Rebuilding the Temple - October 21
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 37:1-18; PM Psalm 37:19-42; Ezra 1:1-11; 1 Cor. 16:1-9; Matt. 12:15-21
There are some pretty obscure books in the Bible. Ezra is one of those, a book that I don’t recall ever being read on a Sunday morning in the Episcopal Church and only has three days of the daily lectionary dedicated to parts of its story. Ezra is often read alongside Nehemiah since the same central characters are in both stories and they write about events that are linked to each other.
For a little bit of background, the story takes place at the end of the Babylonian exile when Judeans were deported from Palestine to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. The exile begins when Nebuchadnezzar sacks Jerusalem and begins deporting the Jewish people where they are forced to live in a different culture and struggle to understand their own Jewish identity (this is what the book of Esther is about). Our story today begins when Cyrus the Great rises to power and in the year 539 BCE, allows the Judeans to return to Jerusalem. Cyrus of Persia sends out an edict inviting the Judeans back to Jerusalem and shares a vision of the restoration of the Temple. It is a story of remarkable homecoming.
It seems serendipitous that today, I am drafting an announcement for next week that will help our congregation plan for the next phase in our Covid response as numbers continue to decline and it becomes safer to gather in some of the ways that we have gathered before. Our staff has been working diligently to figure out ways to engage our congregation. I don’t think it’s a stretch to compare the last 18 months to the Babylonian exile, where we have found ourselves without a physical temple, a way for many to know God, and we have struggled as in the story of Esther to lose our identity if we don’t remember who we are.
And as numbers continue to decline, I suspect that at some point, likely in the very near future, the Bishop, aka modern-day King Cyrus of Persia, will announce that we can take off our masks inside, and for some, that will feel like the ability to return to Jerusalem. For others, as hopefully, Covid fades, and they find their own level of comfort growing, they might feel more comfortable in the nave. And I acknowledge, that many of us have been inside and worshiping for some time, and others may feel very grounded in their faith from their homes, but I think the metaphor still holds some weight. We are all waiting for a sense of security, safety, and freedom all co-mingled to allow us to return to something that has not been fully restored.
What is intriguing in the text is the invitation from Cyrus of Persia to invite the whole community to restore the temple. It is not an action done by the religious king, or later in the story the priest, but it takes the actions of the whole community. Each person has a responsibility to offer up what is theirs to the building of the Temple.
Fortunately, at Saint Stephen’s, people have always been incredibly generous and sustained our community through the challenges we have faced, but it might be helpful to see each of the gifts of our time, talent, and treasure, our leadership abilities, and our relationships as integral to the restoration of the religious center of our lives. It worked in 539 BCE and still offers us wisdom today.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: How does the story of exile help you process the past 18 months? Where does this metaphor have value and where does it fall short? What are the gifts that you offer each day to the restoration of the religious center of your communities’ life?
Daily Challenge: Make an inventory of different ways you can help build up your faith community. What are five different things you have to offer?