The Gift of Community and Unity
Exodus 35:24-29: "Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats' hair. And all the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord."
The men, the women, and the leaders all brought their freewill offerings before the Lord - offerings not only of their resources but of their talents. What a beautiful thing it is when God's people come together in unity! The community saw the value of building the Lord's tabernacle. The nation of Israel had received a second chance from the Lord. Though they sinned grievously against him, the Lord would come and dwell again amongst his people.
All these contributions were used by Bezalel and his team in building the tabernacle. In fact, as we will later read, there was such abundance that the artisans asked Moses to stop the offerings. Isn't it amazing what can be accomplished when God's people come together - in worship, in offering, in service, and in gratitude for all that the Lord has done for them?
Paul encourages the Ephesian church to this kind of unity:
The men, the women, and the leaders all brought their freewill offerings before the Lord - offerings not only of their resources but of their talents. What a beautiful thing it is when God's people come together in unity! The community saw the value of building the Lord's tabernacle. The nation of Israel had received a second chance from the Lord. Though they sinned grievously against him, the Lord would come and dwell again amongst his people.
All these contributions were used by Bezalel and his team in building the tabernacle. In fact, as we will later read, there was such abundance that the artisans asked Moses to stop the offerings. Isn't it amazing what can be accomplished when God's people come together - in worship, in offering, in service, and in gratitude for all that the Lord has done for them?
Paul encourages the Ephesian church to this kind of unity:
"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." -Ephesians 4:1-6
As God's beloved people, we are called to live differently from the world. While the world is divided by politics, anger, and selfish agendas, the church is united by the one true God.
Is that how the world would describe the church today? Sadly, I am not sure it is. One night, while at dinner with friends, I met a man who bombarded me with religious questions. The most pertinent of those questions was whether I thought the church was the most divisive institution in our world today. He felt quite strongly that it was. Underneath his position was a lot of pain which he eventually shared with me. He expressed that church leaders had ostracized him due to the color of his skin. Not only did he feel opposition in the world but also in the church. How very sad!
Paul would speak directly to these misunderstandings throughout his letters: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Jesus Christ came to break through barriers between us and the Father as well as the barriers that existed between mankind. We are one in Christ. May we follow the example of the Israelites in this passage and bring the fullness of ourselves before the Lord as an offering. May we embrace the call to unity so that the Lord can do great things in us and through us, and so that we can model lives of unity around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then the world will see his love and be drawn to this beautiful communion.
Reflection:
Are you living faithfully in community, seeking to be unified through Jesus Christ? Through him, are you breaking through the barriers that would separate us knowing that what unites us is so much greater than what divides us?
Is that how the world would describe the church today? Sadly, I am not sure it is. One night, while at dinner with friends, I met a man who bombarded me with religious questions. The most pertinent of those questions was whether I thought the church was the most divisive institution in our world today. He felt quite strongly that it was. Underneath his position was a lot of pain which he eventually shared with me. He expressed that church leaders had ostracized him due to the color of his skin. Not only did he feel opposition in the world but also in the church. How very sad!
Paul would speak directly to these misunderstandings throughout his letters: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Jesus Christ came to break through barriers between us and the Father as well as the barriers that existed between mankind. We are one in Christ. May we follow the example of the Israelites in this passage and bring the fullness of ourselves before the Lord as an offering. May we embrace the call to unity so that the Lord can do great things in us and through us, and so that we can model lives of unity around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then the world will see his love and be drawn to this beautiful communion.
Reflection:
Are you living faithfully in community, seeking to be unified through Jesus Christ? Through him, are you breaking through the barriers that would separate us knowing that what unites us is so much greater than what divides us?
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