– Scripture:
GOD said to Moses, “Climb higher up the mountain and wait there for me; I’ll give you tablets of stone, the teachings and commandments that I’ve written to instruct them.” So Moses got up, accompanied by Joshua his aide. And Moses climbed up the mountain of God. He told the elders of Israel, “Wait for us here until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if there are any problems, go to them.” Then Moses climbed the mountain. The Cloud covered the mountain. The Glory of GOD settled over Mount Sinai. The Cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called out of the Cloud to Moses. In the view of the Israelites below, the Glory of God looked like a raging fire at the top of the mountain. Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 24:12–18 MSG
– Reflection:
Mount Sinai
Sometimes my wife asks me if I’ve seen a text or picture from her sister with updates about our nieces and nephews. I check my phone for missed texts and unread messages and tell her I didn’t receive anything. She insists that I should have received it because it was sent in the group text. After some back and forth, she checks her phone and realizes that the text was sent in a smaller group chat with just her mom, dad, and sisters. Has this ever happened to you? In every community, there are smaller groups within the larger community. Eventually, everyone will come together as one, but in this text, we see the value of smaller groups within the larger community, each serving a different purpose within the identity of the whole.
Where do we go from here?
The same dynamics occur in our lives, whether within family units, our neighborhoods, at work, or at school, and even here in the church. Where do you find joy and a sense of belonging within a smaller group of the whole? How does this smaller group continue to further the mission and ministry of the whole? Be cautious about situations where the smaller group is in opposition or tension with the whole (we will see that with Moses reading ahead!). But it’s truly a gift when we can find those places of intimate community within the larger group and together join in a unified ministry to serve and glorify God.
Our Prayer for Today
Father of our community, we thank you for bringing together people from all walks of life and for various reasons. Unite us by your Spirit so that we may honor you and form meaningful connections with one another. Give us the courage to engage with new groups and fill us with your love so that we may welcome others hospitably. Amen.
Coach Poston
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach