To think 30,000 deaths a year are from gun ownership in the US is overwhelming. The comments Reb Jef made about God's Alter not being made of hewn stone make a lot of sense.
It it is also a skill to build with stone that are unhewn. It doesn't mean God's Alter looked like a pile of rubble either. Far from it a natural stone structure has a softer more pleasing, organic sense about it.
I think God's Altar also represents his people, all completely individual, yet can be built into an Altar before the Lord. With skilled hands we all 'fit in' to a grand design.
I think we need places to worship the Lord God. I tend to think of my home as a holy place. I do light a fragrant oil ceramic burner, and a candle at mealtimes. I have my Icons of Jesus, St George and the dragon, and Mary mother of mercy and tenderness on a special shelf in my lounge. With the oil burner.
I find when I am doing projects like my new sofa, there is something very holy about it. I re-inforce that sense by playing worship music, and lighting my burner for incense. I let myself drift, and feel very much in God's presence then. I suppose it's meditative creation.
We are fogbound today. The planes are not flying. I took some stunning photos of fog and sunset over our Corbiere Lighthouse last evening, I will try to put up a little slideshow of them later.
Another thing I find fascinating is that I remember reading that there was only one layer of cloth in the Tabernacle. It was woven so that there was a different pattern on each side of the cloth. I checked again online. Well it seems there are now two layers of the cloth, and they are embroidered with Cherubim, instead of woven with pomegranates. Just very weird, I will probably be mulling this over for days.
God does choose people like Bezalel to make holy representations of things.
I have made my choice on covering the sofa cushions though. It is definitely the dark reverse side of my fabric for the sofa, and the light side for the chairs. Both the same fabric and colours, but a lovely contrast, and modern look to the old pink striped one I bought.
Have a very creative and blessed day today.