This is quite a paradigm shift, quite a change in perspective.  Can this change in perspective be demonstrated from our Scriptures and tradition?  Let's see.

If we take a close look at today's Torah reading, we will see how very much the community was occupied with serving God and seeing that He got the glory He deserved.  We see nothing here of what is axiomatic and automatic in our generation. .  . "What's in it for me?" 

Instead, we find the people investing their time, talents, and treasures in building something for God.  They bring various building materials, of various kinds, from very expensive to less so.  Then people of various skill levels came together to make all that the Lord had commanded.  The participants included young and old, male and female, rich and poor.  Also involved were those who were especially skilled, the craftspeople. At the head of the project were the especially talented Bezalel and Oholiab.  And Bezalel was skilled not only in doing the work, but in teaching others to do so.

There is not a syllable here of the kind of "What's in it for me?" mentality so prevalent in our day.  Neither was there coercion.  Rather, there was widespread communal " buy in."  People rose to the occasion, and the occasion was splendid.  So much so, that we read in chapter 36:4

all the artisans who were engaged in the tasks of the sanctuary came, each from the task upon which he was engaged, 5 and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than is needed for the tasks entailed in the work that the Lord has commanded to be done."  6 Moses thereupon had this proclamation made throughout the camp: "Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the sanctuary!" So the people stopped bringing:  7 their efforts had been more than enough for all the tasks to be done.

What an unambiguous model for community building:  community building is a community effort. 

Our Haftarah bears this out as well.  In the first verse of the Haftarah, Ezekiel 45:16, speaking of the idealized vision of the eschatological Temple, we read:

16 In this contribution, the entire population must join with the prince in Israel.

Notice-the entire population, the entire people of God, must join with the prince in His offerings. We are all to be involved.  This is not something to be left up to the leaders and the professionals.  As the leaders serve God, so must the people. That is why leaders are leaders-they lead the people in doing as they do.

I think we will agree that nowadays people evaluate congregations from a consumer mentality-"What is the best congregation to meet my needs with the least cost or inconvenience to myself?"  "Where can I get the most bang for my buck?"

If we trust the Bible as our guide for right living, if we find we cannot entirely divest ourselves of this self-centered mentality, we would at least do well to make repeated efforts at reorienting ourselves, deciding to counterbalance this native narcissistic perspective with a different one, as modeled in these Scriptures. 

As we think about our relationship God, we should develop the habit of asking ourselves, "Is my congregation getting enough out of me?"  

Our Newer Covenant reading bears this out.  Notice how the assumption is that everyone has a part to play-just as our Torah passage put it, just as our Haftarah passage put it.  Many people imagine that now that the New Covenant has come, we are all off the hook as far as defined responsibilities are concerned, we only have to do what we feel like doing when we feel like it. Try harmonizing that with this Newer Covenant passage.

Romans 12:1-8

1 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical "Temple worship" for you. 2 In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the 'olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. 3 For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance. Instead, develop a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God has given to each of you, namely, trust. 4 For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don't all have the same function; 5 so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. 6 But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, use it to the extent of your trust; 7 if it is serving, use it to serve; if you are a teacher, use your gift in teaching; 8 if you are a counselor, use your gift to comfort and exhort; if you are someone who gives, do it simply and generously; if you are in a position of leadership, lead with diligence and zeal; if you are one who does acts of mercy, do them cheerfully. 

Notice this is addressed to "every single one of you."  Notice, "so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others."  Each of us-that means every single one of us-belongs to the other.

This language should remind you of something.  In what other interpersonal relationship are people told that they now belong to each other   Yes, membership in a congregation is like a marriage-it is a covenant relationship in the sight of God, one which entails responsibilities for each other.  And "every single one of us. . . each of us". . .belongs to one another. 

Community building 101 dictates that we not only ask ourselves "What is my congregation getting out of me?"  We must also remind ourselves that we do not belong only to ourselves.  We belong to God:  "You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies, which are God's"  [1 Cor 6:17], and we belong to each other [Romans 12:5].

This is quite a distance from the "What's in it for me Gospel," isn't it?  

In my congregation, we use something called the G.R.A.C.E. Criteria to guage if people are appropriate for our congregation and appropriately related to it.    It is easy to see that the lessons of today's readings are echoed in these criteria.  Persons measure up to the G.R.A.C.E. Criteria if they are:

• Growing in relationship with God because of their involvement with us.
• Responsive to and respectful of our vision and our leadership.
• Appropriate to our congregation.
• Contributing to the life of the congregation.
• Engaged in healthy relationships with others in the congregation. 

Actually, today's readings strongly illumine the fourth of our G.R.A.C.E. Criteria-"Contributing to the life of the congregation".  And there is another verse a little later in Romans 12, that also illumines this: 11 Don't be lazy when hard work is needed, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor.

 What then does all of this mean?

1. First, it means that the gimme gospel is a product of the spirit of the age-and not the Spirit of God. 
2. Second, it means that, if the Bible is true at all, then we should be asking ourselves, "What is my congregation getting out of me?"

Now, I know what some of you are saying inside.  "I'd like to be more involved, but I am too busy."  And you are right, you are too busy.   If you cannot be genuinely and consistently involved in contributing to the life our your congregation, by a combination of your treasures, your talents, and your time,  then, if the Bible is true at all, your life is spiritually dysfunctional, and you need to cut back somewhere so that you might get it in better balance.  I realize as well, that it is possible to be too involved in congregational life.  In such cases, the balance needs to be restored on the other side of the scale.  But, except for a handful of people here, that is not a danger. 

If you would fulfill your God given relationship with your congregation, if you would honor your covenant with the others in this body, you will ask yourself, "What is my congregation getting out of me?"  and you will make sure that you can honestly say, "I contribute to the life of my congregation with a combination of my treasures, my talents, and my time."

There are a wide variety of ways people demonstrate involvement, just as our Newer Covenant reading reminded us-

"4 For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don't all have the same function; 5 so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. 6 But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us."  

And all these ways are good, right and proper.

Some of you are very already heavily engaged with the life of your congregation, through giving of you treasures, your talents, and your time.  God bless you.  You make your congregation live.

But for others the message of today's lesson is this:  Membership in a community of God's people is anything but a spectator sport.  Get involved.  As yourself this question and answer it:  "What is my congregation getting out of me?"  Are you contributing to the life of your congregation? This is not to be the occupation of the professionals and the superstars.  As in our Torah reading, our Haftarah reading, and our Newer Covenant reading, it is all the people giving as their hearts move them, it is all of the people joining themselves with the priests offering.  Every one of us belongs to the others, and these imperatives are addressed to every single one of us. 

If someone asks you to help with something, your first impulse should be to make yourself available, not to beg off every time. Sometimes we must excuse ourselves, but if we do it as a habit of life, then something is out of balance. And if not, make some changes. 

If you see that something needs doing, or someone needs help, volunteer. I did not say "overcommit."  This would be wrong; but volunteer, at least once in a while.

Let's restore spiritual balance to our lives.  Let's ask ourselves, "Is my congregation getting enough out of me?"  For in giving of yourself to your congregation, you are giving to God.  And if you withhold yourself from engagement with your congregation you need to ask yourself, "Why?" 

Shabbat shalom.