Re: Designing

James Cathcart January 11, 2025 6 4

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Exodus 35: 20-35 (NRSVA)

20 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, 21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. 23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them. 24 Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. 25 Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. 26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. 27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

There’s a lot of detail in this reading that gives us a window into a vibrant community that is pooling together resources and skills in a great shared endeavour: constructing the Tabernacle, a kind of portable sanctuary. Common tasks like these unite a community, weaving people together with a shared purpose. 

God’s people can achieve great things when we work together. 

And heehaw when we don’t!

We must come together in these challenging times to engrave, design, embroider, and weave a better world.

I find myself going back to all our Re: words for the week. In order to join God’s project of redesigning (AKA ‘The Kingdom’) to build a more beautiful, more compassionate, more caring world we need to

reimagine through the power of the Holy Spirit 
redraw our preconceptions
reignite our enthusiasm
reinvigorate our purpose
resound in praise
re-engage with God’s eternal love.

So:

first the idea
then the drawing
then the spark!
then the plan
then the encouragement
then the recentering…

then the new idea
then the redrawing
then the shower of sparks
then the renewed aim
then the outpouring of praise
then the revival…

then another idea…

Prayer:

We come to you God for a reset.

Reset our hopes, dreams, plans, and theories

Reset and resettle us in your Kingdom

your ever-growing, ever flourishing Kingdom.

Amen.