Working and Worshiping as Holy Partners

Jim:

Genesis 4:17-26
Verse 26b says, “At that time (the time of Adam and Eve’s grandson Enosh) people began to invoke the name of the Lord.” In this case the Hebrew word used for Lord is Yahweh. But as the Oxford Annotated Bible points out this reference to the worship of the Lord (Yahweh) dating from Enosh’s time is “in contrast to other traditions which claim that the sacred name was introduced in Moses’ time (Exodus 3:13-15; 6:2-3).” So when did “Yahweh” first appear in the vocabulary of humanity? Was it at the time of Moses when God spoke through the burning bush? Or was it much earlier in the history of God’s people, in a distant and only dimly remembered time? But more importantly, does it really matter? Is it really all that crucial when the name for God first came to human lips? Probably not, because whether we could name God or not, God was there, God was a part of human life even if humanity was completely oblivious. And God remains steadfast to this day, whether we remember to worship God, whether we take the time to pray, whether or not we seek out God’s will or not. God is a crucial part of life and it doesn’t matter if we know that or not.

Hebrews 3:1-11
A phrase in verse 1 really jumped out at me: “holy partners in a heavenly calling.” That so well sums up the reality of the church as a collection of people bound within a partnership established by God, each responding to God’s claim on their lives. If we truly recognize ourselves as holy partners we will seek greater unity in our actions, and when we look on our calling and that of others as “heavenly” perhaps we will find ways to work together toward a common purpose and will set aside actions and activities that are of no common good.

John 1:43-51
I find Nathanael’s question in verse 46 to be interesting; “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Of course Jesus came out of Nazareth, so the answer is yes. But how often do we, like Nathanael, write someone off because of our preconceived notions, our prejudices, our assumptions? Can anything good come out of the other side of the tracks? Can anything good come out of that sort of person? Can anything good come out of someone of this or that race, or nationality, or gender? If Jesus is involved, if God is at work in our midst, the answer is yes, it can. And if we will live with open hearts and minds we may find ourselves to be “holy partners in a heavenly calling” with someone of whom we might never have expected it.