Reflection: Gathered: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     How often do you think our church gatherings ‘invite’ onlookers to participate?

2.     In what ways do we say welcome but our attitudes and actions set up restrictions?

3.     What do you long for in gathering of worship?

Share: What keeps your heart gladdened to attend worship in your community?

Reflection: Display: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you think our world today, our personal culture, and our houses of worship are in more danger of false ‘gods’ than previous believers? Why or why not?

2.     Why does a façade need wisdom and honest clarity to expose?

3.     Are there seasons or situations in our lives when we are most vulnerable?

4.     How can we help to sustain an obedient, believing faith for ourselves and for each other?

            Share: What is one way you screen authentic from false worship?

Worship: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

           

            Neighbor

            Neighbor countries

            foreign countries

            powerful and non-descript

            they came seeking

            waiting—wondering now at

public display

            did they remember

            Scripture words

            from east—west—north—south

            My people shall come.

            Was it to happen

            now—here—this prophecy?

Reflection: Foreign: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Have you mostly experienced a ‘by invitation only’, or an open door, house of worship?

2.      What do you consider to be the strengths or weaknesses of each approach?

3.     In what ways does your place of worship influence your heart of worship both within and without the physical location?

Share: Have you been able to participate in a multicultural, multi-language, or multi-denominational worship? What brought fellowship to the gathering?

Foreign: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:10

“Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,”

Friendly countries. Enemy countries.

Stronger countries.

Jews and Gentiles.

Seeking—waiting—worshipping.

Together despite their outer differences, culture, education, appearance, color, wealth, or style.

Together in heart intent. At great distance. Great trials endured for the privilege of celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem.

How often since do Your churches, houses of worship, separate and judge each other from eternal criteria. Anything that is ‘foreign’ to our gatherings.

How often do we as Your people reject or judge another without cause. Without truth-filled hearts.

Instead, Lord, help us to recognize Your invitation to come into our worship as fellow seekers, into our lives and homes as members of Your family.

Keep us from allowing prejudice to take root and instead open our hearts to receive and give in fellowship from all corners of Your created earth and from all corners within our cities.

You alone can judge each heart by Your word. May we remember and recognize fellow worshippers and offer hospitality. Let us not dismiss what You see as good.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:10

“God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Common: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Common

            Languages completely

diverse in syntax,

style. Educated and common.

Countries near and far

united to worship

share the Passover.

Opposite of Babel’s

arrogant pride.

Now spoken

one to one invitation.

Of His Grace.

Reflection: Diverse: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you think that in our churches we still put up boundaries to others?

2.     Why? What criteria do you think we use consciously or unconsciously?

3.     How does the common speech of mankind at Babel (Gen 11:1-10) differ from the universal gift to all mankind at the Cross?

Share: Have you been able to experience a worship setting of diversity? How did you sense the Lord’s presence?

Diverse: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:9

“Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia.”

Countries near and far.

Languages completely diverse.

Not likely to know one another apart from their own travel companions.

Yet all gathered together seeking the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Not taking Him for granted. Not to build man-made towers like Babel but to kneel.

All gathering in worship to celebrate the Passover. All devout.

Despite borders and cultures and cuisine and status they made the long journey to the one place they trusted to find hope—to honor God—to perhaps hear His voice or experience His Presence.

We no longer need to travel long distances to be with God in one particular place. That Passover opened for us a new freedom of relationship, a continual space to worship, a daily conversation.

Yet, do we take our relationship for granted? What new barriers do we put up against others whose language and culture and style of worship differs from ours?

His words bless everyone from near and far with His Grace.

Lord, help us to listen and to walk in conversation with You and with each other. Thank you that Your invitation to worship includes all of us and at the same time You give to each heart a one-to one love. In His communion.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:9

“And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.”

Inheritance: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Joshua 13

“To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance; the offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to them.” Joshua 13: 14

Chosen to give the offerings by fire. Chosen to be in the center of worship.

Devoted to the service of the sanctuary. Designated guardians of the tabernacle. Their tents had surrounded the tabernacle while they traveled—as a protective bridge. Among their designated cities were also cities of refuge. And then later they were ministers in the temple at Jerusalem.

One commentator says, “the Levites were scattered among the tribes to keep alive among them the knowledge and service of God.”

In their office as priests they offered up the sin sacrifices daily. They represented the people before God and they also offered up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. They gave religious instruction and warned against the perils of idolatry and unbelief. They gave God His glory.

Peter tells all believers, “And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …. A people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2: 5 & 9 NAS

In our allotted places we too are scattered among the people around us to serve God willingly with prayer, and praise, and witness.

Lord, only in Your strength can we fully become Your servants and live out the inheritance You have given. Help us to lean wholly upon You in daily worship and calling wherever You send us to keep alive Your words of refuge and redemption.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 133: 1-2

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard of Aaron, running down the collar of his robes.”

Reflection Unhewn: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     What might be the equivalent of an unhewn stone for us in worship today?

2.     Do you think it’s possible to experience this or have we made our worship too man-shaped?

3.     Are there barriers towards hearing God’s word spoken that we resist them for ourselves. Or for others?

4.     Even the small children were included in the reading. How do we tend to filter theology according to age, whether literally or as new believers?

Share: What word have you heard spoken to you this week that caused you to worship?

Unhewn: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Joshua 8

“All Israel, alien as well as citizen, …. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the aliens who resided among them.” Joshua 8: 33 & 35

Once again Israel went into a terrible battle under God’s orders, but this time no one lied, or stole, or disobeyed, despite the challenge and destruction. They did exactly as the Lord had ordered and as a result the whole of Israel received a blessing.

First worship—an unhewn stone—untouched by iron—a pure altar. Then a community side-by-side, that encompassed women and children and foreigners—no one present excluded—all given as equals. Then the full reading of the Law—all the words God had given Moses now given to Israel. God’s gift of identity, of relationship, of covenant.

I can’t help but wonder how willing am I to completely destroy all the false in me that still resists obedience to God’s redeeming power. Am I truly willing to open up to His redemptive grace or too willing to settle for easy and familiar?

Lord, please help us to be shaped by Your hand and not by our own man-made imitations. Give us Your strength to stand before You in complete obedience to all Your words—at Your altar—with courage to receive Your blessings and then to share them.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 128: 2

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be happy and it shall go well with you.”

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 11:34, “quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight.”

Sometimes it seems that we see our faith as our last hope. Something we cling to when all else appears helpless.  How passive and anemic.

Instead the Bible links faith to heroic feats of common ordinary men and women. The difference? They started from a faith stand—regardless of the consequences.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego held high official positions under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Yet their whole heart belonged to God. When the king’s edict demanded worship of a false idol, they never even hesitated in their reply.

“If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” Daniel 3: 17-18

Their courage and commitment to the Lord grounded them before they ever had to make life and death decisions. Their faith and relationship were the foundations of all their choices—large or small—life or death. They accepted both yes and no answers to their prayers with gratitude and obedience.

Lord, please help us to step into the world each day with the same armor, knowing that You will be our strength when we are weak. Keep our hearts in Your care.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 27:2

“When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.”

Kingdom Manna

Found

Hebrews 12:28, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.”

An acceptable worship. Levitical priests were well schooled in the forms of acceptable worship. They performed their mediation with committed precision. The offerings, the oil, the grain, the washing, the clothes: everything aligned towards reverence and awe, acknowledgment of God’s power. They trembled before the altar—hoping, praying for sin’s removal.

A burnt offering.

Questions lingered. Was it sufficient? Would God stop listening? Was it correct? Limited in reach. Liable to repetition. Then came Jesus to the altar. An acceptable worship that cannot be shaken or changed or corrupted. Crucifixion.

A consumed fire.

An acceptable worship. A heart of thanksgiving. A will set to serve. A mind focused. Welled deep in scripture. Committed to prayer and fellowship. In reverence and awe acknowledging God’s grace. Trembling before Your altar Lord, I come. Asking to be accepted as a living sacrifice.

A love kindled.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 136:26

O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Tabernacle

Veil

Holy of Holies

protected behind

royal curtain

uncontaminated sanctuary

of yearly redemption

received sins offerings.

Rent from top to

bottom by Christ’s

own blood paid

once only—opening

redemption’s access to

purified worship.

With confidence

we come, follow

His truth

continual fellowship

door way to

reconciliation.

John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Tabernacle

Book of Law

Words sealed on a

scroll in the Lord’s house

as a witness to all

generations.

Spoken as a reminder

every seven years;

citizen, alien, adult, child

none exempt.

Knowledge of rebellion

judgment’s call

written in each memory.

Word worthy to break

seal, release bondage.

Worship resonates

new commandment

echoes beginnings

relationship restored.

“They sing a new song.”

Jeremiah 32: 6-12, “Word of the Lord came to me….Then I knew it was the word of the Lord.”

Tabernacle

Tabernacle Introduction

Emmanuel—God with us! Words that we hold with joy and praise, especially in this season as we prepare to come to receive God’s story anew.

It continues to amaze me how our God always goes before us preparing our way even when we don’t see and possibly never recognize His words or His images. Sometimes they come in whispers or metaphors, songs and parables, and we are moving too fast to pause and listen. Yet He writes them into our lives just as He wrote His word into the tabernacle for Israel. His house of worship filled with symbols and word pictures to prepare His people for the day when the sanctuary would live within hearts.

John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt [or tabernacled] among us”

So for a while we’ll ponder the Tabernacle, then and now, to listen for new insights. I hope you’ll share yours with me.

Tabernacle

Copy of the true

meticulously prepared

in exact replication.

Mediating in between,

waiting redemption

shadow sanctuary.

Symbolic tabernacle

made on earth.

Christ completes

merciful reconciliation

in exact requirement.

Messiah present,

wounded Word

sanctifies holy will.

Substantial temple

molded in heaven.

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” Hebrews 9:24 NRSV

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 40: 38, For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

In sight of all the house of Israel. All of the house of Israel. God’s Presence to all His people. Throughout all their journeys. At the place of worship. At the tabernacle.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” Jesus said. The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot know but He abides in Jesus’ disciples to teach and comfort and guide.

Forever. For all. For the journey.

Lord, You did not leave or forsake Israel through the long, delayed journey despite their disobedience, their ignorance, the obstacles, the setbacks. You offer Yourself again to this stubborn generation as a constant companion.

Visible to Israel, invisible to us; yet real, tangible, trustworthy to both.

May I walk in faithfulness, in honesty, in worship, with a grateful heart, throughout all the journeys ahead. Secure in Your promises. Safe in Your Presence. Thank you Lord.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 89:15

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!

O Lord, they walk in the light of Thy countenance.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 40:2, “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.”

First day of the first month. Start with worship. Start with the Lord in the tent of meeting. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

Instead many of us begin backwards. We work and plan and strive and negotiate our lives until the waves threaten to drown us; and then we call to God for help. From shattered dreams and broken relationships and hurting hearts. We wonder where God is and why He let it all happen, when we forgot Him in the first place.

Israel repeatedly forgot God’s covenant, forgot His commandments, forgot His cautions. They mixed with the land, made treaties with foreign countries, met with false gods. And wondered why wars and wickedness and wrath filled their days, months, years.

“For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Lord, I pray to start all my moments, days, plans, in Your kingdom. Start me walking in Your ways, on Your path, first. That I may be able to keep Your first commandment to love You with all my heart and soul and mind.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 32:6

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 39:1, Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place, as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Vivid robes. Holy robes. Priestly robes. Visible garments splashed against the desert background. Clear roles and rules established. To put on the priestly clothes set Aaron and his sons to special tasks. Seen by the entire camp. A visual reminder of the sanctity of worship. A visual reminder of purpose.

Actors wear apparel to depict the time, place, and occupation of the characters they represent. Their costumes assist the audience to make the mental and emotional connections to the historical and fictional stories. We hear the clanking armor as the soldiers arrive on stage. We smell the hay in the wagon. Every piece of material contributes to the set.

“Ask what I shall do for you,” said Elijah, and Elisha replied, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” And Elisha received Elijah’s mantle, put it on, and continued to minister, wearing the priest’s garment.

Veil Your church with Your Holy Spirit, Lord, that we together might “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Cover each of us in Your garments that we may be visual reminders of Your victorious love.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 132:9

Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness;

And let Thy godly ones sing for joy.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus: 38:8, Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Before the priests could perform the sacrifices, they had to wash in the bronze laver. To remove the dust of the desert, before they came to God’s altar. Before the priests entered the holy place to serve God, they had to wash in the bronze laver. To cleanse themselves before coming to God in prayer.

Mirrors of bronze formed the base. Common materials given by the women who served in the doorway. When the water was clear, the priests could see themselves reflected in the liquid. But with daily dirt the water would become clouded.

Before Jesus’ Passover sacrifice, He poured water in a basin and washed the disciples feet.

Model My example, Jesus exhorted, wash one another’s feet. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Serve God. Serve one another in love.

Before You entered my life, Lord, there was no cleanliness in me. Thank you for scrubbing out the grime. Please continue to wash me from the daily dust that clouds my relationship with You, blurring Your words.

“How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 26:6

I shall wash my hands in innocence,

And I will go about Thine altar, O Lord.