God's Dwelling Place

by Deacon Lorna Goodison on August 19, 2021

 “How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. (Psalm 84:1) This Sunday’s Psalm was written during a period of exile. It beautifully expresses the people of Israel’s deep yearning for worship in the Jerusalem Temple. The temple was the focal point of prayer, the place where God’s divine presence was said to reside. We can only imagine the pain of being exiled from one’s homeland, feeling separated from God and groping to find Him. Today, we also know what it is like to experience pain and to yearn deeply. We cannot face the challenges and emptiness of this world alone. But is the answer to be found simply in the Temple?  In his prayer consecrating the Temple to God, Solomon who built it, said, “even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built.” (1Kings 8:27) The heart of human longings then and now, is less about the worship building, and more about our everyday interior space: our need for an intimate relationship with God. The Incarnate Son of God came to earth to both reveals and be the way that leads humanity to this deep relationship with God, enabling us to attain the fullness of life for which we were created.   

In this Sunday’s Gospel (John 6:56-69), the final portion of the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus affirms, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.”  The Father dwells in Jesus, and Jesus invites us to open our hearts for Him to dwell with us. The true dwelling place that God desires is our very being, in us and with us. Jesus’ words speak of realities far deeper than the nibbling of His earthly flesh. Jesus’ words speak of a spiritual union that deepens life and strengthens us even when faced with worldly struggles. Jesus says his words are “spirit and life”. This mystery can only be received by faith, as we believe in Christ, commune with Him in prayer, and partake of His nourishment in the Sacraments of the Word and Holy Communion.  As our beings become God’s dwelling places, our lives, like Peter’s, proclaim the good news.  Jesus is the Holy One of God, and His words are words of eternal life!

Tags: worship, prayer, faith, spirit, relationship, eternal life, dwelling

About the Author
Deacon Lorna Goodison

Reverend Lorna Goodison was ordained to the Diaconate on April 29, 2007. After discerning a call to ordained ministry, Deacon Lorna completed a process of spiritual discernment and pursued three years of study at the Diocesan School for Christian Studies. She also completed three units of hospice care training through Vitas and for a short while she was a volunteer Chaplain. Highlights of her continuing education activities include a guided visit to Israel and attending the Festival of Homiletics in Boulder, Colorado.

Soon after her ordination, Deacon Lorna was called to serve as Deacon at St. Mary Magdalene. She initiated an outreach ministry to the homeless at St. Laurence Chapel, obtaining the support and involvement of most members of the congregation. This ministry remained a vibrant outreach of the Church until the Chapel closed in 2019.  Other outreach ministries formed include an informal group of members who stay in touch with members who are ill and shut-in. Deacon Lorna remains committed to both the in-reach and outreach ministries of the Church. She has led quiet day reflections for groups within and outside of St. Mary Magdalene. She has often led Deacon’s Masses at small churches without a priest. Of all the ministries in which Deacon Lorna participates, she is most humbled and grateful to be involved in the ministry of praying with congregants facing life’s challenges.

Deacon Lorna serves the Diocese of Southeast Florida as a member of the Disciplinary Committee. She also serves on the Board of Deacons.   

Professionally, Deacon Lorna worked for some years in Human Resource Departments as a Training Manager, but most of her working years were spent in Social Work. She worked with at-risk teenagers counselling them and guiding them to resources to build a meaningful future. The last twenty years of her profession, were spent working with Seniors, guiding them to the resources needed to maintain their safety and independence. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Adult Education. She is now retired, cherishes some alone time for prayer and reflection, but divides her time between the Church and her family which consists of two daughters, their husbands and three grandchildren.

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