Daily Devotion for the Fifth Sunday in Lent 2016

Scripture Reading: Exodus 27 (NRSV)

When we take our confirmation class to visit the Temple B'Nai Israel in Oklahoma City, one of the fascinating things they discuss is their Sanctuary Lamp named in Hebrew as ner tamid which can also be translated as eternal flame.

This particular light shines perpetually and while olive oil is used in today's reading, electricity is what powers the lamp at Temple B'Nai Israel.  There is usually a question concerning what would happen in the event of a power outage.  This reminds us that while this is a command of God to the Hebrew people, there is nothing magical about it.

Sometimes we are more enthusiastic
about blowing out the light rather than
keeping it going!

The symbolism here is that the priestly line ("Aaron and his sons") are those that tend to this flame.  In a sense, the clergy are to keep the light of God burning for the community of faith.

As Christianity looks at itself as a priesthood of all believers, how do you symbolically keep the light of God present before our community?









Photo by Don LaVange via Flickr.com, used with permission by Creative Commons license.