Christ Church Bromley

I came across a web site a few years back which had a section of the site where you could post your 'thin places' - any place or situation where the distance between you and God was at its thinnest. Most of the places that people listed were sunrises, sunsets, a beautiful landscape, looking into their newborn's eyes, the exhilaration of skiing off piste, things like that.

In the 14-18s group on Friday we were looking at Psalm 148 . In this psalm, the entire universe - heavens, earth, sky, land, plants, animals and especially mankind - is to praise the LORD. They are to do this because he is our Creator and our King in Christ Jesus.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Psalm 148:5-6

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He has raised up for his people a horn (footnote: strong one, or King), the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Psalm 148:13-14

The heavens and the earth praise the LORD simply by being his creation. So, when the sun rises and the morning sky is splashed with rich golden yellows and deep sapphire blues, it is speaking God's praises in a way that all of us can understand (Psalm 19:1-3 ).

The things that we easily mistake as 'thin places' - where we feel like the gap between us and God is at its thinnest - aren't actually thin places. The things we mistake as 'thin places' are actually loud places: where the praise of God being declared by his amazing creation can be clearly heard.

The only place where the gap between us and God is thinnest that I'm aware of is at the cross of Jesus. In fact, only at the cross is the gap (a.k.a. sin) between us and God removed entirely. Only there can I know God intimately, personally and completely because of his sacrifice for me in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-20 ).

That really is something worth praising God for.