Exodus 29:1 to Exodus 40:38
It is my contention that a meaningful worship experience should seem somewhat effortless to the participants. The invitation to enter into union with God through sights and sounds and smells should carry us to a place of praise and thanksgiving. This does not mean that worship has to be simple; even very elaborate liturgies can allow us to enter into them without a great deal of self awareness. What does require considerable effort is all the planning that must take place beforehand.
The LORD has given the Israelites very detailed instructions in order to organize them into a worshipping community while they are still on their journey to the Promised Land. They are, after all, starting from scratch. Many people will be necessary to get everything set up: donors of a wide variety of materials and precious metals, artisans to craft the scared objects and laborers to construct the space, and the selection and preparation of worship leaders. As one person commented to me, "No wonder they were in the wilderness for forty years. It would take that long to get the Tabernacle set up!"
Perhaps the point is not how much effort was required or how long it took, but rather how the whole endeavor was guided by the hand of God. A good thing to keep in mind no matter what worship traditions we follow.
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