My plumb line
10/07/22 01:31
The focus scripture for worship at our church this week is Amos 7:7-17. It begins with a vision by Amos: “This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.” (Amos 7”7). One of the pastors of our congregation is leading the time with children this week and I received a text from him earlier this week asking me if I had either a chalk line or a plumb line that could be used for the time with children. I have both and they are in the car waiting to go to church this morning.
I’m guessing that the plumb bob and line will be chosen as the illustration. Chalk lines are messy and this one is filled with red chalk. Furthermore, the plumb bob is interesting and it is unlikely that the children will have seen one in use. My chalk line can be used as a plumb line as it has a pointed bottom to make accurate marking simple. However, I have a steel plummet with a pointed tip on the bottom attached to a fairly fine piece of string. I use the plumb bob when I am setting up forms to build a canoe or kayak as the forms must be perfectly square, level and plumb in order for the boat to come out straight. I don’t remember the source of this tool. It is possible that it belonged to my or Susan’s father or grandfather. I have tools from both sides of our family. But a plumb bob is a common tool readily available.
There aren’t many builders who use plumb lines these days. I have a project at the farm that is straightening out an old wood shed. The building was originally built as a pole barn with cedar posts at the four corners that were simply set into holes in the ground. The moisture in the ground rotted the posts and the wind moved the building slightly. It is all out of square, with one wall leaning quite badly and the roof not quite level. I have measured and poured new footings with post bases set in them upon which I am setting new pressure treated timbers to hold up the roof. Part of the process was using ratchet straps to wrack the building and pull things square. I could have used the plumb bob to determine where to set the new concrete footings, but instead I used a 4’ level which is giving me all of the information I need for the project. Doing the job with the level is itself involves a bit of antiquated technique. Most builders these days would use a laser level to project precise lines and establish level, plumb and square.
Frankly, I am a bit interested to see how the plumb line gets used in worship this morning. Since there are lots and lots of children’s sermons available online and there are plenty of them that are keyed to the Revised Common Lectionary, it is possible that the pastor leading time with children in our service looked up a children’s sermon online. On the other hand, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to come up with the idea of using a plumb line as an illustration since it is directly mentioned in the text from the Hebrew scriptures for this week.
The book of Amos, however, uses the plumb line as a metaphor for the standards to which Israel is being held by God for judgment. There is a pretty long stretch of meaning and understanding to get from an actual plumb bob to the way it is used in the text. For young children, you have to start with a demonstration of the plumb line. I suspect that holding it or affixing it to a wall would be one way to do that. Then you need to explain why it is important for a building to have walls that are plumb. From there, you have to explain how Amos was using the tool as a metaphor for God’s expectations of the people. It is not an easy task explaining that to young children in the short amount of time that is allowed for time with children in worship. One of the things that is common for most adults who do not regularly lead time with children is taking much longer to lead this portion of worship than is usually allowed. I’m guessing that today’s leader will roughly double the amount of time we usually invest in that part of the service. A longer time with children is not in itself a bad thing. It is the one place in the service where everyone, regardless of age or circumstance, is paying attention. Sometimes I think I can say more in a well-planned time with children than in a sermon. But it takes skill and practice.
I think I might have been tempted to use a laser level for the time with children had it been my week to lead. With most of the children participating in that part of our worship viewing at home on a computer screen or television set, it is important to think of the scale of visual elements. A plumb bob is fairly small. The line on my plumb bob is thin enough that it might not show up on camera. A laser level would project bright lines showing both vertical and horizontal. A little experimentation might yield a demonstration that impresses both in person and online. From there, however, it is still a stretch to explain the concept with children.
Frankly, I’m glad I don’t have the assignment of leading time with children this week. I much prefer texts with narrative stories. Since the gospel is the parable of the Good Samaritan, I might have leaned towards using it for the time with children.
I’m still learning about the best ways to share scriptures with people of all ages. One of the ways I learn is by observing others. I just hope that today’s lesson will be one in what is a good way to do time with children, not an example of what not to do. Either way, you know I’ll be paying close attention to that part of the worship service.
I’m guessing that the plumb bob and line will be chosen as the illustration. Chalk lines are messy and this one is filled with red chalk. Furthermore, the plumb bob is interesting and it is unlikely that the children will have seen one in use. My chalk line can be used as a plumb line as it has a pointed bottom to make accurate marking simple. However, I have a steel plummet with a pointed tip on the bottom attached to a fairly fine piece of string. I use the plumb bob when I am setting up forms to build a canoe or kayak as the forms must be perfectly square, level and plumb in order for the boat to come out straight. I don’t remember the source of this tool. It is possible that it belonged to my or Susan’s father or grandfather. I have tools from both sides of our family. But a plumb bob is a common tool readily available.
There aren’t many builders who use plumb lines these days. I have a project at the farm that is straightening out an old wood shed. The building was originally built as a pole barn with cedar posts at the four corners that were simply set into holes in the ground. The moisture in the ground rotted the posts and the wind moved the building slightly. It is all out of square, with one wall leaning quite badly and the roof not quite level. I have measured and poured new footings with post bases set in them upon which I am setting new pressure treated timbers to hold up the roof. Part of the process was using ratchet straps to wrack the building and pull things square. I could have used the plumb bob to determine where to set the new concrete footings, but instead I used a 4’ level which is giving me all of the information I need for the project. Doing the job with the level is itself involves a bit of antiquated technique. Most builders these days would use a laser level to project precise lines and establish level, plumb and square.
Frankly, I am a bit interested to see how the plumb line gets used in worship this morning. Since there are lots and lots of children’s sermons available online and there are plenty of them that are keyed to the Revised Common Lectionary, it is possible that the pastor leading time with children in our service looked up a children’s sermon online. On the other hand, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to come up with the idea of using a plumb line as an illustration since it is directly mentioned in the text from the Hebrew scriptures for this week.
The book of Amos, however, uses the plumb line as a metaphor for the standards to which Israel is being held by God for judgment. There is a pretty long stretch of meaning and understanding to get from an actual plumb bob to the way it is used in the text. For young children, you have to start with a demonstration of the plumb line. I suspect that holding it or affixing it to a wall would be one way to do that. Then you need to explain why it is important for a building to have walls that are plumb. From there, you have to explain how Amos was using the tool as a metaphor for God’s expectations of the people. It is not an easy task explaining that to young children in the short amount of time that is allowed for time with children in worship. One of the things that is common for most adults who do not regularly lead time with children is taking much longer to lead this portion of worship than is usually allowed. I’m guessing that today’s leader will roughly double the amount of time we usually invest in that part of the service. A longer time with children is not in itself a bad thing. It is the one place in the service where everyone, regardless of age or circumstance, is paying attention. Sometimes I think I can say more in a well-planned time with children than in a sermon. But it takes skill and practice.
I think I might have been tempted to use a laser level for the time with children had it been my week to lead. With most of the children participating in that part of our worship viewing at home on a computer screen or television set, it is important to think of the scale of visual elements. A plumb bob is fairly small. The line on my plumb bob is thin enough that it might not show up on camera. A laser level would project bright lines showing both vertical and horizontal. A little experimentation might yield a demonstration that impresses both in person and online. From there, however, it is still a stretch to explain the concept with children.
Frankly, I’m glad I don’t have the assignment of leading time with children this week. I much prefer texts with narrative stories. Since the gospel is the parable of the Good Samaritan, I might have leaned towards using it for the time with children.
I’m still learning about the best ways to share scriptures with people of all ages. One of the ways I learn is by observing others. I just hope that today’s lesson will be one in what is a good way to do time with children, not an example of what not to do. Either way, you know I’ll be paying close attention to that part of the worship service.
