The Nethinim

    I am following a one-year Bible reading plan this year and just finished the book of Nehemiah this morning. As I went through Ezra and Nehemiah, the word "Nethinim" kept popping up. Who were the Nethinim?

   A Google search turned up a mixture of opinions on where the Nethinim came from and what they became. I won't try to sort out all of that. What everyone agreed on was that they were temple servants with menial tasks such as carrying water and bringing wood for the sacrifices. They were considered the lowest class of those who served in the temple.

   The job of the Nethinim might be compared to janitorial or trustee work in our churches today. This is the kind of work that often goes unnoticed until no one does it. When we arrive at the church, we expect it to be unlocked, clean, cool in the summer and warm in the winter, the grass mowed or the snow removed from the parking lot. But these things do not happen automatically; someone has to do it. The work of the ministers, teachers, superintendents, etc. is more visible but the maintenance work is just as important for the church to function properly. 

   Temple worship was conducted by a variety of offices such as priests, Levites, singers, and Nethinim. They worked together, each filling their roles, to conducted temple worship. Not everyone is gifted with leadership or public speaking skills. We each need to exercise the gifts God has given us and work together to build the church.

    We naturally like to see our efforts appreciated and receive credit for a job well done. But there is a great blessing for those who humbly stay in the background and serve in menial tasks which are taken for granted. In 1 Samuel 30, David and his 400 men went out to battle and another 200 "stayed by the stuff."  When David and his men returned with the spoils of war, he said those who stayed behind were just as worthy to receive a reward. Their job as stuff guarder was just as important as the warrior on the front lines. 

     Your position in the church does not determine your reward. God rewards faithfulness whether you are the bishop or a Nethinim. Fill your place faithfully and it will not go unnoticed by God.

Doing What I Can

  June is here! It's the month with the most perfect days of the year. Roses are blooming, birds twitter and trill in an all-day concert, skies are blue, the air is perfumed with the smell of drying hay, and strawberries are ripe. 

  There was a time in my life I was too busy to fully enjoy the benefits of June. I had a houseful of children to feed and clothe. We had a huge garden that produced an abundance of peas and strawberries to pick and freeze. And there was two weeks of Summer Bible School. It was a challenge to get everybody there clean and on time. Now that we're empty nesters the garden has shrunk to a small plot, and we have time to smell the roses. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the earlier stage of life but neither do I want to repeat it.

   Although the pace of life has slowed, it does not mean I have nothing to do. As long as my eyes and hands work, I will find something to do. My most recent new idea is to crochet newborn caps for the layette bundles we make at sewing circle. Imagine having time to crochet in the summer! It never happened before. But newborn caps are quick and easy to make. I made sixteen in two weeks. It should be no problem to have forty by the end of August when we will pack the bundles.

    My cap factory was forced to close temporarily last week when I got an emergency call that consumed the week. The Writer's Conference in Virginia was being held June 2-3. Three days before it was to start, I got a call asking if I could fill in for one of the speakers who had to cancel due to a funeral. There was no way I could develop a one-hour workshop in three days. I agreed on the condition that I could repeat a workshop I did before. With their approval, I pulled a workshop out of my files that I had done ten years ago in Pennsylvania. With some revision, it was ready to go. 

    My workshop on story writing for children was on Thursday afternoon. With the state of affairs in my back, I am not able to stand for an hour to speak. They graciously provided a chair that raised up high enough for me to see over the podium so I could sit to speak. 

    After my workshop was over, I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the conference. They had some excellent speakers lined up this year. I always enjoy seeing people I only see there and meeting new people with the same interests. The 400 who attended came from a variety of church groups and were of all ages. It's good to see young people developing writing skills and using them for the Lord. Jesus said He would build His church and nothing will be able to stop it. I'll keep on doing what I can as long as my eyes and hands work but am glad to see the younger generation picking up and going on.