I continued to practise the Celtic knot wavy lines. One of the designs didn’t work out, but I concluded that it didn’t matter. I am getting better at accepting imperfection and my poor efforts.
Whilst celebrating communion during the pandemic I have been using hand sanitiser. I therefore have not continued to do the ceremonial hand washing at the altar. To be honest I have never been a big fan of it. However, on the morning of 21st June, on the 19th anniversary of my ordination, by one of those wonderful coincidences (God-incidences) my bible reading included a description of the ‘sea’ in the temple.
2 Chronicles 4:2-6 – Solomon furnishes the temple:
He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit. The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.
The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths………the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing. (NIV)
The account is also in 1 Kings 7. The volume of the Sea was either 44,000 or 66,000 litres of water. That’s BIG! I just looked up online to get an idea of it. An oval pool containing 66,000 litres of water is approx 18×33 feet and 5 ft deep.
That day, being a Tuesday, meant that I had a communion service in one of my churches. When I stood behind the altar I recalled the Sea used for the priests’ ceremonial washing. I felt the need to do the ceremonial hand washing, as well as the sanitiser. I was quite emotional when I shared with the congregation that it was my anniversary. What a wonderful way to start the day.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 