Building for the Next Generation
Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. Nehemiah 4:17–18 Sunday we dedicated our new Children's Ministry Center, part of a three year project to remodel and rebuild the buildings and spaces on our entire seven acre campus. "The Story" text aligned beautifully for the day-- "Rebuilding the Walls" gave me the opportunity to connect the lessons of the ancient text with our current experience. Nehemiah's project was to rebuild broken down walls that left those returning from exile vulnerable to the attacks of enemy neighbors. As they were rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem, they were threatened by those neighbors and therefore carried weapons in one hand and their tools in the other. It's quite a picture: hammer or trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. It made me ask the question: I know what we are building, but what ...