By Sister Cheryl Jacobs

 

“See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like washers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:1-4)

 

In last week’s Encouragement Email, Brother Matt wrote of preparing for Lent, inviting “each of us to place ourselves before the Lord as the fire who will purify us and the soap who will cleanse us.” 

 

Looking at the same passage from Malachi, the prophet goes on to suggest the Lord’s messenger will continue to purify and refine the descendents of Levi until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness (or right offerings). Could it be that the making of right offerings is an important step in our being purified and refined by the Lord?  

 

The “descendents of Levi” were tasked with leading the worship in the temple. Scholars suggest that in the time that Malachi was written, worship had become rote and listless, God’s law was not adhered to, the Sabbath was not observed, tithes were not given. The offerings of the Levites and all God’s people were not as God wanted or was due.

 

No less today, God wants our right offerings. What are these for us?

 

In the liturgy for Ash Wednesday in the Canadian Anglican worship book, the leader says the following: “I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.”

 

For me, right offerings include worship, through prayer and meditating on the Word. A long practice in the Church during Lent is for people to give up something, a form of fasting, whether in a small or a large way. I believe it can also be a time to take up something, a new spiritual practice or extra study of the Bible. Perhaps this will become an ongoing habit.

 

Right offerings include my giving, directly to God’s work and to help others. Of course, we give to our church and other Christian organizations which help us in our living in the kingdom (like the United Christian Ashrams!) But I also note the call to almsgiving – gifts to those who need it without any expectation on my part of return or even a good use of that gift.

 

Right offerings include service to others – to be an imitator of Jesus, walking in love, as Jesus loved us by making Himself an offering (Ephesians 5:1-2). In our affluent culture, it is all too easy to become self-centered. In this time of chaos in this world, it is all too easy to want to withdraw. But actively engaging in acts of love to friends and strangers, making an offering of oneself, uplifts the other and the self. In all of these we fulfil the two great commandments to love God, with heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love everyone else.

 

One of the hallmarks of the Christian Ashram is how it provides many opportunities to present different offerings – our stories of God’s working, our prayers, our service, our giving of money to help others attend.

 

Perhaps more importantly than what my offering is, is how my offering is presented. King David said he would not offer burnt offerings to the Lord that cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:24), and the Apostle Paul tells us to do so cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). May you be blessed as you offer yourself, your worship, your gifts and resources, to our Father this Lent and through the year ahead.