testament - this temple: 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?", 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. ..." The idea of the in-dwelling Spirit is expressed in many other places.
Acts 17:24" The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. (...from one man He made all nations and set stuff up...) 17:27 and 28 "He did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being." We in him - He within us. Individually, personally - not corporate
Jesus was asked for a sign to prove his authenticity - he answered, John 2:19, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days." The religious leaders scoffed at that idea saying it took 46 years to build the temple - but the temple he spoke of was his body. He was raised from the dead three days after he offered his life as a final atonement for the estranging sin of mankind. The gospel of Mark (my favorite gospel account) chapter 16 talks about the resurrection of Christ. He said three times that he would raise/rise on the third day. I used to think this was an interesting story - maybe not quite accurate - maybe just all made up...I mean people have all sorts of ideas about how we "fit" with who ever god might be. My experience with myself as a "Christian" has been pretty disappointing...I want to do right but doing wrong is pretty interesting too. I listen to people all the time who are messed up because of the lies/half truths about God that have scarred their souls.
So back to the idea of temple... How cool is it that God decided to build us as a temple which might choose to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It's pretty cool that the created gets to chose. How cool that a temple was created for a purpose - and I think we all sense and reach towards the idea that there is some purpose for our being.... Built as a temple to be indwelt for what purpose? I'm thinking about that. In the mean time I do like that we are all so versatile a structure - when I see what some of the accomplishments of mankind are I am happy - impressed - we rock.
The Bible describes us - our "temple-ness" as tent-like. If this earthsuit is a tent I am really looking forward to seeing the next thing - container. Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us. I like the work that He is credited with. (John 1:1)
That's it. I gotta get busy on a little housework ... saving the ironing for Top Chef finale tonight (My favorite weekly show - well it's the only thing I watch routinely.) I am mostly excited about my new CFI books and about getting stuff organized for that. I am excited about a day that I can plant the flat of pansies that are out there waiting.