Worship

Hold your arms straight above your head. Go on, try it. Five minutes and they burn. Ten and they're shaking. After half an hour you simply cannot do it any more, no matter how much is riding on it. That's Exodus 17. Moses on a hill above a battle, arms raised — and when they come down, Israel starts to lose. He isn't weak. He's the man who stood in front of Pharaoh. His arms just won't stay up. So Aaron and Hur go up the hill. They put a stone under him so he can sit, and then they hold his arms, one on each side, until the fighting is done. They never picked up a sword that day. They just refused to let him do it on his own. This Sunday we're talking about encouraging one another — why every one of us needs it, and why some of us are a great deal better at giving it than receiving it.