Have you ever been to a library?  There’s a special rule for how we use our voices there, right? (Do you remember the rule?  How do we speak in a library?)

That’s right – we use very quiet voices in the library because we don’t want to disturb anyone who might be reading.

Now things are different on the playground, aren’t they?  There we can use our loudest outdoor voices – because playgrounds are places for having fun.

Sometimes the things that are fine to do in one place are just not appropriate in another.

In this week’s Gospel we hear a story about this problem.  Jesus goes to the temple church and when He gets there He finds that people are inside selling animals.  They’ve turned the temple into a kind of store.

This makes Jesus very angry and He goes and turns over their tables and knocks their money on the floor.  He tells them to stop doing their business in the temple church – which is a place for honoring God.

It’s a good reminder that what’s ok at some times and places may not be alright in others.  Let’s all try to remember that this week.

Can we pray?

Dear God,

Help us remember to do the right things in the right places during the coming week.

Amen

Spirituality The Episcopal Church Children's Homily Clergy Lent Podcast The Rev. Charles C. McCoart Jr.