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“A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections at a time.” -Annie Dillard – American Author
SCAFFOLDING is a temporary structure inside or outside of a building, made usually of wooden planks or metal poles used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings. Scaffolds are used to get access to heights that would otherwise be hard to get to. Scaffolding is also employed in adapted forms for grandstand seating, concert stages, access/viewing towers, exhibition stands, ski ramps, half pipes and art projects. If you’ve ever roamed the streets of a big City, you’ve probably walked under scaffolding. In 2 Chronicles 6:12-13, after King Solomon erected a temple for the LORD, he blessed and dedicated it and offered up a prayer from a platform of scaffolding he’d erected:
And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven… (KJV)
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The sight of scaffolding in construction is exciting because it denotes progress, creativity, and new beginnings. You may have heard that our congregation will be moving before the end of the year into a location at the former Nast Trinity Church on 1310 Race Street in the Over the Rhine, right across from Washington Park. The church’s name will change to “The Warehouse,” describing God’s transformation of the raw material of our lives into His individual masterpieces. (Eph. 2:10, NLT) The structure, built in the 1800’s, is being renovated with paint, wood restoration, carpet, audio and visual components. The process is fascinating, especially since to restore it, some things had to be torn down. To the left, painters are using scaffolding to gain access to the ceilings. The scaffolding will not be a part the finished work, but is necessary for the process.
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I love the metaphoric use of a schedule as scaffolding for life and work. Whether you use a to-do list, planner, or an app to bring structure to your days; that framework supports your visions and dreams. Once your vision has been accomplished, the scaffolding is removed because it is no longer necessary. It has served it’s purpose and has now been replaced by the permanent structure. Dating and engagement are a type scaffolding for marriage. Charts and Sheet Music are scaffolding until musicians and singers master the song. Temporary jobs can provide scaffolding for permanent opportunities, and certain seasons in our lives that we’ve attempted to hold on to were really just scaffolding for a more enduring legacy.
