Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 5:2, KJV

Okay, full disclosure, there is no picture of Charlemagne’s chair in this post. I’m sorry to let you down like that. If that’s all you clicked on this post for, I’ll let you peacefully close this tab.

I recently visited two absolutely stunning cathedrals in Aachen and Cologne. Both are historically significant. The Aachen Cathedral was built under the rule of Charlemagne and became the coronation church for Holy Roman Emperors throughout the Middle Ages. Taking hundreds of years to build, the Cologne Cathedral is one of the tallest churches in the world.

In reference to the title of this post, the Aachen Cathedral houses what’s known as Charlemagne’s Throne (not pictured). I found it interesting to learn that Charlemagne likely never actually sat in this chair; the historical evidence of its use doesn’t begin until years after Charlemagne’s death. Additionally, the chair itself seems very unassuming at first glance, made of only a few slabs of marble rather than gold or precious gems. The throne becomes much more sacred after you learn that it was likely built from flooring from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Israel.

The Latin writing in this part of the church makes reference to the scripture cited above, which talks about believers in Christ as “lively stones.” Some stones can be considered to be “lively,” at least more so than others. For example, the marble from Israel that was used in Charlemagne’s throne might be considered more lively than marble without a story.

But this scripture brings up an interesting idea. While the stones that make up a cathedral become alive with holy activity, it’s the practitioners within them that are the true living stones.

The human community is made up entirely of practitioners, who believe and practice according to their own will and choice. As a living stone making up this community, we choose how we will contribute. Will we hold up others, will we remain strong? Will we rot and tumble away?

Let me know your thoughts, and consider ways that you can be a stronger living stone in your community.

KJV

The King James Version of the Christian Bible. Translation project funded and finished by King James VI of Scotland. Finished and published in 1611. 

“The Story Behind the King James Bible.” The KJV Store. (https://www.thekjvstore.com/articles/the-story-behind-the-king-james-bible/)

Cathedral

“A cathedral is the seat of the bishop and a centre of worship and mission. The primary purpose of a cathedral is to be a place of Christian worship but it is also often the oldest building in continuous use in its surrounding area and of significance to the heritage, culture and community life of the area it serves.”

“What is a cathedral?” The Association of English Cathedrals. (https://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/about-us/)