Wednesday, July 22, 2015

The Slog

I'm back to reading through the entire Bible - from front to back; from 'In the beginning' to 'The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.  Amen.'

It's a daunting thing to read this book, one that feels like I have read so many times but in truth, I'm not sure I've read it deeply ever.  I have the tendency to skip over vast swaths of OT genealogies and laws/statutes/ordinances and dive headfirst into the fresh water of the narrative stories and then the New Testament. 

But I bought this new Bible and its got two inch lined margins on the sides which are dedicated to scripted thoughts from the texts and as much as I like to write, how do you go deep when reading through sections of the OT like the one I'm currently battling through - Exodus 25-31, where Moses is receiving the exact requirements for what will be included in the tabernacle. 

Yawn.

I don't care about Aaron's vestments, or the size and composition of the lampstands, the numbers of curtains and what hue they are to be dyed.  No wonder people don't read the Bible from cover to cover.  Reading through this is like walking through two feet of fresh snow wearing a full snowsuit and boots.  A real slog.  It's tiring and sweaty and, frankly, I just want to skip it but as I read through all of the ordinances about the worship space, I realized the beginnings of our fascination with getting the esthetics right for worship.  It's demanded and required for the good of those who are leading it. 

Chapter 28 verse 34,35 the gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate round the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers.  The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and we comes out so that he will not die.

I don't get it.  Aaron will die if he doesn't wear the bells on his robe?  I'm not trying to sound irreverent, but is God really going to be snuck up on?

But our fascination with the adiaphora, the small things of insignificance in the realm of Kingdom things, can be talked about at length.  Some of it is great conversation specifically when talking about tradition and why we do things.

Here are some questions to ponder:

1.  What are some of the things that occur in my worship service that I don't pay attention to anymore? 

2.  What are some of the esthetics of space that occur in the sanctuary where I attend?  What is the artwork?  What is the symbolism?  How has the space changed since I've attended? 

3.  What does the pastor, or worship leader, wear?  Is this essential?  Is it distracting?  What is symbolically being said by the garments of the worship leader?

4.  In the worship service, what are the most important things?  What is it that is not adiaphora?

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