November 5th

Leviticus 15:1-16:34, Mark 13:32-14:16, Psalm 31:1-8

People seem to deny the Bible has relevance to them in the modern world and yet it is amazing how many people still commonly use phrases from the Bible such as ‘scapegoat’. So today gives us the origin of a very common word and also some very common sense health advice about people with the runs. We saw many adverts about “catch it, bin it, kill it” during bird flu and this is not that much different.

The bulk of the reading today though is about having something a bit special for God. We are quite aware that God is in the very ordinary. God is beyond every boundary that theologians try to place him in, he crosses time and space and we just can’t fit him into any kind of box. God is in the special and he is in the ordinary. He is in church and he is in nature. He is in the high priest and he is in the beggar on the street. But it is sometimes nice to reserve something special for God and that is what this is all about.

We spoke some time ago about what “atonement” means, the ideas of being “at-one” with God. Aaron and the priests here are not just ensuring that the people are “at-one” with God but they also have to make atonement for the holy places (the tabernacle, the alter, the tent of meeting etc). Because of the sin of the people they are bringing all things back to God and making them holy.

When we walk to church we might meet God on the way, he is certainly there on the journey. But when we get to church and share communion or baptism or some other special event, we are sharing something special. The Gospel reading is about the start of the Lord’s supper from which we get communion. This is something very special as it celebrates the love and grace of God working within us.

So let us never confine God to a box, let us expect to meet him anywhere and everywhere and in anyone, but let us also reserve something special for Him and put ourselves wholeheartedly into those special times.