October 23rd

Exodus 31:1-33:6, Mark 6:30-56, Psalm 25:1-7

Some people think that our church ministers are the holiest people going and that unless you are in full time church work you are not really doing God’s work! What a load of rubbish, the real picture is quite clear in today’s passages.

Exodus tells us that people from all different walks of life are called by God to do different jobs and it also tells us that the priests can seriously mess up. I mean seriously mess up! First off, God quite clearly tells Moses that he has called a number of people by name to do the woodwork, the stonework and all the fine gold and jewellery bits. Ok he has called the priests so far but then he moves on to the carpenters and the stone smiths. Ordinary people doing ordinary jobs, but doing them for God and because God has asked them too.

Linked very closely with this is the fact that the people God calls are only human. The priests are only human and church leaders today are only human. God calls all kinds of people and he calls you and me. Aaron was to be the high priest, the chief bod in the temple area that we have been reading about. Someone who is supposed to be as close to God as you can get (if you are not Moses that is), and here he is making a gold cow as a god for the people. Not the best thing for the priest to do. I kind of gave up on my count of “stupid things done by godly people”, but here is another example!

Yesterday the disciples, people we know are only human, were sent out two at a time to spread the word of God. Going out in faith to do the will of God. Today the reading tells the story of the feeding of the five thousand, from evangelism as ministry yesterday to catering as ministry today. Ministry takes on a broad spectrum of tasks.

So what do you feel that God might be calling you to. Working in the church or working in a shop. You name it God calls people to do it, so listen for his call in your life, you never know when it may come.