Exodus 40:34-38
38
“For the cloud of the Lord was on the
tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all
the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.”
Psalm 27:1-8
1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear?”
Busy “back to school” times for this writer, and for
parents everywhere. Progress reports are
out, and the tension is already high for my 5th grade tutoring
students because this year- they have to pass the STAAR test in order to go to
6th grade. What does this say
to our students? On the one hand, we’re
trying to catch up with foreign countries whose level of test taking far surpasses
the United States. And yes, the U.S. has
been lax in rigorous academic achievement- especially in Science, Engineering,
Technology and Medicine. But seriously,
trying to catch up in Texas in a short 5 years puts unbelievable stress on our
children. The politicians can fight so
hard over Health Care; I wonder why the energy for education is so lacking.
So I have neglected my writing about Covenant and
“Faith on the Go”.
Last week on Saturday, we volunteers did a “test
run” on setting up our new location in Timber Creek Elementary. What a beautiful school! We are so lucky to be using these
facilities. More space for church, for
our Children’s Ministry and for our future growth. And the acoustics are wonderful!
I must confess something- I don’t sing in
church. I really can’t imagine listening
to my own voice in my head for the next week when I can have our live music and
singers in my brain. It’s a fantastic
concert every week, and a beautiful reminder of the special hour I spend at
Covenant on Sunday.
And so much to think about. I have said this often- I absorb the
challenge and the action oriented sermon.
I don’t leave church wondering how to take those words and make them my
own. I am engrossed in the
interpretation of the Bible, in how Rev. Jason turns these ideas into modern
connections.
Last week’s sermon
was apropos to our moving; sanctuary can mean anywhere or any
church. We don’t have to have a building
of our own to celebrate God. Rev. Jason
set out to remind us that worship is not worship unless there is offering. Not always the monetary kind, or the
volunteer time like setting up chairs.
It is the reading, the understanding and most importantly the response to the teachings of God and to the
words in the Bible. It is the coming together
of our community to wherever Covenant worships, to share our collective
experiences, and our work to be a community connected in Christ. We live by these words as a
congregation. And when we take the time
to give thanks, this gives greater meaning to our church, our sanctuary and
God’s greatest gift of love.
This week’s sermon explored the concept of being on
“Cloud 9”. Why as humans do we seek the
adrenaline rush? Why do we long for the
state of bliss, of excitement, of energy?
Rev. Jason described his spiritual “high” when he
himself discovered and committed to God.
He had doubt, and felt that in order to have faith, he needed to have all his questions answered.
But then he realized that faith is a journey. As Christians, we need to discover each
stage, when the “cloud” that hangs over the tabernacle and when lifted, where
we should move and go. For the Israelites,
this meant moving from slavery to freedom.
For Covenant, it means truly listening to God and being selective in the
next best place for us to go. We are an
impatient lot- so ready to buy a piece of land and get going on building our
sanctuary.
Our next place is Timber Creek Elementary. Who knows where the cloud will take us next.
I am, a Renewed
Christian.
