miscellany and insight

Good evening friends,
Today's reading is short and simple, but it gives us some great insights into this time in the church's life. Remember that Barnabas was the one who vouched for Saul so the leaders in Jerusalem would trust him. Now he and Saul team up to lead the church at Antioch. Antioch was one of the most important cities for the development of early Christian teaching and study for the first 400 years or so of church history. It's cool to see this foundation of that legacy. We also meet Agabus, a minor character who we won't see again until the last chapters of Acts when he reappears in his prophetic role. Finally, we see Saul and Barnabas commissioned to bring donations from the church in Antioch to Jerusalem. Not only does this give us a view of how interconnected the church was, it also echoes Paul's letters in which he talks often about collecting assistance for Jerusalem.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 11:25-30

²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.

27 At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. ²⁹The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; ³⁰this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

building our worship life together

Good morning friends,
Today we get some of God's instruction for Israel's worship. Exodus goes into great detail about how the tabernacle, which is also called the Tent of Meeting and is an elaborate traveling tent-sanctuary, is to be constructed. We'll skip the detail but focus instead on how God instructed Moses to invite people to bring offerings of material and skill to build the tabernacle and other things needed for worship. We're doing the same thing now in the church as we invite members of our community to contribute some of your time, talents and income for the worship and life of our community. We are all part of the community and so we all share in building and maintaining it; each of us as we are able and willing to help. This Sunday we will commit our pledges for the life of the church; if I can answer any questions for you about stewardship please don't hesitate to call or write.

blessings,
Sam

Exodus 35:1-19

Moses assembled all the congregation of the Israelites and said to them: These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: 2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the sabbath day.



4Moses said to all the congregation of the Israelites: This is the thing that the Lord has commanded: 5Take from among you an offering to the Lord; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, and bronze; 6blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen; goats’ hair, 7tanned rams’ skins, and fine leather; acacia wood, 8oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9and onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece.



10All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, 11its tent and its covering, its clasps and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain for the screen; 13the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance, the entrance of the tabernacle; 16the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin with its stand; 17the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19the finely worked vestments for ministering in the holy place, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron, and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests.