The people are consecrated

Exodus 19:7-25 click here for the reading

The picture to the left is the consecration of 3 young people at St. Mark's Lutheran church last year.  The picture doesn't tell of the emotions these 3 and their families expressed in the unique gift of laying hands on their heads and blessing them as children of God, affirming the promise of their baptism and announcing them as disciples of Jesus Christ.  (I think everyone shed at least one tear that day.)

The consecration of people in the story of exodus seems oddly placed. Between Moses delegating leadership and the 10 commandments, God tells Moses to consecrate the people so that they will be prepared for God's showing up (in a quite extravagant way).

Yet the very act of consecration is important. Consecration is the act of setting one or many aside for service. Connecting the dots from the larger narrative, there is an important shift here. Before now, the people have not yet experienced God's presence, that was reserved for Moses (remember the burning bush?). Now, the people experience God's presence in clouds of fire and smoke, God speaks in the form of thunder.  Moses individual experience is now shared with the greater community.

This is the practice of what the church calls the ministry of all believers.  Consecration then is not left for pastors and priests but for all, as was experienced by the people of Israel and the 3 huddled under the rest of us on the great Sunday morning.  What does it mean to be set aside in service?  What is God calling you to? What are you gonna do about it?

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