The Most Holy Things
Today’s scripture selection: Numbers 1-4
Key verses: Numbers 4:4
The book of Numbers, like the book of Leviticus, makes one thing pretty clear. God wanted the people of Israel to do things the right way. Ritual; order; organization – these weren’t just “good” things to do – they were essential to the spiritual growth and welfare of the people.
Take the Kohathites for example. They were the people who were assigned the task of caring for “the most holy things.” When the camp had to move, they were the ones – along with Aaron and his sons – who were responsible for making sure that holy things weren’t just haphazardly thrown into a bundle and thrown on the back of a camel.
I wonder about the “holy things” of our lives.
Do we treat them with respect?
Do we honor them enough – not lifting them up above God – but respecting them nonetheless?
And I am not just talking about the ritual objects used in formal worship. I’m talking about all the things God calls holy – our relationships; our vocational calling; creation itself.
Maybe we should take an inventory now and then, suitable for our own book of “Numbers”. Maybe we should assess whether we are remembering that there are some things in life that are cheap and common and that there are other things that are “most holy” – to be cherished, loved, and honored.
Prayer: Holy God, show me how best to honor and care for that which you have called holy; now and always. AMEN.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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