In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Althea noted that King Solomon prayed and worked.
The first two chapters of Second Chronicles show us the heart-concern of Solomon. He prayed for wisdom to lead the people, and he undertook two concurrent building projects: one to make a temple for the worship of God, and another to make a home for himself. The first decade of his rule was devoted to the re-establishment of God's sanctuary, and God's ministers, as the foundation and hub of community life.
In our present context, the term ora et labora (Latin for "pray and work") is most commonly associated with the Rule of Saint Benedict. The Rule, a set of guidelines for community life, was used in several monastic communities and served as a key influence in medieval Europe. What was the heart-concern of this Rule? It was not merely to organize a set of monks. Rather, it was to ensure that the community enjoyed stability and security in health, safe housing, food production and distribution, respect for the elderly and ailing, consistency in prayer, balance between work and rest, and loving discipline of those who repeatedly brought offense to the community.
Do we Christians need to re-establish ourselves as the persons who serve as the bedrock of our communities? Do we Christians have a heart for honoring God in our prayers, and in our service to the communities we call home?
Where is your heart today?
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