We are Being Tested By God

September 27, 2020 Exodus 17:1-7 Being Tested By God 17th Sunday after Pentecost Year A Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer L: Come, let us worship God who provides for us. P: Even though we whine and complain, God hears our cries. L: Lift your voices in praise, for God has come to comfort you. P: Thanks be to God who forgives and heals our wounded souls. L: Come, celebrate God’s steadfast love. P: Open our hearts, O Lord, and let us truly listen to your words. AMEN. Stewardship Moment Offering Prayer (Exodus 17) God of abundance, you fill us with good things; you satisfy our thirst; you meet our every need. From your rock, our blessings flow. Accept what we give in return: our hearts, our hands, our gifts, our love. Use them to answer the cries of a world in need. Amen. Scripture Exodus 17:1-7 Water from a rock 17 The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the LORD commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the LORD?” 3 But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.” 5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River, and go. 6 I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” Moses did so while Israel’s elders watched. 7 He called the place Massah[a] and Meribah,[b] because the Israelites argued with and tested the LORD, asking, “Is the LORD really with us or not?” Sermon Being Tested By God The only thing that we can be sure of in life is change. Every generation experiences a big event that is so earth shattering that it transforms everything about life. Of course for us, we would all agree that the pandemic is the transforming event for us in this room. But I will say that the transformation is deeper than that, all of 2020 has been a transforming event and it is not over yet. We have no idea how this year will end. Things are happening so fast, we hardly have time to really process any of this. That must have been how the Isrealites must have felt when this strange man names Moses convinced them to leave the comforts of slavery in Egypt and go on an unknown journey into the desert. They had no map, no destination, no preparation, no idea of what to expect. All they could do was complain. And the complaining never ends. Moses probably started to ask them all – what kind of cheese do you want with your whine? Wandering in the wilderness We have all been there at some point in our lives. We have been at a time in our lives when we are just wandering in the wilderness – looking for where we will go next. We might be just finishing school looking for a career, just out of a relationship looking for what comes next, looking for a lifestyle change. We may be looking for a new job. There are any number of things that might put us in that place of wandering. The point is, some of us at some point find a sense of direction of where we are supposed to go, and some of us just keep on wandering Some of us get home and some of us keep wandering There is a saying that the king of England said a prayer to God on day – he prayed that God would give him a light so that he could see in the unknown. The priest replied, instead of praying for light, just pray for God – that is all that you need. That is the difference between those who make it to the promised land, and those who don’t. Some are still looking for the light, and some discover that God knows the way – not them. We have to go in the wilderness to find God Often times it is those wilderness experiences that teach us that we need God. It is those wilderness experiences that teach us of the ways of God. It is those wilderness experiences that put us face to face with a God. A God that had been with us all along, but for some reason we had not been paying attention to. It is in the wilderness that we start to exchange our fear for courage, and we have to strength to move on. Even when we get to the promised land we see that in reality, all of our lives are lived somewhere in between hardship and promise. No Matter how far we make it, there is something that we have to struggle with. Exodus 17 is the third murmuring story. They are complaining for food and water. In the first story God gives them a solution to the problem. In the second story God asks them to listen to his instructions. In this story God says that this is a test to see whether they will trust God to do what God says. In all three stories God provides for them. God continues to provide, and the people continue to complain This story does not end well for the people. Centuries later when they are excelled from their homeland, they reflect on what they could have done to make God so mad at them. God says that God never got ever their complaining here at Meribah. God could tolerate the complaining, but they never passed the test. They did not do what they were asked, and they did not rely on God for their provisions, they took matters in their own hands. Being exiled was the consequences for their actions. Speaking of consequences – in this story, the people blame Moses for all of their problems. If it wasn’t for him they would be safe and taken care of in Egypt, never mind the fact that they would have also been slaves. It was Moses fault. It is Moses that tells them that God never forgave them for not listening to God. The tension between the leader and the people. The end of Exodus says that Moses lived to an old age. But the bible says that his ending was mysterious. He went out into the desert one day and was never found again. People say that God came to him in the desert and told him that it was his time, and God took him. I am not a bible scholar, but I always assume that the people knew more than they are saying about Moses disappearance. They got tired of him telling them what to do. This story is much more than a story about the wilderness, whining, or blaming leaders. The main character of the story is God, the main point is that God provides, the main lesson is to look for God in the middle of life’s deserts. God provides for us without complaint. Moses was able to get them water by striking a rock with his walking stick. Moses leadership was no so much about coming up with answers to their problems, but in listening to God’s instruction. You can't get blood out of a turnip!" we've all heard (usually in response to a bill collector or a higher church budget). Or we've heard a variation, "You can't squeeze water out of a stone." We nod our heads in agreement with the speaker. After all, how can we argue with something so plain? The rational, analytical side of our brain says, "True, true, sad but true. You can't get water out of a rock." Oh, we of little faith. All we see is the rock. Every week when I need to come up with a sermon, I read the prescribed scripture passage(s) for that Sunday and scratch my head. "Come on," I say. "I need a sermon." Nothing comes out. I stare at the page and think, "This is like squeezing water out of a rock." What I see is the rock -- not the potential for water. I see the blank page, not the potential for a sermon. It's not until I trust God to reveal the sermon behind the page that it comes out. (Maybe not masterpieces, but I've never yet gotten into the pulpit Sunday morning and said, "Sorry, no word from God.") We're all like those Hebrews at times, aren't we? They're wandering in the wilderness, thirsting to death and grumbling about it. "Moses," they say, "we and our families and our animals are dying of thirst. Help." So Moses approaches God, and God tells him to go to a certain spot and to strike the rock with his staff, assuring him water will appear. Moses does as he is told and, wow, where before they'd seen only rock, water flows. Imagine the Hebrews' reaction. Cheering, clapping, whistling, people saying "Neat-o!" and "Cool!" But they probably believed the miracle was that water appeared where there had been no water. That's not the case. It's not that there was no water there. The water was there; it's just that they couldn't see it there, didn't have access to it, didn't know how to tap it. The true miracle wasn't water appearing where there was no water; the true miracle was they stopped seeing rock and finally saw water beneath. Richard Bach, in his terrific little paperback, Illusions: The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah, writes: "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."1 We must stop arguing for limitations, stop arguing "You can't get water out of a rock." We must ask God to help us see the water, the potential in our lives and in all of life's situations. Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, there they are, limiting you. We can complain, we can blame, but we also need to look for God. God stayed mad at the Isrealites, no so much because they complained. But they also didn’t listen, follow instructions or trust. The only thing we can be sure of is that things will change. The exodus story is an invitation. An invitation for all of us to come out of what is holding us back. An invitation to enter into a new relationship with life. Our wilderness experience are the growing pains of entering a new life. Next week we will see how this new relationship formed a new community, a new promise that God will provide and that we need to listen and be loyal – the story of the 10 commandments – whole new promise on a whole new level. Proof that we passed the test and chose to stay in relationship with our circumstance and with God. The prayer of the filled cup Recently I learned of a special prayer that one woman does every day. When she wakes up in the morning who gets a bowl- and as she pours water in to she starts to pray for all of the things and all of the people in her life. As the bowl fills up she still pour the water. And she is reminded of God’s grace in her life. She remembers all of the needs that God supplies, all that she is grateful for. All that she has for her say. She realizes that her life is just as full as that bowl. And then she leaves the bowl on her kitchen sink for the rest of her day – to remind her of the fullness of God, and that her soul is full. Let us pray….. Prayer Pastoral Prayer Lord of hope and healing, you have heard the cries of our hearts. You know that we do want to serve you, and yet when things get tough, we buckle and cave in. We lack the courage and strength to work for you. You have reminded us that you will be continually with us and we need to place our trust in that fact. Your love will sustain and heal us. Your mercy and grace will give us courage and strength, joy and peace. As we have come before you this day, offering our prayers for those near and dear to us, let us remember that you constantly lift and carry us in your love. Bring us to the knowledge of your mercy and powerful love that will never leave us. Prepare us for ministry in areas of need and desolation. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. Song for Reflection Come Thou Font of Every Blessing UMH 400 Announcements Next week is World Communion Sunday- We will be celebrating communion. You can pick up your prepackaged elements from the office. Or have a drink and some type of bread product. The scripture for next week is Exodus 20:1-20 The song is One Bread One Body UMH - 620 Benediction Children’s Sermon – will be given via Facebook Moses did exactly what God told him to do and guess what happened? He got water from a rock! Once again, God took good care of His people just like He takes good care of us today. So, what should you and I do when we face a seemingly impossible situation? We should ask God for His help, and then trust in Him. Sometimes we may not understand the way God is leading, but we just have to trust Him and have faith in His ways. After all, who would have thought you could get water from a rock? (You can read this whole story in Exodus 17:1-7 if you want.) Let’s pray together. Dear Father, when we face impossible situations, help us to remember that we serve a God who can rain down food from heaven and get water from a rock. Nothing is impossible for You. You love us and always take care of us. Thank You! Am

Grumbling People

September 20, 2020 16th Sunday After Pentecost Exodus 16: 1-30 Year A Grumbling People Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer Lord, who lifts us up, reside in our hearts today. Help us to listen closely for your word to us. Remind us that you are always with us, throughout all of our lives. Give us confidence in your presence, so that we may go into your world ready to witness to your love through our works and our deeds, for we pray these things in Jesus’ name. AMEN. Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Philippians 1, Exodus 16, Matthew 20, Psalm 105) Whatever our struggles, whatever our miracles, whatever our burdens, whatever our fruitful labor, we are thankful for the blessings from God and from God's good creation. As signs of that gratitude, let us offer now our tithes and gifts. Offering Prayer (Psalm 105) God of abundance, receive these gifts with thanks from your people, we pray. May they and we help your love and grace flow like rivers in deserts of need. Amen. Scripture Wilderness food: manna and quail 16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Sin desert, which is located between Elim and Sinai. They set out on the fifteenth day of the second month[a] after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 3 The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the LORD had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.” 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I’m going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I’ll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction. 5 On the sixth day, when they measure out what they have collected, it will be twice as much as they collected on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you will see the LORD’s glorious presence, because your complaints against the LORD have been heard. Who are we? Why blame us?” 8 Moses continued, “The LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning because the LORD heard the complaints you made against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us but against the LORD.” 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole Israelite community, ‘Come near to the LORD, because he’s heard your complaints.’” 10 As Aaron spoke to the whole Israelite community, they turned to look toward the desert, and just then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 The LORD spoke to Moses, 12 “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat. And in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” 13 In the evening a flock of quail flew down and covered the camp. And in the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the desert surface were thin flakes, as thin as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What[b] is it?” They didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Collect as much of it as each of you can eat, one omer[c] per person. You may collect for the number of people in your household.’” 17 The Israelites did as Moses said, some collecting more, some less. 18 But when they measured it out by the omer, the ones who had collected more had nothing left over, and the ones who had collected less had no shortage. Everyone collected just as much as they could eat. 19 Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses. Some kept part of it until morning, but it became infested with worms and stank. Moses got angry with them. 21 Every morning they gathered it, as much as each person could eat. But when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day the people collected twice as much food as usual, two omers per person. All the chiefs of the community came and told Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. But you can set aside and keep all the leftovers until the next morning.’” 24 So they set the leftovers aside until morning, as Moses had commanded. They didn’t stink or become infested with worms. 25 The next day Moses said, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you won’t find it out in the field. 26 Six days you will gather it. But on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be nothing to gather.” 27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather bread, but they found nothing. 28 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to obey my commandments and instructions? 29 Look! The LORD has given you the Sabbath. Therefore, on the sixth day he gives you enough food for two days. Each of you should stay where you are and not leave your place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. Sermon Murmuring, whining, complaining, lamenting, grumbling, expressing resentment. Whatever you want to call it, it seems to be the favorite pastime of God’s people. There is always something to complain about in the church. Much of the new testament is dedicated to telling us how not to be complainers. But we do it anyway. It reminds me of the story of a lady who was a veritable fount of complaints. Her pastor came by to see her one day and she began to enumerate some of her complaints: “The neighbor’s children are so noisy . . . People at the church never come to see me . . . my arthritis is getting worse . . . the weather has been so terrible . . .” On and on she went with one complaint after the other. Finally, she said, “But do you know, Pastor, I have had the worst headache all week, but suddenly while talking with you, it’s gone.” The pastor sighed and said, “Oh, no. Your headache didn’t disappear. I have it now.” But before you think that I am making a statement about a possible issue in our church, I want to say upfront that this sermon is about a scripture in Exodus. That is the them of the scripture. I am just unpacking the scripture. We are talking about the people of Israel. That is what Israel means – one who wrestles with God. One who has a God given right to complain to God and to expect an answer. God says in this scripture passage, as he has said many time before. I have heard the complaints of my people and I am compelled to give them an answer. I may not be the answer that they are looking for – but it is an answer. So there is nothing wrong with complaining. It is a part of our condition –it is who we are and it is what we do. Deborah Block: People complain - God Hears - God Responds-People Respond • How are we responding to God’s gift? The major theme of the entire old testament – is remember who you are and remember who God is. Look at your life, your story and see that God has provided in so many different ways – each and every time that you needed God. Our scripture for today is literally a story about a grumbling in the tummies of the Isrealites, but there was also a grumbling in their spirits. This story has a lot of symbolism behind the actions of the story. This is the most famous story in the world. The Israelites have been called out of Egypt into the wilderness. They are looking for a peaceful place to worship God. Just three months ago they are celebrating the parting of the Red Sea and their triumph over the Egytpians. But now this trip is getting a little old. They don’t know where they are going, they don’t know how to survive. They are acting like any young child who will continually ask are we there yet, I am hungry, I have to go to the bathroom, I am tired. With uncertainty come grumbling. Exodus can also be called the book of grumbling. They complain at the stop before this that the water is bitter. In the story after this they complain that they will die of thirst. Today they are hungry and have nothing to eat. There are no fast food restaurants along the way, so they don’t know how they are going to eat. God provides quail and manna for them. Perhaps you are familiar with the cartoon Kudzu. It's a cartoon about a preacher by the name of Rev. Will B. Dunn, who looks rather goofy, wears a wide-brim black hat, but who tries hard to provide ministry to people who are silly and self-serving. In one of the Kudzu cartoons Rev. Will B. Dunn is shown reading from the pulpit Bible the Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily ... low-fat, low-cholesterol, salt-free bread. I have to give God credit. God not only provides, God provides a nutritious well balanced meal – a protein source and some type of bread. It is enough to sustain them. What is interesting is that if you think back to the story of them leaving Egypt – what did they bring with them? Livestock and supplies. They could not have been that hungry if they refused to kill their livestock. I am sure that they ate all of the unleavened bread they bought with them, but they did not kill their livestock because their animals would have been so much of a investment in their future, they would not have like to seem them killed for anyreason. Their livestock would not have mattered, because this is a story about how God provides. Quail would have been migrating at the same time they were traveling, God provided enough quail for them every night. God also gave them white stuff on the ground every morning. Manna literally means what is it? Bread and meat every day. What more can you ask for? But this bread and meat also represent spiritual food. Meat, sustenance, the main point, the meat of the matter? What is the meat of our faith? The meat is that God provides so we need to trust God. And bread – is symbolic for teachings that feed our soul. Jesus says that it is the bread that fulfills our souls. My first appointment – Emmanual United Methodist Church in North Chicago. The lay leader and I used to visit the shut ins every month. It was always a joy to visit these people and to get to know each of them and their stories. Fay was blind and hard of hearing, so it was always an interesting visit. She couldn’t see me, so it took her a few months to realize why I was visiting her every month. When she knew that the pastor was there, she would break out into the song Bread of Heaven. We would sing it together before giving her communion. That is just one of many songs about God providing our daily bread. Another, new mercies I see day by day. In the Lord’s prayer we even say – Give us this day our daily bread. Jesus tells us to pray only for the day – don’t worry so much about tomorrow, there is enough evil in the one day to deal with. Learning to expect our daily bread is the most important point in this story. That is a hard lesson in this day and age. We want to plan ahead, we want to know the answers now, we want to know how the story ends. In the modern world we are not willing to base our lives on an uncertainty. In the book In search of Stones, Scott Peck says that we love adventure – but if you know ahead of time how you will get there, what to expect, and how you will get there – it is not really an adventure. Faith is looking at your life and realizing how God was present for you each step of the way. If we know the story ahead of time it is not faith. A seminary professor in India noticed the interesting contrast the Indians have between grace and faith. They point to the cat and the monkey. The cat holds and carries its kittens with no assistance required from the kittens. It is pure grace. The little monkey has to hold onto its mother and this illustrates faith. Yet even the monkey is carried by its mother which brings us back to grace. The people of God live in both grace and faith. We have to look for God’s grace in every day, every moment. This poem says it well: I met God in the morning When my day was at its best And His Presence came like sunrise Like a glory in my breast. All day long His Presence lingered, All day long He stayed with me; And we sailed in perfect calmness, Over many a troubled sea. Other ships were sorely battered, Other ships were sore distressed; But the winds that seemed to drive them Brought to me a peace and rest. So I think I know the secret, Learned from many a troubled way You must seek Him in the morning If you would have Him in the day. Next week will continue the story of the grumbling. But as I said this story has a spiritual element also. God gives specific instructions on how to properly use these daily provisions. Don’t store them up, take only what you can eat in a day don’t get greedy. Take you need, not what you greed. Those who get greedy and don’t follow instructions die. In one episode of Little House On The Prairie, farming hasn't worked out, so Pa Ingalls moves the family to a new state. Gold has been discovered there, so Pa decides it's worth a try. They stop in town for provisions and meet a minister who befriends them. A conversation about Sunday school ensues. When the wagon is loaded, Pa Ingalls says (with that winning Michael Landon smile), "S'long, Reverend. Maybe you could say a prayer we find gold." To which the wise and kindly minister says, "I can't ask God to help you locate gold, Mr. Ingalls, but I will pray for you and your family's happiness and welfare." Pa Ingalls looks lovingly at Ma Ingalls, and you can see that the minister's words have at least momentarily gotten them back on track, helped them reorder their priorities. Pa says (again with that winning Michael Landon smile), "That'd be fine, Reverend. That'd be just fine." Off they drive. We who watch Little House On The Prairie find ourselves resonating to that. We sense the danger, and we somehow know the value being lifted up in that scene: God helps meet our needs, not our greeds Our prayer is give us this day, our daily bread. Let us pray….. Prayer Lord, your blessings abound in our lives and we lift our voices in gratitude for these lovely gifts from you. We also lift our voices as our hearts cry out our concerns for those who are ill, who mourn, who feel lost. We offer to your both our joys and concerns, so often intermingled in our lives. Be with each of us and for those whom we name with our voices and in our hearts. Dear friends, let us take a moment to share our joys and our concerns. [Sharing of joys and concerns; then a brief period of silence.] Lord, you have heard our cries and our shouts of joy. Make your presence known to us again through the love and forgiveness of others as we have loved and forgiven them. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN. Song for Reflection And Are We Yet Alive UMH 553 Announcements The health team will be meeting today – welcome to join in the conversation We will be meeting inside starting next week in fellowship hall. The health team is monitoring the situations, and wanted to start out with caution to have a safe inside experience. The restrictions have been lifted in Will County – so we will have seats for 50 people. The scripture for next week will be Exodus 17:1-7, the song for reflection is Come Thou Font of Every Blessing UMH 400 Benedictions Sending Now go to be with those forgotten by the world. We will share God's constant love with everyone. Now go to be generous with those around you as well as those far away. We will share Jesus' justice and hope with all who need it. Now go to live as faithful people. We will join the Spirit in standing side by side with those who are lonely and afraid. Children’s Sermon Object: Perhaps a menu or a loaf of bread. (I broke the "rules" on this one and didn't use a visual aid!) Lesson: Trust; greed. Text: "The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 'I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God." ' " "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather as much of it as each of you needs.' " "And Moses said to them, 'Let no one leave any of it over until morning.' But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them." "What are some of the things we need to help our bodies grow?" "Milk," one of the shyer boys softly announces from his seat at the edge of the gathered children. "Vegetables!" a little girl says with an air of authority. The other children grimace at the thought. "Sunshine!" says another, obviously beaming with joy that she came up with something important. "Yes, we need all of those things, and more. Do all of you like to eat?" Most of the children nod affirmation, though some are obviously at an age still indifferent to food. "Do any of you ever go out to eat?" All the children nod yes this time. "When I was a child, my parents took me out to eat once in a while. Quite often, especially if we went to a cafeteria, they would warn me, 'Be careful! Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.' Have any of you ever had anyone tell you that?" This time only two hands go up. "A couple of you have. 'Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!' That expression just didn't make any sense to me when I was your age. I had seen drawings of the stomach on posters at my doctor's office. I knew it had to be at least as big as my fist. Both of my eyes put together weren't that big. 'What in the world could my parents mean?' I wondered. But as I got older and continued to hear it, I learned that my eyes could see more than my stomach could hold. My parents wanted me to be careful not to take more food than I could eat. Finally I understood what it meant to have eyes bigger than my stomach. "In a few minutes our Liturgist is going to read a story about the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. They got pretty hungry and were upset with Moses for leading them to a place with so little food. So Moses asked God what to do. God said, 'I'll feed them, but they must gather only as much food as they need for one day and not leave any of it for the next day.' "That was hard for some of the Israelites to do. They had been very hungry. When God provided food, some of them gathered up more than they needed and tried to save it. But the extra food spoiled by the second day and they couldn't eat it. If they had obeyed God and only gathered enough for one day, they wouldn't have wasted the extra food they had taken. "Sometimes it's hard not to take more than we need, isn't it? Sometimes it's hard to trust that something will be there tomorrow if we don't take it today. But that's what God asked the Israelites to do. "Sometimes we're so hungry when we sit down to supper or go out to eat that it's extra hard not to take more than we need; it's hard not to have eyes bigger than our stomachs. Yet when we do, the food that is left over sometimes gets thrown away or sits in the refrigerator too long and spoils. That's rather sad when there are people all over the world who don't have enough to eat. In fact, there are people right here in Jefferson City who don't have enough to eat. That's why the church has a food closet, isn't it? "Well, in about an hour many of you will be sitting down to your Sunday dinner. When you do, you might think about what we've talked about this morning and try to take only what you need. In fact, whenever you eat, you might think about not having eyes too big for your stomach, and having faith that you can have more another time. You might think about how God asked the Israelites to have faith, to trust God. You know, God needs your trust too." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Additional Illustrations In one episode of Little House On The Prairie, farming hasn't worked out, so Pa Ingalls moves the family to a new state. Gold has been discovered there, so Pa decides it's worth a try. They stop in town for provisions and meet a minister who befriends them. A conversation about Sunday school ensues. When the wagon is loaded, Pa Ingalls says (with that winning Michael Landon smile), "S'long, Reverend. Maybe you could say a prayer we find gold." To which the wise and kindly minister says, "I can't ask God to help you locate gold, Mr. Ingalls, but I will pray for you and your family's happiness and welfare." Pa Ingalls looks lovingly at Ma Ingalls, and you can see that the minister's words have at least momentarily gotten them back on track, helped them reorder their priorities. Pa says (again with that winning Michael Landon smile), "That'd be fine, Reverend. That'd be just fine." Off they drive. We who watch Little House On The Prairie find ourselves resonating to that. We sense the danger, and we somehow know the value being lifted up in that scene: God helps meet our needs, not our greeds. The Israelites who wandered in the wilderness may have known perfectly well about the natural source of the manna. But whether they did or did not, they recognized that God had provided for them. It was not merely a natural phenomena; it was recognized as God's act of grace. It is like the story of a man who entered a monastic order. When he sat down to his first meal, the bread was served and he found it was delicious. The man turned to one of the monks and asked, "Did we make this bread or was it given to us?" And the monk replied, "Yes!" Well, which is it? And the answer is this: Life is both given to us and created by us.2 Perhaps you are familiar with the cartoon Kudzu. It's a cartoon about a preacher by the name of Rev. Will B. Dunn, who looks rather goofy, wears a wide-brim black hat, but who tries hard to provide ministry to people who are silly and self-serving. In one of the Kudzu cartoons Rev. Will B. Dunn is shown reading from the pulpit Bible the Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily ... low-fat, low-cholesterol, salt-free bread." The last frame has Rev. Dunn saying to himself, "I hate these modern translations."3 You see, Rev. Will B. Dunn knows that the Lord's Prayer is a prayer for daily bread and the physical ability to acquire it. But he also knows this prayer is more than about bread itself. To ask God to give us this day our daily bread is to ask not only for physical food, but also spiritual food. Yes, in the Lord's Prayer we are asking for bread we can slice and make into sandwiches, but in that prayer we are also asking for the bread of life: Jesus Christ. Dr. Clarence E. McCartney once asked, "Where is happiness?" It's not in unbelief; Voltaire was an unbeliever of the most pronounced type, and he wrote: "I wish I had never been born." Nor does money guarantee happiness Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. But when he was dying, he said, "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth." Happiness is not found in position and fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. But he wrote, "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret." Happiness is not in military glory, either. Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent because, he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer." Where, then, is happiness found? The answer is simple: "In Christ alone." "At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Let me make a suggestion to you as you leave church today. As you break bread at lunch, think of it as the manna that the children of Israel received from God. Thank God for giving you enough to eat. Don't worry about what you will or will not have tomorrow. Just thank God for today. Let the bread speak to you of the depth of God's love for each of us in providing both the bread and the gift of life to enjoy it. A man goes to a diner every day and he orders lunch. Afterward the manager asks him how he liked his meal. The old man replies, “It was good, but you could give me a little more bread.” So, the next day the manager tells the waitress to give the man two slices of bread this time. Afterward he asks, “How was your meal today?” “It was good,” the man replies, “but you could give me a little more bread.” So the next day the manager tells the waitress to give the man four slices of bread. “How was your meal today?” the manager asks. “It was good,” he replies, “but you could give me a little more bread.” So, the next day the manager tells the waitress to give the man a whole loaf of bread neatly sliced with his meal. Again, the manager asks, “How was your meal today?” One more time the man answered, “It was good, but you could give me just a little more bread.” The manager is now obsessed with satisfying this customer. He orders the staff to bake a four-foot-long loaf of bread. Then the next day, when the man comes in, the manager has the server place that enormous loaf of bread right next to the man’s plate. The man sits down, devours his meal, including all of the bread. Then the manager asks in his usual way: “How was your meal today, sir.” The man replies: “It was good as usual, but I see you are back to giving only one slice of bread!” I have a feeling that nothing the manager could have done would have satisfied this customer. Dr. Karl Menninger’s famous prescription to a lady who was depressed was that she go out and find someone who needed her and help that person. That is also the best prescription for chronic complainers. Complainers are invariably centered on themselves—not upon God and His goodness, not upon their neighbors and their needs—but upon themselves. The Hebrews knew themselves to be a chosen people. The Exodus experience confirmed that. They were God’s own people—a holy race. What they sometimes forgot was that they were chosen for a purpose—to be a witness for God to the nations. Have you ever known anyone who truly, unreservedly gave his or her life for others who was a complainer, a grumbler, a murmurer? Dr. Tom Dooley once wrote: “Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is intense effort applied toward a meaningful end.” A seminary professor in India noticed the interesting contrast the Indians have between grace and faith. They point to the cat and the monkey. The cat holds and carries its kittens with no assistance required from the kittens. It is pure grace. The little monkey has to hold onto its mother and this illustrates faith. Yet even the monkey is carried by its mother which brings us back to grace. David Allen Sorensen, in Exploring The Yearly Lectionary, tells how difficult it is to accept pure grace. Just for fun, he decided to try a little experiment at a toll booth in Indiana. He rolled up to the booth just ahead of a fellow he had never seen before and handed the teller a dollar and said, "This is for me and that red Chevy behind me." Then David drove off. Watching in his mirror, he saw the guy in the car behind motion emphatically with his hands as he took far longer at the booth than other cars. Then the motorist punched the accelerator hard and caught up with David, snapped his head to the right, and glared -- with anger! Some people receive God's grace like that, too. They don't trust God. They question the reality of pure grace. Most of us want to do it ourselves. An oft-told story comes to mind about a pillar of the church who died and went directly to the pearly gates. Saint Peter met him and said, "It takes 1,000 points to get in, so tell me about yourself." The pillar confidently reported, "well, until I was 21 years old, I never missed Sunday school, unless I was sick in bed. I have a string of perfect attendance medals that almost reaches the floor. I was an acolyte, active in the youth group, and I often worked around the church, cutting grass and doing other odd jobs." Saint Peter said, "That is extremely good. Congratulations. That gives you one point. Tell me more." The pillar said, "I am 75 years old. I attended church regularly, served on the board many times, sang in the choir, and gave ten percent of my income to the Lord." "My, that is truly remarkable, another point for you," said Saint Peter. "Tell me more." The man, growing a bit concerned, said, "I tried to live the Christian life, obeyed the Ten Commandments, and welcomed strangers." Saint Peter said, "That is wonderful and that is another point. Go on." By this time the man was becoming desperate and a bit irritated, and he blurted out to Saint Peter, "Look, at this rate the only way I'll ever get into heaven is by the grace of God!" At that, Saint Peter lit up and exclaimed, "That is worth 1,000 points. Come on in!" Saved by grace. Nourished by grace. Manna -- gift of God, the bread of life sent down from heaven. Thanks be to God. The story begins with the people grumbling…not only their stomachs, but their souls as well. So they form a "Back to Egypt Committee" whose mantra is "Why'd you bring us out here…everything was so much better back in Egypt." I guess just about every time the people of God begin to journey into an unknown future, they have to deal with the "Back to Egypt Committee," a desire for the good old days. Well, God heard their grumblings and, lo and behold, God provided—quail for protein and a generous serving of "What-is-it?" The word manna actually means, "What is it?" Every morning they would find this white, flaky stuff on the ground, look around and say, "What is it?" "Well, I don't know what it is, but it's all we've got." So they ate the "what is it" and it sustained them for one more day. Miracle MRE's, falling autumn leaves, overnight morels and mushrooms? Who knows? But there it was, every morning, manna for the journey, daily bread. It wasn't much, but it was enough.... There is an old story about a man who came to a Jewish Rabbi with a personal problem. The Rabbi’s advice was, “Don’t worry, just pray to God.” The man said, “But I don’t know how to pray.” The Rabbi was quiet for a moment and then said, “Then you do have a great deal to worry about.” If we can’t pray - if we don’t pray, we have a great deal to worry about. For it is only as we pray, only as we daily appropriate the presence of God in our lives that our Christian faith becomes the sustaining manna which is fresh every morning. This poem says it well: I met God in the morning When my day was at its best And His Presence came like sunrise Like a glory in my breast. All day long His Presence lingered, All day long He stayed with me; And we sailed in perfect calmness, Over many a troubled sea. Other ships were sorely battered, Other ships were sore distressed; But the winds that seemed to drive them Brought to me a peace and rest. So I think I know the secret, Learned from many a troubled way You must seek Him in the morning If you would have Him in the day.

Unexpected Gifts

Exodus 16:2-15 Year A September 21,2014 Unexpected Gifts Isreal – the people who complain What is the favorite pastime of God’s people. They love to complain. Now before you start thinking that pastor is about to start talking about somebody in the congregation. I am not about to go there – not yet at least. I am not talking about you – I am sticking with scripture – so I am just unpacking the scripture. We are talking about the people of Israel. That is what Israel means – one who wrestles with God. One who has a God given right to complain to God and to expect an answer. God says in this scripture passage, as he has said many time before. I have heard the complaints of my people and I am compelled to give them an answer. I may not be the answer that they are looking for – but it is an answer. So there is nothing wrong with complaining. It is a part of our condition –it is who we are and it is what we do. The man unsatisfied with his service John Yates, the Rector of the Falls Church in Virginia, tells the story of a young man writing at a post office desk who was approached by an older fellow with a post card in his hand. The old man said, “Young man, could you please address this post card for me?” The young man gladly did so, then agreed to write a short message when asked and to sign the card for the man. Finally the younger man asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” The old man looked at the post card, thought about it for a moment, and said, “Yes, at the end put, ‘P.S. Please excuse the sloppy handwriting.’” Complaining takes no special skill. Anybody can do it. But maintaining our joy come what may takes grace, strength, and humility. It is going to require a spiritual DNA change. Let us make the decision today to seek those virtues and be people of holy expectation and contagious delight. Cheese with your whine There is nothing wrong with complaining – but as the people of God – we have been told that we can do better. The next time someone complains to you – you should ask them what kind of cheese they want with their whine. Some people will get that, and others it may take awhile. People on the way I thought it was a good idea for us to take some time to think about the exodus story. Because it is a story of God’s people who are on the move. And what is one of the surest signs that God is about to do a new thing – people start to complain. In order for us to get from Egypt to the promiseland – God has to take us into the wilderness. In order for us to get from where we were – to where we are supposed to be – we have to go through transition. None of us take transition very well – so what do we do – we complain. The good news for those who complain- is that time and time again God has a way of saying I have heard your cry. And I will make things better. Manna – what is it? The bible says that God gave the Isrealites Quail and manna. Our traditional interpretation of manna is bread. But the Hebrew word for bread means doesn’t just mean baked bread, it means anything that is edible. Manna could have been anything. As a matter of fact, that is what manna means what is this? What is this that comes down from heaven each and every day? What is this that we are only to take as much as we need and leave the rest for others? What is this to comes in a double portion when we are supposed to take a rest day? What is this that spoils when misused? Not your every day bread, but bread from heaven – The grace, peace and love of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our manna and he provides for all of our needs. Bread from heaven In my first appointment – the lay leader and I would visit the sick and shut in and serve communion once a month. One of the ladies that we would visit – was not only blind, but she was also hard of hearing. And she had not been to church in about five years. Since I was not her old pastor – Julius Trimble – it took her a couple of months to realize that I was her pastor. After the second time we came to visit – everytime we would come – she would start singing bread of heaven - . I had never heard the song before – but to hear her sing it gave the song such meaning. Bread of heaven – feed me til I want no more. Jesus Christ is the only thing that can feed all of our wants and needs. Jesus us the only thing that can satisfy us to the point that we don’t need to complain in order to be fed. We can be grateful for who Christ is and What Christ has done to save our lives. God’s gave the people quail and manna – they had both a protein and a carbohydrate – that should have been enough to keep them full – but they continued to complain. Don’t store up manna All God was trying to do was to get them to trust him. To understand that the Lord provides. He told them not to store up any extra for tomorrow – but to collect the bread from heaven anew and afresh day by day. And thousands of years later we still don’t get it- we still like to hoard and save things that we cant keep until tomorrow. We especially like to hoard money, property, youth, possessions, health, relationships. All things that we have to be reminded that do not belong to us in order to keep and hold onto. The harder you hold onto those things – the more devastated you are when you lose them. Some things you have to ask for every day And yet we are reminded that there are certain things in life that cannot be stored, for that matter you have to gather those things day by day – moment by Moment. Some of those things are: your blessings, your strength, your faith, your gratitude, your joy. All things that you cant store up for tomorrow. Each and every morning, you have to gather those things from heaven. And God gives you just enough to make it through the day. Tomorrow you have to ask for more. But Christ wants us to understand that when you have enough of those things in your life- then you start to see that there is no need to complain. God sees your need, whatever your attitude and your mindset. You can complain, or you can pray – either way- every day there is bread from heaven to feed you until you want no more. A season of new beginnings We are going to hang out in Exodus for a few Sundays – because I think that the Isrealites – those who wrestle with God have some important lessons for us for the future. As we celebrate a season of new beginnings – I think that it is important for us to realize that God is taking us to a new place in our individual lives, and in our communal lives. I think that there are several important lessons for today – first that in order for us to make it to a better day – we have to go through the wilderness. If it wasn’t an uncomfortable place to be – it would be called to wilderness. But even in our discomfort, God is with us. God is listening to our cries, God is providing for our needs. God is going to give us unexpected gifts from heaven – and that gift is going to be so strange, do different, that the only thing we will know how to say is what is this? But the only way we will truly understand what it is if we trust God, learn to be patient, count our blessings, and most importantly be willing to become a new person, in a new place, doing a new thing. When you are traveling with God – every day is a new beginning. Our call to discipleship is for everyone today – I am going to invite everyone to be a part of our celebration of new beginnings. Extra illustrations Add Air or Put on the Spare! (08.24.05--Under Pressure!--Exodus 16:2) When we are under pressure, we can either seek to manage the pressure or let the pressure manage us. Easier said than done? Yes, but like most things in life, there is a way if we really have our eyes and hearts open to finding it. The other day I had a flat tire on the Corvair. It was one of those slow flats that you look at every day as you get into the car in the morning and say, “I think that it is a little low. I’ve got to put some air in that tire soon.” After weeks of looking and not doing, I pulled out of the garage one morning and, after a few miles on the road, I began to feel the car handling poorly. There was a sway and unsteadiness about it. I knew that it could only be one thing--the tire that was going flat, not having convinced me of its plight in the garage, it was now speaking to me on the highway. It was time to either add air or put on the spare. I could have avoided the inconvenience of changing a tire if I had simply reached for the air compressor days ago and filled that tire to pressure. Not having done so, I was left with the lesser of the two choices, changing a dirty tire on a busy highway. Instead of handling the pressure, it had handled me. “There are two ways of handling pressure.” According to Jay Kesler. “One is illustrated by a bathysphere. Bathyspheres compensate (for pressure) with plate steel several inches thick, which keeps the water out but also makes them heavy and hard to maneuver. (When) you look through the tiny, thick plate-glass windows, however, what do you see? Fish! These fish cope with extreme pressure in an entirely different way. They don’t build thick skins; they remain supple and free. They compensate for the outside pressure through equal and opposite pressure inside themselves. “Christians, likewise, don’t have to be hard and thick-skinned--as long as they appropriate God’s power within to equal the pressure without.” (Jay Kesler.) Add air or put on the spare. The Bible tells us to manage our pressure by not giving into the temptation to let things go until they are unmanageable. When we fill ourselves up with God’s Word every day, pray and give thanks to our Creator God who is above all stress and pressure in this life, we manage the pressures of the day by equalizing them on the inside with His Holy Spirit. There is no need to wait for our lives to deflate under the pressures of the day as long as we keep filling ourselves up with the equalizing pressure of God’s love. Add air or put on the spare. The choice is up to us. AMEN. What kind of cheese do you want with your whine?

Lift up Jesus

March 18, 2012 Numbers 21:4-9 John 3:14-21 Lift Up Jesus Fourth Sunday of Lent Year B Complain, Complain, Complain The story is told of a young man who entered a very strict monastic order. It was so strict that members were permitted to speak only two words per year to the abbot. At the end of year one the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke his two words, "bad food." At the end of the second year the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke two more words, "hard bed". At the end of year three he came to the abbot and spoke his last two words, "I quit." The abbot responded, "Well it is about time. Complain, complain, complain - that’s all you’ve done since you came here." We humans are people of darkness. People, who complain, rebel, work against the Kingdom of God. Death is all we know. Lives filled with the patterns of sin. However, God does an astonishing thing. He brings the light. He erects a cross of death that we might look up and live. He leads us out of the darkness. He loves the world and does not condemn it. He does not condemn you, if...if you will believe. It seems that no matter what the situation, no matter how many words we get to use, complaining is a part of our nature. There is always something to complain about. There is a saying which says that Jesus can take care of any situation. Jesus can do miracles, Jesus can turn water into wine, but he can’t do anything about your whining. Complaining in Numbers Interestingly enough, in many ways you can call the book of Numbers – the book of complaining. It is the story of the exodus generation. The generation of Hebrews who were born and raised in the wilderness – that is all that they ever knew of God. It could also be called the book of lost faith. Because this is the book of discouragement, and lost faith. They were following Moses, but not really sure of why. And what do we usually do when we are discouraged, and unsure of what is going on? We complain. If you read the book of numbers, there is the story of the wanderers complaining about not having enough meat – God gave them more quail then they could eat. They complained about water – and God them water. And in the scripture for today, they complained about bad food, and God sent them poisonous snakes. There is a lesson in that complaining for us – whatever it is going on in your life, if you don’t like it don’t tell God. Jesus can turn water into wine, but he can’t do nothing about your whining. But of course that does not seem like the God that we know. But if you look at the bible, later God does indeed say that he punished that nation with more exile, because they complained. More importantly it is not their complaining that was a problem, but they were more interested in being negative, then trusting God. God heard their prayer, and was working it out, and they were so busy complaining, that they could not see what God was really doing. The lesson in that for all of us But there is a bigger lesson in all of this for us – and that lesson is in realizing the power of our God. Our God can do anything. Our God is omnipotent, Our God can do anything. God caused the snakes to bite for a reason, and God gave them a cure for snake bites. The lesson for us – what does it mean to worship an omnipotent God. A God fully in charge of our lives. When the people realized their sin of complaining and Moses prayed on their behalf – God tells Moses to take a snake and out it on a pole and anyone who looks upon the snake will be saved. How do you worship an omnipotent God? A God who takes the very things that we are afraid of and makes it a tool of our healing? A God who takes our problems and makes them a part of the solution? A God who challenges us to trust our lives to him? The fiery snake parasite Parasites were a big problem in the ancient world. And in many poorer parts of the world that don’t have clean water – parasites are still a problem. There is one called the fiery serpent. Poisonous means fiery. The fiery serpent lives and grows very long in the body. It forms painful scabs on the body where it feeds on the skin. The only way to get it out of the body is to make a slit in the skin, when it starts to come out- a special healer must take a stick and let the worn wrap itself around the body. You have to be very careful though – because if the worm breaks, it will continue to grow in the body. The need for a special healer to take care of this worm – that today – it is the universal sign of healing. The universal sign for a doctor is a snake wrapped around a stick. So this story of God telling Moses to wrap a stick around the stick, so that those who looked upon it could heal. It wasn’t the snake on a stick that healed them or the person with the stick – it was God- an omnipotent God. A God who can do anything – even heal our wounds. John picks up the theme Perhaps that is why John picked up this theme in his gospel. At the beginning of the scripture for today – Jesus says And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of God be lifted up, that whoever believed in him may have eternal life.” The cross is the source of our salvation What does that mean? All lent we have been talking about the meaning of the cross. Why did Jesus have to die on a cross? What does Jesus on the cross mean for us? The cross is the source of salvation. When we sin against God – we can look to the cross, and be healed. What does it mean to worship an omnipotent God – it means that he loves us enough to be the source of our healing. Healing physically, mentally and spiritually. When Jesus was lifted up on the cross – if we believe in Jesus as the son of God, of we can look on that horrific scene and see the love of God – there is salvation for us. John 3:16 is the gospel in a nutshell For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life Other religions accept Jesus, but don’t accept the cross What does it mean to worship an omnipotent God? Interestingly enough – Jesus is not just the center of Christianity. There are many religions that see value in the gifts of Jesus Cross. Those religions love Jesus, but they hate the cross. They can’t do nothing with that cross. The Jews don’t understand a messiah who suffers and dies. The Muslims love the story of Christmas, but the story of Good Friday is offensive to them, Hindus only want to hear about the peaceful part of the story. Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh says the cross is a very painful image, it does not contain joy or peace, and it does not do justice to Jesus In order to be a true follower of Jesus – you can’t separate Jesus from the cross. If there was no Cross – there is no salvation for you. Without the cross Jesus is just a nice, wise person, not the Son of God. Jesus says that he has to be lifted up. It is in John 12 that he says that if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. God Is Seeking You in Love Fred Craddock tells the story of his father, who spent years of his life hiding from the God who was seeking him out: “When the pastor used to come from my mother’s church to call on him, my father would say, 'You don’t care about me. I know how churches are. You want another pledge, another name, and right? Another name, another pledge, isn’t that the whole point of church? Get another name, another pledge.' My nervous mother would run to the kitchen, crying, for fear somebody’s feelings would be hurt. When we had an evangelistic campaign the pastor would bring the evangelist, introduce him to my father and then say, 'Sic him, and get him! Sic him, get him!' May father would always say the same thing. 'You don’t care about me! Another name, another pledge. Another name, another pledge! I know about churches.' I guess I heard it a thousand times. One time he didn’t say it. He was at the Veteran’s Hospital. He was down to 74 pounds. They had taken out the throat, put in a metal tube, and said, 'Mr. Craddock, you should have come earlier. But this cancer is awfully far advanced. We’ll give radium, but we don’t know.' I went in to see him. In every window—potted plants and flowers. Everywhere there was a place to set them—potted plants and flowers. Even in that thing that swings out over your bed they put food on, there was a big flower. There was by his bed a stack of cards 10 or 15 inches deep. I looked at the cards sprinkled in the flowers. I read the cards beside his bed. And I want to tell you, every card, every blossom, every potted plant from groups, Sunday School classes, women’s groups, youth groups, men’s bible class, of my mother’s church—every one of them. My father saw me reading them. He could not speak, but he took a Kleenex box and wrote something on the side from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. . . . He wrote on the side, 'In this harsh world, draw your breath in pain to tell my story.' I said, 'What is your story, Daddy?' And he wrote, 'I was wrong.'” It is not until you know God is seeking you in love, not in condemnation; it is not until that moment that the gospel becomes Good News for you. What poison inside of you needs to be healed? What does it mean to worship an omnipotent God? It means that God loves you. It means that Jesus went to the cross for you. It means the lifting up Jesus- is the source of our healing. What poison needs to be removed from your body? Your soul? What healing needs to be done? Where do we need to go for salvation and healing? What does God do in order to save us? How do we worship an omnipotent God? We go to the cross – and follow Jesus to the resurrection. Let us pray….

The Fair Wages of Salvation

Rev. Harriette cross
Englewood UMC
Rust Memorial UMc
September 18, 2011
What’s Fair
Exodus 16:2-15
Matthew 20:1-16
14th Sunday after Pentecost
Year A


Wandering in the wilderness
We have all been there at some point in our lives. We have been at a time in our lives when we are just wandering in the wilderness – looking for where we will go next. We might be just finishing school looking for a career, just out of a relationship looking for what comes next, looking for a lifestyle change. We may be looking for a new job. There are any number of things that might put us in that place of wandering. The point is, some of us at some point find a sense of direction of where we are supposed to go, and some of us just keep on wandering.

Turn to you neighbor and say – I don’t plan on being in this place for too long.

Some of us get home and some of us keep wandering
There is a saying that the king of England said a prayer to God on day – he prayed that God would give him a light so that he could see in the unknown. The priest replied, instead of praying for light, just pray for God – that is all that you need.

That is the difference between those who make it to the promised land, and those who don’t. Some are still looking for the light, and some discover that God knows the way – not them.

We have to go in the wilderness to find God
Often times it is those wilderness experiences that teach us that we need God. It is those wilderness experiences that teach us of the ways of God. It is those wilderness experiences that put us face to face with a God. A God that had been with us all along, but for some reason we had not been paying attention to.
It is in the wilderness that we start to exchange our fear for courage, and we have to strength to move on.
Even when we get to the promisedland we see that in reality, all of our lives are lived somewhere in between hardship and promise. No Matter how far we make it, there is something that we have to struggle with.

We like to complain
And when we have to struggle we get frustrated, and when we get frustrated what do we do? We start to complain. Something is wrong, and somebody is to blame for all of our struggles.

As our Old Testament reading today indicates, complaining seems to be an essential element of the human condition. In 1770 Edmund Burke published a little treatise called Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents. His perception sounds quite contemporary as well as reflective on ancient Israel: "To complain of the age we live in, to murmur at the present possessors of power, to lament the past, to conceive extravagant hopes of the future, are the common dispositions of the greatest part of humankind."



News reports say that the approval rate for president obama is at an all time low. Many are saying that life is worse for them now then it was when he got in office. He may have done a lot for the country – but we are all still frustrated.

God knows the frustration of his people very well. The whole subject of the first books of the bible are God’s people complaining, and God hearing and responding to their frustration.
The isrealites cried because of the hardship of slavery – and the bible says that God heard the cries of his people. They needed a leader to lead them out of Egypt – and God called Moses. In our text today – the isrealites have been freed, they are on their own, they have been given a vision of a land that God promises them – and yet what is going on? They are feeling the tension between hardship and promise. They are hungry, they are frustrated, and they are complaining. God bought us here out of the middle of nowhere – to die. Once again God hears their cries. And they are fed with manna an quail. And they are able to move on with their task of finding a homeland.

The history of God and his people
God hearing the call of his beloved people – and answering the call – that is the theme of the bible. Biblical scholars say that is the theme of the Hebrew story. Some say that God never really recovered from feeling hurt that his people did not fully trust him to supply all of their needs. That is why their hardship never really ended.
Even more interesting for me – is that the while in isreal – I learned that there has never been any archeological proof that this story happened in reality at all. Jews today believe that it was just an old folk tale. They have looked for years for relics of the day , and have not found them. No buildings, no bones, no artifacts. They have dug all over the place where the isrealites would have been in the wilderness and all they can really find are the bones of egytpians settlers in the land. No proof that the isrealites actually wandered in the wilderness. Do we really need proof of the story to get the point of the story. At some point in our lives, we will be wandering around in the wilderness, at some point in or lives God comes to us and supplies or needs. And either we are going to trust God – or we are going to continue to complain about what we don’t have, and what we cant do.

Turn to your neighbor again and say – I don’t plan on staying in this place for too long.

A lesson, a test, a gift
The manna that provided for the isrealites to eat when they were hungry was a test, a lesson and a gift all in one. God created the hunger and the need in them, just as God created the satisfaction. God wanted to test his people to see how they would respond to being in need, God wanted to teach them then He could supply all they needed, and God wanted to satisfy that hunger so that they could know redemption. And who was responsible. The hardships we go through are a test, a lesson, and a gift of faith for those who believe.

We only read part of the story of the people and God’s gift of manna. God told the people to only take what they needed for the day – the people’s response to hoard and save it. God said not to forget the Sabbath in order to eat – and they went out on the Sabbath to get more manna.

And we wonder why we are always asking, and god always supplies and we have to ask again. We don’t hold onto the gift of trust for too long.


Frustration in the new testament
The gospel lesson is a story of frustration, of working in the midst of hardship, of thinking you are getting ahead, and realizing that you are getting no where – without God.

In the parable of the first and the last – we have heard this story before. A man of means hires some day workers and promises to pay them for they work. Those who work twice as hard get the same thing as those who don’t. it is a story that peaks our frustration, and sense of injustice as you will. One person upon hearing some of Jesus’ parables – just outright says sometimes Jesus is just unfair in what he says.
The parable that Jesus gives, there is no names, no context, no connection to the worker or his money. Listen to this story and see if your perspective changes….

The story with a name
There’s a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have the work, but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally, the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds, and those who came last get paid a full days’ wages, John rejoices, knowing that Philip – his brother – will have the money necessary to feed his family. When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay, instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with tears in his eyes, “Thank you, my lord, for what you’ve done for us today!”


God’s economy
What fair and right in the worlds economy, is not what is right and fair in God’s economy. In the worlds economy you too are a nameless, faceless situation with no connection, and no context. And yet in God’s economy you are loved, needed, cared for and important. God created your circumstance, God put you in it- and God will take you out of it – all so that you can realize that God really does care about you. The situation you are in is a test, a lesson and a gift – the gift of God’s grace.
And believe it or not, sometimes Jesus is just wrong. Wrong in the worlds eyes – to remind us that we are in the world but not of the world. We are in the situation – but God has plans for us to move somewhere else. Look at your neighbor and say – I don’t plan to stay in this place for too long….


The prayer of the filled cup
Recently I learned of a special prayer that one woman does every day. When she wakes up in the morning who gets a bowl- and as she pours water in to she starts to pray for all of the things and all of the people in her life. As the bowl fills up she still pour the water. And she is reminded of God’s grace in her life. She remembers all of the needs that God supplies, all that she is grateful for. All that she has for her say. She realizes that her life is just as full as that bowl. And then she leaves the bowl on her kitchen sink for the rest of her day – to remind her of the fullness of God, and that her soul is full.

Let us pray…..