Season 4 - Episode 14
To listen to an audio version of this post, visit www.covenantchurch.ca/podcasts/covenant-weekly.
Good morning Covenant Family. In the rotation of topics that I’ve been working through, this morning is time to consider one of the ministries at Covenant. And this morning I want to reflect on a vital, although rarely seen, part of our local work. Much of this will be rooted in my gratitude to those involved. And, just a warning, there is an invitation for others to join this ministry area. It’s an area that I know some of you love, but may not realize is a need at Covenant. I’ll tell you about it in this Covenant Weekly for December 10, 2024.
While Israel is first getting established as a nation - while they are still in the wilderness - God sets aside and names two men for special work. Their names are Belazel and Oholiab. And as Israel builds itself up as Yahweh’s people, their specially commissioned role is as craftsmen to build the Tabernacle and the items that will be in it. They are among the first people who are specially named and commissioned to help facilitate the worship of Israel.
Later, when Solomon sets out to build the Temple, biblical authors again specifically talk about the craftspeople who will help to shape the stone and construct the building.
Those who work skillfully with their hands are celebrated within the Bible. It may not be a coincidence that Joseph, commissioned to raise Jesus, is a carpenter, a builder. And Jesus himself, in Mark 6, is referred to as a carpenter.
I confess that I have a little envy for those who are gifted at working with their hands. I can often figure stuff out, but it will be rough and it certainly isn’t something that brings me joy.
On the other hand, I know many of you who seem to be able to build almost anything, repair things that are far beyond what others understand, and maintain things to help them last well beyond what they might in my household. In the Covenant context, we often refer to those who do this as “maintenance people.” But the work they do goes far beyond what that term implies.
From shoring up damaged railings to replacing light fixtures, it is those who have these skills that help us have space for worship, gathering, and serving our community. Without their work, we would be in the dark, cold, and probably unable to use the bathrooms!
During my time at Covenant, two men have done that lion's share of the work around our building. I’m so grateful to Bill Byer and Wilfried Hahn for all they’ve done. From snow-blower maintenance to deck construction; from light ballast repair to handles in our accessible bathroom; from fixing toilets to replacing faucets - it seems they’ve done some kind of everything. I don’t want to discount all the others who have done things alongside them, too. To everyone who has been a part of this work…thank you!
They are in a long tradition of Covenant folks caring for and maintaining our facility.
Actually…it goes back farther than that. Our building at 95 Robert St. E. was literally built by the hands of the people who have worshipped within it - from the digging of the hole to the putting on of the roof. Our building has been our project. It has been a vital ministry - not for its own sake, but for the impact it allows us to have as we are shaped through worship within it, released from it to serve the world, and welcome our community into it where they can be the recipients of the love of Christ (whether they are aware of it or not).
So thank you to each and every one of you who has, over the past decades, helped to build our building and maintain it for God’s glory. Those of us who have a lot less skill in this area are especially grateful for those of you who have the skill and have used it. Covenant wouldn't and couldn’t exist without you!
If you are someone who has some of these skills and/or enjoys working with your hands, we are looking for people to join us in keeping our building in order. Even if you could spare an hour or two a month for various projects - projects requiring various skill levels - we could really use your help. Or, if you don’t want to commit to a certain amount of time, but you’d be willing to be called on from time to time if something needs to be done, please let us know!
To join in this essential work, you can call or message me, Jon, at jon@covenantchurch.ca or 705-549-8477 and we could talk about what skills and time you might have available. Or just message the office - office@covenantchurch.ca to let us know you’d like to be a part of this team and someone can follow up with you.
As we finish our year, one of the things we think about is our year-end financial position. We look at what we’ve spent. But what is often hidden and not thought about is what we haven’t spent because of the investment of amazing people who have given of their time and skills to serve God in this way. Thank you for being our Belazel and Oholiab!