Day
4: 1 Kings 5:13-18
Good
morning, tektons! If you started reading about the building of the
first temple in Jerusalem in 2 Chronicles, it sounds like King Solomon did it all
himself: “The
foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty
cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old
standard)....He overlaid the inside
with pure gold. He
paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and
decorated it with palm tree and chain designs.
He adorned the temple with precious
stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim.
He overlaid the ceiling beams,
doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved
cherubim on the walls.” (2 Chronicles 3:3-7) Of course, Solomon was
not a stonemason, carpenter, goldsmith, jeweler or sculptor. As we read in our passage from 1 Kings he used a lot of craftsmen. Because
he inspired and oversaw it all, though, the Bible says he did these
things, the way we say a director made a film, though if you sit
through to the very end you will see in the credits the hundreds of
people who created all the elements that made up the movie.
God
could do everything he wants to accomplish on this earth himself but he chooses to use us to build his
kingdom. Through his Spirit he equips us with talents and skills. He
calls us to fulfill various roles throughout the process. Sometimes
we think there is just one way to serve God. We think that only
ordained clergy are really serving God. But that's privileging those
of us with the most visible skills and roles. I could not run these churches by myself. We have secretaries and treasurers and people who
look after the upkeep of the building and grounds and people who set
up the altar and people who select the music and people who teach the
Sunday School and people who make the food and people who visit the
sick and people who pray for everyone. Every person has a role. Or more than one.
Just
as Paul compared our bodies to a temple of God's Spirit, he also
compared the church to a body, with lots of parts and different
functions, all under the direction of the head, who is Jesus. All the
parts are vital even if their importance is not obvious. We used to
think the appendix was a basically useless organ, prone to get
inflamed. Therefore doctors doing any kind of surgery in the
abdomen would often just remove it without qualms. But now some
researchers say it acts as a storehouse for good bacteria, to reboot
the gut after a bout of dysentery. Similarly, when cataloging the
genes in our DNA, scientists encountered parts they thought were
redundant or unnecessary, which they called junk DNA. Now they call
them non-coding DNA, because they produce non-coding RNA components
which are important in regulating things like the immune system's
response to infection and cancer. It is not wise to think that any
part of the body is useless and that includes any part of the body of
Christ on earth. Which means you. God doesn't make junk.
You
are at a time in life when you are discovering your talents and your
skills. They in turn will help you discover your role and function in
the body of Christ and in building God's kingdom. You may find more
than one. And you will likely find them somewhere near the
intersection of what you are interested in, what you are good at,
what the world needs and where God puts you. It may take a while. I
felt called in a vague way to the ordained ministry but I didn't
actually get to there until my late 40s. But looking back, I can see
that God, like a chess master, was maneuvering me to that point,
while making sure I got a lot of experience that would come in handy
and would make me wiser and more compassionate and more humble.
They
say if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. He made you
and knows where you belong and how you work best. He also knows what
you need for the tasks ahead and he knows the best ways to hone your
skills. So when he calls, say, like Samuel, “Here I am, Lord!”
And prepare for surprises.
Let
us pray: Lord God, King of the Universe, Heavenly Father, you made us
and you equip us and you call us to work with you in building your
kingdom. We know you really don't need us on your team and yet out of
love you include us. Help us to listen for your call and be open to
opportunities to serve you in ways we never anticipated but for which
you have prepared us. Keep us flexible in mind and firm in our
commitment to follow your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. We ask these
things in his name, and through the power of your Holy Spirit, who
live and reign with you, Father, one God forever and ever. Amen.
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