In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, he writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (v. 14). We stand in awe when we read this (or we ought to), because we are told that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh, and chose to live in the midst of his people.

This nullification of the purity in worship amongst the catholic (universal) church has been the result of believing that it is not limited by the scriptures in matters of worship and what's more, some “have come to regard divine worship as more or less a matter of indifference, to be determined according to human preference or convenience.”

Here we see the high places, among the princes and majesty of the world, in which the psalmist sat. He was the point of scorn among those in power, and among whom were considered his equals. Yet among these men, there was no desire more significant than to show derision and contempt toward him.

When the days are evil, when hurt and confusion prevail, when uncertainty pervades every thought, and when our faith is weak; may we draw near to each other in the congregation of the Saints to draw encouragement, so that we do not waver from the profession of our most Holy Faith.

The world is not as it should be. No surprises there. After all, looking at the front page of any news outlet immediately reveals how messed up things are. How is it, then, that a large percentage of Westerners believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth?

Since this is the case we can be sure that in the day of trial, our reproach will be removed, our integrity will remain, the Lord will be glorified, and after all is said and done it will end well for us.

It seems that many find this command to be rather innocuous. In the first instance, we might say, well “I’m not making for myself a ‘carved image’ or any likeness of anything in heaven, on the Earth, or in the water, and I’m certainly not bowing down to them or serving them.” And this is more than likely an accurate statement, at least as it appears outwardly. However, we cannot be a people that look to the letter of the law and no further.