The Tent of Meeting
was a shared responsibility.
The call for holy heavy lifting
went out, all Levites represented.
Yet young and old
were left without assignment
the why—a mystery to me.
In any case, life equals change
and today’s church
casts a wider net.
Our Tent of Meeting
offers something
for almost everyone to do.
Yet needs announced
are regularly sifted like flour
and too few bend to catch
what remains.
Do the shy wait
for personal invitation?
Let it be known: more yeses
are frequently required.
On the other hand
some prideful parishioners
who stand to be counted
insist on the ridiculous sport
of solo-serving
staggering under weight
never intended for
a single pair of shoulders.
We occasionally forget
the we of God
his membership in a Trinity
his divine workload shared
by the holy Three-in-One.
The mathematics of
The Book of Numbers
suggest we humans adopt
a broader mantra:
Here we are, Lord.
Send us.
Numbers 4:20–49