Ask me about my favourite Bible passages and perhaps you’d be surprised but Ex 31 will be on the top 10 list.
Exodus 31 ESV The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all…
It’s one of a few passages in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit is explicitly mentioned as being the one who imparts gifts to a person. I love the reminder that God is a God of beauty and creativity and that it matters to him where and how we worship him.
As we celebrate our first birthday, I look back with fondness at the beauty of the places we have already worshipped: the first few months gathering at the Vicarage was so fun… a little cosy at times, but rich and sweet. And then this last year, how lovely it has been to be at Greenbrier - enjoying their generous hospitality and warm welcome.
And now, that we are one year old.....
We have an amazing opportunity to experience a little more independence! We have the offer of a ‘home of our own’, a place we can make beautiful....
AUMC has a huge complex at 716 S Glebe Rd and they are offering us their chapel, a classroom for Atrium and offices (our entry will actually be on 7th st S). All for our sole use. All this for a marginal increment in rent from what we are paying at the moment! It’s a wonderful building with 6 or 7 other christian organisations all engaged in various aspects of Kingdom work… and we are excited at the prospect of worshipping and working alongside others.
And our space will be….
A place we can make beautiful for our worship, in a way that reflects who we are;
A place which will be solely OURS so we don’t have to do set-up and tear down week by week which will free up hours of time and energy from our magnificent volunteers (YOU!);
A place where our children have a room where they can settle and which is ‘theirs’, which also won’t need to be set-up each week;
A place where we can worship and welcome 24/7 - how we like, when we like! - think morning prayer, evening prayer times, Easter week, Advent… ;
A place closer to the centre of 22204 - reducing journey time for most of our congregation;
A place near the Pike - and all our favorite hang-out spots!
A place with a front lawn with benches, where we can pause to chat with people passing by;
A place with a free library box - where we can offer good reads;
A place with parking for our 5pm (no-one else worships in the complex then);
A place where we can put up permanent signs to say “WE ARE HERE” so that we can always offer a welcome to people - not just on Sundays, but during the week too;
A place for our staff to have a base - offices where they can meet with people and pray and counsel…;
A place with a safe so our counters don’t have to head off into the night to the bank after the service every week;
The small and the big - these and so many more things for which to be thankful!
So how can you prepare?
Ask questions! email me at any time and we can talk through any questions you may have.
We have a ‘move team’ led by Trent Rowe and Grant Sung: ask them how you can help! They will have ideas…. And they will be organising some work days in November when we can exercise all those creative gifts and nesting skills. Let them know that you are willing and able and can wield a paintbrush, or hammer or scrubbing brush. Or that you can pray or quilt or make tea.
PRAY: we do not yet have the lease in our hands. Or a certain date….. Please pray! We expect and hope that we will be in for Advent - or at the latest Jan 1…. PRAY that it will work out for Advent.
Prepare your heart for moving… think about how Bezalel was equipped by the Holy Spirit to do his part in making the tabernacle beautiful. How can you be a part of our ‘moving’ story?
I am so excited to be on this journey with you. I feel like I did when Simon and I bought our first house - I can’t wait to decorate and nest in.. to exhale and rest and say, “we are home”.
With delight and anticipation,
~Liz