Hearing the Music

Dedication

One of the things I admire about Olympic athletes is how dedicated they are to their sport. Just think of how many hours they have spent honing their craft by the time they reach the international stage. The same can be said for musicians, artists, writers, computer hackers, gamers, etc... it takes dedication!

The dictionary definition of dedication speaks of being "exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular service or purpose". This dedication can be true of both a thing or a place, or it can also be true of a person. This Sunday we will take some time, through ceremony, to allocate our finished construction to its intended purpose; namely, the glory of God. As this project has taken shape, through its concept phase and now to its completion, it has always been about extending community and enabling mission for the glory of God. Today the atrium will host a discussion around work, vocation and calling. Very soon it will be hosting Sunday School, Bible studies, and trainings of various sorts. As a central hub for the life of the church, in it coffee will be served, good news will be celebrated, tears will be shed, and hugs shared. I hope that you will join us between services this Sunday, at 10am, for a time of prayer, singing and dedication of this space for the glory of God.

The theme of dedication doesn't stop with the church building though, especially this week. Last week we were reminded of the important connection between the tabernacle/temple of the Old Testament and the indwelling of Christ with his people of the New Testament. In a very real way WE are "exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular service or purpose". This week as we look at chapters 35-39 of Exodus, we will take an in depth look at what our dedication looks like as grace-inundated followers of Jesus!

_{Photo by Marcus Ng on Unsplash}

A World of Competing Sorrows

We certainly have seen the sorrows of the world in Afghanistan this week. We have watched and read accounts coming from that war torn country with frustration, fear, sadness, helplessness, perhaps even a little hopelessness. We grieve for our sisters and brothers of the faith there, knowing that many of them will be called to hold fast to the faith in the face of martyrdom. While there may be little tangibly that many of us can do, while we may have differing opinions on how things should have or should be handled politically, we all have the privilege and responsibility to bring these people, this country, before the Lord in prayer. We prayed through Psalm 9 as a Christ Church community Wednesday night. In the midst of his own trouble David proclaims, “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. (vv. 9,10)”

Closer to home we have the sorrow that the COVID Delta variant is rising within our community. The positivity rates in Kent County have continued to rise and now exceed the threshold that the CDC recommends for masking in indoor gatherings. In light of this, the session is recommending the following as we continue to monitor the situation. 

• First, we will reinstitute an outdoor offering at 10:30, for at least the next three weeks, to enjoy the outside feel while we continue to monitor the situation.
• Second we are recommending but not requiring CC attenders to mask at indoor events as the Delta variant has proven to be highly transmittable regardless of vaccination status. Please read this helpful primer on the Delta variant.

My guess is that many of you, like me, were really hoping that we would never have to have another COVID conversation again. Some of you may be rolling your eyes. Some of you may be saying that it is about time we addressed this. In ethics they talk about “a world of competing sorrows” - that is, a world in which there is no response that does only good and not also harm. In responding to COVID this is especially true when you factor in the enormous emotional toll on individuals, our community and our call to discipleship that will be involved in these decisions. We will all need to be as wise and charitable as possible.

While we seek to take appropriate measures with respect to COVID, we do believe that our situation is different than last year. As such we are committed to worshipping together, Sunday School, Bible study, prayer meetings, and other discipleship endeavors. Let us also commit to honoring one another as we all have different vulnerabilities, opinions and pressure points when it comes to COVID. As we saw last week, and will dig deeper into this week, in the midst of brokenness and pain, Moses asked the Lord, “Please show us your glory!”. It is a prayer that the Lord answers with abounding mercy that sustains a community in the midst of their wilderness wanderings. Sounds like exactly what we need.

 _{Photo by Ahmed M Elpahwee on Unsplash}

Moving

Collect the stuff. Pack the boxes. Move the boxes. Unpack the boxes. Place the items in their new places. No we are not moving anywhere, but these last couple of weeks our kids have been engaged in moving around town, which means we have been helping out. Moving is perhaps the ultimate transition, both exciting and unsettling at the same time. We experience these transitions throughout our lives. Along with moving, marriage, new schools, new jobs or retirement are a some of the "biggies". But transitioning from summer to back to school, from sleeping to waking, transitions between pandemic restrictions, etc... They are all part of life; exciting, but unsettling.

In the midst of transitions, one the great promises that we have is Jesus' promise to never leave us or forsake us. This is a New Testament reality flowing out of the finished work of Jesus. He has prepared the way for the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our hearts so that whatever transition we are experiencing, God's presence is with us. Assuring.

The idea of God in our midst has been at the center of our study of Exodus. This week is no exception. Throughout Exodus 32 and 33 we will see Moses mediating for the presence of God in the midst of his people, even at the cost of his life.

_{Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash}