Tabernacle means “place of dwelling,” and in the Old Testament it was a place where God and the Israelites came together to meet one another. This is where the Israelites offered sacrifices and worshipped God. Each aspect of the Tabernacle offers unique symbolism of God’s relationship with humankind. Below are just a few examples…
The Israelites brought their sacrifices to God at the Brazen Altar, and through this practice, God emphasized his hatred for sin but also demonstrated his great grace.
The Laver, a bronze water basin, stood in the Courtyard of the Tabernacle, and reminded the Israelites that they needed to be clean before approaching God.
The Menorah, held in the large outer room known as the Holy Place, is said to be a symbol of the nation of Israel and its mission to be a light to the world.
You may see parallels between these aspects of the Tabernacle and the Christian life, and isn’t it exciting? God’s truth and his ways have been consistent throughout generations, and exploring ancient traditions like the Tabernacle help us grow in our understanding and appreciation of God’s great plan for humankind.
We are really excited about giving students the opportunity to walk through a replica of the Tabernacle this summer at Merge—to take time to reflect on our relationship to God and learn more about his character. You can also purchase a great resource on our website called, Experiencing the Tabernacle.
To explore more aspects of the Tabernacle and learn how it relates to Christ and Christian life today, check out this cool site!
Brandon Grissom was the music leader at Merge last summer in Chicago, and we are excited about the new album that he has come out with called Scattered Around! Not only are Brandon and his wife Beki some of the coolest people we know, Brandon is the Worship Leader for Elevate - the junior high ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago suburbs.
Check out his website at http://www.purevolume.com/brandongrissom…you can listen to some of Brandon’s music (and buy it!), email him, and link to his MySpace page. So, check it out!
Students from Fellowship Bible Church in Tulsa, OK are inspired to make a difference because of their new understanding of God’s great story.
A group of 28 students from Tulsa, Oklahoma traveled to Chicago last summer for Sonlife’s Merge event. Some were raised in the church—familiar with the stories of the Old and New Testament—and others were new Christians with little exposure to the Bible.
During their time at Merge, the group explored the Story of God in a way they’d never seen it before—as one continuing story that stretches from Genesis through the New Testament. Mike Hayes, the group leader, says his students were able to see “the connection between the Old and New Testaments and the themes of redemption through Christ.” He went on to say, “they were excited to learn how the gospel message is not just what is found in the Romans Road passages or an evangelistic tract, but it is all throughout scripture…it helped them to understand the NEED of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.”
When the group returned to Tulsa after their week in Chicago, Mike was encouraged by what he saw. At Merge, students explore using their own learning styles and creative talents as they worship and serve God. He notes, “it has been exciting to see students with artistic ability discover how God can use what he has given them to glorify Him, to express what they have learned about Him…several of our kids have come back and written worship songs that they’ve sung for the group, others have painted or drawn pieces that we’re hanging in our youth room.”
One of the goals of Merge is to inspire students to find themselves in a greater story. Mike explains how this particularly affected one student, Kristin Johnson. She “came away with the sense that she needed to be more open to sharing her faith with people by connecting her story with God’s story in the whole Bible.”
Looking at his own life and ministry, Mike stated, “it definitely has affected the way I teach,” explaining that he is working to become a better storyteller. “I’ve seen God bring parts of scripture to life for the students (and me) in ways my mostly systematic approach sometimes lacked.”
Seeing the impact of their experience, the Children’s Ministries Director at Fellowship Bible Church asked the students to chronologically teach God’s great overarching story to the children at Fellowship Bible beginning last month. Mike said his students were “excited about the chance to help young kids get the big picture of scripture at this younger age.” Each week, the high school students tell a story or episode from the Bible and then have a time of discussion. After each discussion, the children illustrate a segment of the story, and by the end, they will have one long scroll they can unroll to see a visual representation of God’s story and mission throughout history. To help them remember each story, they are also using costumes and letting the children retell and act out parts of the story.
Mike was eager to share after his group’s first week. “The first night was a big success! It’s great to see the Sr. high kids get excited about it…what a blessing this has been for us to do!”
We are thrilled to see what God is going to accomplish through the students at Fellowship Bible Church. What a privilege to be a part of God’s continuing story and mission of restoration!
