The Park Forum

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Exodus 36 Listen: (4:47) Read: Luke 18 Listen: (5:27)

Scripture Focus: Exodus 36.2-6

2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

Reflection: When Is It Enough?

By John Tillman

Talking about money is intimidating, so ministers tend to deflect with humor.

Pastors often joke about this passage, saying: “It’s the only time in the history of God’s people when leaders had to tell people to stop giving instead of begging them to start giving.”

Faithful ministers don’t want to be associated with flamboyant huckster prosperity gospelers who abuse people and wealth. We also feel the lingering influence of the early pilgrims and Puritans. They viewed Europe’s ornamented cathedrals as a gateway to idolatry and adopted an austere aesthetic that remains stuck in the American consciousness.

Whenever a church or ministry does something “big,” such as a new building, production, film, or advertising campaign, Americans question the cost. “Shouldn’t they have fed the poor with this money?” (John 12.4-6)

Americans call ministers greedy if their salaries are similar to leaders of similarly-sized organizations. If they show signs of affluence or success, we question their character.

Because of this, ministers fear perceptions of materialism when asking for money. I fall into this trap too. I don’t talk often enough about our ministry’s financial needs.

The reality is that the ministries and ministers that you know live in the same economy you do. Their housing, food, transportation, and energy costs are comparable to yours. Ministries need cash flow, just like you. The church can’t pay its electric bill with handshakes. Websites don’t run on high-fives.

Bezalel stops the people’s giving because he recognizes when he has enough to do the job. The people were asked to give “from what you have” (Exodus 35.5), and “everyone who was willing” contributed. (Exodus 35.21) The people would never have given if they didn’t realize what they had was more than enough. How do you define enough?

I have seen Bezlel-like leaders say “enough” when giving campaign goals were met. I’ve seen projects built without special giving because the church had already given enough. But many ministries have unmet financial needs or work that is paused due to lack of funds.

Generosity and good leadership require the ability to recognize when we have enough. Do we recognize when we have enough? As individuals? As communities? As ministers? As leaders? Or will we just keep consuming, spending, upgrading, endlessly?

God does not require austerity. He promises abundance. Are we living and giving from abundance? Or are we forcing others to operate in austerity because we can’t say, “I have enough”?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed. — Psalm 51.8

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Work, Ministry, and Generosity

Which church are you? Are you receiving ministry funded by others or are you supporting ministry to others in need?

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Links for today’s readings:

Read: Exodus 32 Listen: (5:47) Read: Luke 14 Listen: (4:36)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: Exodus 33 Listen: (3:49) Read: Luke 15 Listen: (4:19)
Read: Exodus 34 Listen: (5:48) Read: Luke 16 Listen: (4:27)

Scripture Focus: Exodus 32.1-6

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,  Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

Image Credit: Moses Indignant at the Golden Calf, painting by William Blake, 1799–1800

Reflection: Golden Calves

By John Tillman

The Golden Calf, Goliath, and the Good Samaritan are biblical stories that are fully integrated into our cultural vernacular.

These phrases embody cultural messages with metaphorical power. Sometimes these messages are not entirely biblically accurate or miss the point of the biblical narratives from which they are appropriated.

In the case of the Golden Calf, the cultural and biblical meanings are similar. Merriam-Webster defines “Golden Calf” as a noun, meaning “an object of materialistic or unworthy worship.” In our culture, this worship is not necessarily religious in nature.

In 1912, political cartoonist Joseph Keppler’s drawing of the Statue of Liberty replaced by a Golden Calf critiqued politicians for pursuing wealth and materialism. It wasn’t the first time Keppler used the image. In 1880, Keppler depicted former president Grant as the Golden Calf with Republicans clamoring for him to seek a third term.

The Golden Calf lesson applies to worship, politics, wealth, power, traditions, leaders, and other areas. Anytime a person or group betrays their principles or bows down to something or someone not worthy of admiration, the Golden Calf image appears and is applicable. (Exodus 32.24) It’s extraordinarily difficult to not think of the Golden Calf when some people or their followers literally build or share images of them as a golden statue…

Golden Calves are useful to the powerful. Centuries after Sinai’s Golden Calf, following Israel’s rebellion against Judah, Jeroboam made Golden Calves to prevent worshipers traveling to Judah. (1 Kings 12.26-28) Jeroboam’s politically-motivated calf idols repeated the cycle of replacing God with “worship.”

The worship was real. The object was false. There are still politically-motivated and religiously-motivated Golden Calves in our world.

Sometimes, like Moses, we must speak out to confront the calf worshippers. We also must examine ourselves to see if we are repeating the sins of Aaron or the people.

Like Aaron, are we caving to the crowd? Are we blessing or tolerating idolatry that enriches or empowers us? Are we lying (just a little) to avoid responsibility?

Like the people, have we given up on God or godliness? Are we impatient with the intangible? Are we replacing the spiritual with the political? Are we willing to worship a comfortable lie? Are we pressuring leaders to give us the god we want in place of the God of the Bible?

Watch out for Golden Calves in every part of your life. When (not if) you find them, grind them to dust.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus taught the people, saying: “Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the prince of the world is to be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself.” — John 12.31-32

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Lasting Revivals and Normal Idols

The idols of a culture don’t always dress up in flamboyant costumes. They often hide in normality and ubiquity.

Read more: Slavery to Maturity

There will be false prophets and deceptions. We pressure our leaders to make Golden Idols and they, like Aaron, do so.

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Exodus 31 Listen: (2:32) Read: Luke 13 Listen: (5:02)

Scripture Focus: Exodus 31.1-6, 12-13

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

Reflection: Work-Sabbath Balance

By John Tillman

The work on the Tabernacle was important.

The Tabernacle was a masterwork of design, architecture, construction, and artistry of all kinds. The chief artisan, Bezalel, is the first person described in the Bible as being “filled with the Spirit of God.” God specially gifted all the skilled workers and artists to create the Tabernacle.

The work was not frivolous decor. It was a foundational statement about God’s holiness. The designs were not simple whimsy. They were weighty with glory. The artistry was not optional beauty. It opened eyes to heavenly realities.

When God is the architect, every hammer strike is holy. Every cut of the chisel shapes theological reality. Every stitch of embroidery binds together heaven and earth. Yet despite the work’s importance, God reminded the people not to forsake the Sabbath.

The importance of work must not overshadow the holiness of rest. The more “important” we think our work is, the more likely we are to forget or forsake the principles of “sabbath.” Are we too lax about observing Sabbath? Are we too lazy about holy rest?

I’m writing this devotional on a Saturday, the traditional day of Sabbath. Later, I have some other work planned. Do you mow your lawn on Saturday or Sunday? Do you catch up on work or take an extra shift on the weekends? Should we all be dragged out and stoned?

Jesus taught that Sabbath is for humans, not God. He did not follow the rigid rules of Sabbath but did model getting away from “work” to rest and pray. Jesus understands the pressure of work encroaching on rest. At least once, Jesus attempted to withdraw with his disciples to rest, but “work” (over 5,000 people) followed him into the wilderness. (Matthew 14.13-21; Luke 9.10-12)

There are two errors to avoid. Don’t fool yourself that your “work” is important enough to forsake rest. Don’t fool yourself that “rest” means doing nothing.

Sabbath is our Tabernacle. It is a special space and time to show and experience God’s glory. Make Sabbath beautiful, not boring. Make Sabbath a blessing in your life, not a guilt-ridden requirement or a stress-inducing limit. When God is the architect of your life, every task, even rest, is holy.

The Sabbath is a good day to save life, a good day to heal, a good day to bless. (Mark 2.27; Luke 6.9) “Clock in” with Jesus for both work and rest. Do good on the Sabbath.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for my hope has been in you. — Psalm 25.20

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Enter While You Can

Many reject repentance which requires losing face, power, or position. This is why leaders (and pastors) caught in scandals often refuse to step down or stay out of power.

Read more: Suffering and Sin

We feel less responsible for problems in the world when we believe only the lazy are poor…

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Exodus 30 Listen: (5:06) Read: Luke 12 Listen: (7:42)

Scripture Focus: Exodus 30:12, 16

12 When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.

16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.

Reflection: All People Count

By Erin Newton

A megachurch has over two thousand members (according to research by Katelyn Beaty in Celebrities for Jesus). According to that fact, I was once a member of a megachurch.

I remember an elder strolling the aisles each week with a clicker in hand. Click! Click! Click! You could hear how full our services were. Counting people was a tried-and-true church practice.

Is there anything wrong with counting people? Actually, according to the Bible, there is no law forbidding it. But we do have stories that reveal the risks involved.

Exodus 30 is a bit scattered in topics; the verses about taking a census land in the middle of instructions on building an incense altar and preparing anointing oil.

God commands Moses to count the people and instruct them (rich and poor alike) to give a small portion of silver as a “ransom” to be used for the “service of the tent of meeting.”

What are they ransoming? The Hebrew word is broad, and “ransom” is still probably the best translation. Christopher J. H. Wright clearly states that it is not atonement from sins; “It is unthinkable … that Israelites were to imagine they could buy God’s forgiveness for half a shekel of silver once in a while.” The act was more like an act of identifying with this sacred place, an investment of sorts.

But counting (and taking in money) risks the invasion of pride. As the rolls grew with the census, the coffers would fill with money. So the instructions come with a warning wrapped in a promise, “Then no plague will come on them when you number them” (v. 12). (Because that did happen once in 2 Samuel 24.)

A census in the ancient world was a quick way to find out how many soldiers were available for an impending battle. Pride grew with large troops. But this counting is not for war. This is a census for worship.

Each person invested equally in the sacred assembly. They were also counted equally among the community.

When all people count, pride can be countered.

We are tempted to look for ways to boost our numbers, to grow our churches, to take pride in our overflowing, popular services. But to what end? Have we forgotten the risks of being obsessed with numbers?

Let us consider the warning and test the motives of our hearts. Are our numbers growing worship or pride?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Let us make a vow to the Lord our God and keep it; let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared. — Psalm 76.11

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: The Context of The Widow’s Mite

The Widow’s Mite has more to say about unscrupulous religious leaders than about generous poor people…judgment is coming on leaders who take advantage of the poor.

Read more: Are We Proud of the Prideful?

Too often, we aren’t ashamed of the prideful, we are proud of them. “Look at the fruit!” However, the “fruit” we are typically pointing to is worldly results