Minister's corner
Tucked away in the instructions about God, His redemption, His Law, and His worship is a curious little phrase that appears twice in Exodus: “No one is to appear before me empty handed” (Exodus 23:15; 34:20). The Creator and Provider of all the cosmos invites the slaves to come to Mt. Sinai. To make this gathering possible, the LORD provides miracle after miracle because the Israelites have nothing, not even their own autonomy. The LORD places freedom in their hands along with the treasures of Egypt and a display of power against Pharaoh that causes every king of Canaan to tremble. So why would God turn to this rag-tag group of ex-slaves and establish a worship clause for all time that they must not appear before him empty handed?
Recently I found myself in a classroom with a group of individuals embarking on a 90-days-through-the-Bible reading regimen. I enjoy the 365-day pace, but had my reservations about the speed and relentless pace that made me reminiscent of high school cross-country training! We made our commitment, strapped on our reading glasses, and began a journey together that has been both challenging and exhilarating. The reading through the week is challenging, but the gathering at church on Wednesday nights has been the unexpected exhilaration. The reason seems to be that everyone comes to class with an offering. Because of all the effort made through the week to take in the material, the room is buzzing with more questions and insights than we have time to explore. Rarely have I sat in a classroom that brought me closer to others and into the word of God and in fewer than 60 minutes!
In fifth grade I was challenged to read through the New Testament and, in a few years, the whole Bible. Oneal and his dad, Hank, were relentless in encouraging the congregation to read the Bible on a one-year pace, each year. I attribute that training to being one of the key factors to why I enjoyed Bible class, even when the teachers were “unimaginative.” The principle seems to be: You can’t get bored or feel excluded when you have a gift in your hand. Therefore, plan to bring a gift to class. You may read fast and gather up information like a cyclone, or you may read slow and meditate like a soft, gentle breeze. Either way, you will bring a gift from the Holy Spirit into your classroom and others will feel the wind on their face.
~ Karl
