Presbytery went well, and quickly. There's been a trend in recent years to make the younger members of the court the moderator - by current calculations, I might be up for the gig in another year. I hope the trend shifts; I'm not entirely familiar or comfortable with Robert's Rules and running big meetings. But I'd be happy to serve.

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Did some reading in my architecture-review book yesterday. As the author was gushing over the ancient Indian culture (not American Indian), he commented on how the inside of the buildings are really pretty dark and unfulfilling, that most of the splendor of ancient Indian architecture is on the outside. Several chapters earlier, he had written at length about the high gothic cathedrals of the middle ages; those cathedrals were designed to be monuments of light, with walls and walls of stained glass windows and clever ways to catch the light at different parts of the day.

Then last night our Australian intern (really, who else gets to write those words?) preached from Luke 12, where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees & lawyers for being whitewashed tombs. The difference between Indian temples and gothic churches is a wonderful illustration of Christ's teaching. From a distance, they both have beauty and magnificence. But on the inside, it is the ancient churches which are full of light and beauty. Hindu temples are, on the inside, dark and undecorated, concerned only with the impressiveness of the outside.

The outside, visible part of our lives is to be beautiful. But if that beauty doesn't begin with Christ's light shining in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, it is only so much whitewash on a temple to another god.