March 3, 2021

A Word about the Word-

And they received from Moses all of the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning. So that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the tasks that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So, Moses gave command and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary so that people were restrained from bringing. For the material they had was sufficient to do all the work and more. [Exodus 36:3–7]

This is a quite story from our Old Testament. Moses asked the people to give for the construction of the tabernacle. And they did. Actually, they gave sooooo much that they had to be told to stop giving! What?? When was the last time you heard a church leader tell his people to stop giving?!

It reminds me of the generosity of the Trinity family. Whether it’s buying a school bus for children in India or the ongoing tithing during a pandemic or the consistent giving to our almost-finished capital campaign, our church can be counted on to give beyond expectations! Wouldn’t it be great if that kind of outlandish giving spread among the churches and Christians throughout the world? I pray that in my life, and yours, we may always overflow with generosity—excessive generosity—and that this world, the tabernacle of God’s presence, would flourish and be abundantly blessed.

 

Close to Home

One of the ministries I am grateful for at Trinity is GriefShare: a “side door” that brings people into the church, where they can find love and hope amidst their loss. Like other interruptions, COVID has caused many people to muffle the grieving process which God has designed into our psyches. Whether it’s someone losing a loved one or a wife experiencing divorce or even someone losing their job—grieving is meant to happen. But our present limitations and restrictions of contact can hinder the proper expression. Undaunted, grief will still haunt the heart and bewilder the mind. These words from Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren say it well:

“If we do not make time for grief, it will not simply disappear. Grief is stubborn. It will make itself heard or we will die trying to silence it. If we don’t face it directly, it comes out sideways, in ways that aren’t always recognizable as grief: explosive anger, uncontrollable anxiety, compulsive shallowness, brooding bitterness, unchecked addiction. Grief is a ghost that can’t be put to rest until its purpose has been fulfilled.”

 

The World as It Is

Check out this cool, new, flat map of the world. (Notice I didn’t say map of the flat world. 🙂 This map is a unique view of the world, not a unique worldview. 

 

A Prayer for This Sunday

“Jesus, my feet are dirty. Come even as a slave to me, pour water into your bowl, come and wash my feet. In asking such a thing I know I am overbold, but I dread what was threatened when you said to me, ‘If I do not wash your feet, I have no fellowship with you.’ Wash my feet then, because I long for your companionship.” 
[Origen (c. 185–254)]

I’ll catch you on the other side.

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