Ordinary 22A – A sermon based upon Exodus 3:1-15
Good morning. It is a true blessing to be back with you and I’ll be here for the next few weeks. I’ve missed you but you’ve remained in my prayers. And you’re never far from my heart, either.
Well, today’s scripture from Exodus is another one of those treasure troves of God’s wisdom. I have chewed on it all week and kept hearing more revelation from God even though I knew I needed to narrow the focus. So who knows, maybe I’ll preach this text again in a few weeks with a different focus. But for now, we’ve got enough to chew on.
It’s that amazing story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses was on his way to work and worried that he would be late but he turned to see what was happening up the hillside. What was this fire that burned but did not consume the bush? It turns out it was a message from God and a calling to do something remarkable. God had heard the cry of the Israelites and wanted Moses to help in the work of spreading God’s liberation and justice. Moses insisted that he would be too afraid to do this task. He protested and told of reasons he could not do it but God’s call was still the same. He wanted to know how this could be done. And you know what? God was not explicit on how this would happen even when asked. God never offered a detailed roadmap of how to overthrow an empire. But God’s promise to be with Moses through it all was loud and clear.
It’s a great story isn’t it? It has all these amazing ways of thinking about it. For example, we could ask what can we learn about God through this story. What about what we can learn about Moses or human nature? We could even ask about what we can learn about the life of people 3500 years ago. But for this day, I think we might be well served by asking what we can learn about our lives today through this story.
What is it that we need to know so that we to can experience a life changing moment with God? For Moses, this was just a brief encounter but it definitely changed the whole direction of his life. So what are a few of the take-a-ways for our lives?
Well, for today, we’re going to focus in on three… how very three point sermon of me. First, there are all kinds of burning bushes. Second, we just might be missing some burning bushes around us already. And third, following God’s call on our lives is not about having all the answers or always being fearless.
First, are there all kinds of burning bushes? I know we read the stories of the bible and often wonder why doesn’t God light up a bush and talk to us sometime? It would be much easier to have faith if God just spoke more loudly and clearly. But even though we might like a burning bush or at least a nice email from God, God has already filled our lives with life changing messages that came in all kinds of forms.
For those of you who have felt the call to be involved in some sort of ministry or cause, how did you know that was the right thing to do? Or when you were looking for a church home, how did you know this was the one? And when you were struggling to find meaning, direction, or vocation, what led you down the path the fulfillment?
See, I doubt it was a burning bush. The answers to any one of those questions are going to be so varied among us. It could have been a series of seemingly unrelated events that collided that made you see a certain direction… providence, if you will. It might have been a still small voice that kept whispering the same thing to you over and over. Perhaps it was a large event that happened long ago that changed you in a way that has altered your decision making ever since. Regardless of what it looked like, if it was the right decision, it was God.
God speaks to us in all kinds of ways. God used Moses to speak to the Israelites and encourage them to believe that they would not always have to suffer. God used passersby to tend to the wounds of an injured person. God speaks through moments and whispers and people and God speaks to us in this time and place.
It may not be a burning bush but unlocked, this bible has set lives on fire. Social time between services may consume more donuts than a non-consuming flame but lives are transformed and the face of God is seen. Vacation bible school, reaching out to one another as neighbors, community events, meals with loved ones, and ALL the countless ways we “hear” and “are” God’s voice in the world… oh yes, there are all kinds of burning bushes in our lives that set us on a path and guide us all the way.
Second, are there already burning bushes around us that we may have missed? Well, let’s see. There is a tale told by rabbis about why the bush was burning but not consumed. I mean, for the purposes of delivering a message, does it really matter if the bush is left in ashes or not? Well, as the story goes, the rabbis argued about this until one of them said, “The bush was burning but not consumed so that one day when Moses passed by he would finally notice it!”
If we re-read this passage, stopping to think that Moses might have missed it before, suddenly some of the language makes sense. God put out this sign waiting for Moses to turn away from what he was doing long enough to notice it. So, this bush needed to not be burned up by the flame. It needed to last.
Now, whether or not the bush had been burning for years or just that afternoon doesn’t really matter. The point is that God did not put it right in front of Moses but rather it was off to the side and took some intentionality on Moses’ part to go to it. The scripture says he had to turn aside from what he was doing to go over to the bush.
So, coming back to the idea that there are already burning bushes in our midst, how often are our lives like this? (walk past communion table in a hurry) Or this? (walk past communion table reading) Or this? (walk past communion table meandering) Or this? (walk past communion table on phone) Or this? (walk past communion table with a hurt back) Or this? (walk past communion table laughing) (Turn and finally notice the communion table)
The joys, the tears, and everything in between are always going on in our lives. How often do we walk past the same thing and then finally one day see it? I venture to guess, quite a bit. And God knows that too. Sometimes we probably do miss out on a message. But for the big stuff, God keeps a bush lit for us. That bush may have to be moved from place to place or time to time to keep up with us but it stays lit.
What do I mean by this? Well, what would happen if we all took a bit to talk about the direction of this church? I bet that conversation would end with some pretty amazing ideas about invigorating existing relationships or maybe starting new ministries. It’s not that these are new ideas. It’s just that we didn’t stop to notice them before now.
It only takes pausing for a bit and being willing to see something new or different to realize that God has set fire to a bush near each of us. Maybe the message we’ve been missing is that of embracing something we weren’t sure we could handle. It could be a message to forgive someone. It might even be a calling to do something entirely different in our lives. But the point is that when we are intentional to pause, look, and change course even a little, we always find a place God is speaking to us that we didn’t recognize before.
So, to the final point, following God’s call on our lives is not about having all the answers or always being fearless. If we know anything about Moses’ story, we know that he was plagued by repeated doubts, fears, and was nearly always asking God to “Prove it.” And repeatedly God addressed the doubts, fears, and pleas to prove it with the reply “I will be with you.”
God’s greatest gift to Moses and to us is that we are never alone. We are going to have fears and we are most definitely going to have doubts. We are even going to be dissatisfied with the unclear plan we have in front of us and ask God to show us more of the road map. But God’s constant answer is “I am with you.” And then in due time, more is revealed.
So what does that mean in practical terms for us? We need to keep our focus on what God has called us to do today and not let our anxiety and fear about the how all this is going to work out distract us. And how does that happen? We keep living as the body of Christ, watching and responding to burning bushes as they appear.
Consider what the Pastor Nominating Committee does. They join together seeking the voice of God each week. Now I am positive they might prefer an obvious burning bush but the fact of the matter is that their ongoing relationship with one another makes them more and more aware of God’s presence and work in this place. Their work is hard and produces a lot of fear and anxiety. I bet every one of them worry “what if we get it wrong?” Have they missed a few burning bushes? In this case, I doubt it. But I am absolutely sure that God is with them. They need only keep on the path before them until a new burning bush illuminates God’s way. And we need to support them by offering encouragement and reminding them that God’s guidance will be present in this church, no matter what.
But the practical part of knowing God is with us even though we fear doesn’t end there. When John Karins died last month, the presence of God was felt by his family because this congregation responded with love and support. When the church needs juice boxes for vacation bible school, we bring them in. When a hurricane strikes the east coast, we donate to the Red Cross. When there is a new birth in our midst, we celebrate with one another.
All of these things we do as the body of Christ, Emmanuel… God with us, are a constant reminder that we are not alone. Our fears will find comfort in God and one another. The path we should take will be made known if we hold together as a body. Even the future of this church, it’s members, and it’s leadership are secure in the workings of God. Our job is to keep moving forward as a body and being ever watchful for that next burning bush. Amen.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Called to Faith
Sermon basued upon Daniel 12: 1-13. <-- Audio file of sermon.
Good morning. As always it’s a pleasure to be here with you and this week is no exception. You see, worship is one of those spaces where we come and intentionally yet humbly try to watch for God. We catch glimpses of God in music, prayers, the Word, the space, one another, and many indescribable moments. We also catch glimpses of what God wants for us… healing, love, sanctuary, justice, celebration, peace... wholeness, if you will.
I raise this issue about worship not because today’s sermon is about worship but because I think the rich and multi-layered way we experience worship is similar to the rich way we can experience today’s reading from the book of Daniel. You see, this week we continue our look at apocalyptic literary texts from the bible with one that in some ways is the most difficult passage we’ll look at. It’s difficult in several ways but also rich with meaning. But we’re going to try to go from the big picture and zero in on a core piece of meaning.
If you should ever decide to read the book of Daniel, I suggest you do so with an ancient Persian and Babylonian history book one side and a good biblical commentary at your other side while sipping on a big cup of humility. I’m not saying that this book is out of reach for everyday people. I’m saying that the more you engage it, the more it will show you… sort of like worship. So let me start off by sharing with you some of why this is such a complicated text and then we’ll move into figuring out what beauty emerges from its complexity.
First off, if you were following along in your pew bibles, you may have noticed that today’s Daniel text is the last chapter of the book. Daniel is not a very large book and this is a passage that draws to a close a series of stories and visions. I say “series of” because in fact, this book was not written all at one time. When we, the modern reader pick up this book, we see a nicely put together chronicles of a man named Daniel broken into chapters and verses. In reality, the original texts that we pull this from are a combination of scrolls that draw upon the experiences and folklore of the Jewish people while they were in exile. To make matters more interesting, some of those scrolls are in Hebrew while others are in Aramaic. So, we add language issues on top of the historical issues of putting together a book that cuts across time.
Now, all this may not seem important when we read either the book or today’s individual text but it is. It’s important because it means that when we look to interpret the symbols and the stories, we should be even more diligent in our study and care with what we learn. Wars have been started in the name of what people believed this book was telling them. Wars have been started because they were too sure of their own knowledge that they forgot to faithfully watch for what God wanted to reveal.
And this is the key point I believe God has for us today. Our calling is to faith, not knowledge. It is from genuine faith that we see what is important and then grow into knowledge and wisdom that is purposeful and transcending. But even more core, faith is sometimes all we have… and that is more than good enough.
Okay, so with that long introduction, let’s jump into this scripture text more fully. Chapter 12 is really the end to a longer vision that Daniel is sharing that started in Chapter 10. Like I said before, Daniel and the Jewish people are living in exile. This is a time where they are being terribly mistreated. They aren’t being mistreated necessarily because of their religious beliefs, though there is that too. But more broadly, they’re being victimized because the dictator like leadership is concerned only with conquering more lands and more people. All commoners were subject to oppression and the whims of the royals, not just the Jews.
So these stories that called upon folk heroes like the angelic Michael and Gabriel were a source of hope and comfort to the Jewish people that the suffering they felt would not be the last word. And that’s where we break into this story. The conclusion of this great battle where God’s justice triumphs over these worldly rulers is a time to pause and take it all in. And what happens when Daniel pauses in this vision? He sees resurrection and new life.
Now at this point you might be thinking, “how is it that Pastor Lavender sees this as being about faith? Sounds more like last week’s sermon of God’s triumph and the Lamb’s victory.” Well, it is… but it’s not. This vision was shared with people who would not know that victory during their lifetime. They would continue to know suffering and abuse. So, if we have a promise of victory but we aren’t there yet, we’re left to be faithful in the meantime.
Let’s reread part of this passage. Verses 1-4 read,
‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase.’
What do we see here? Well, first of all, in a broken world of fear and pride, people are going to suffer. The whole of the book of Daniel is about good, everyday people suffering even when they try to do the right thing. Now we don’t live the wretched lives of the people in exile that starved to death and were held in slave labor but we do know about other ways to suffer, don’t we? Think about your own life. What about times of intense grief and loneliness or fear and uncertainty? We’ve all had them. And we’ll continue to have them. Look around this room or at your friends and family. Unimaginable tragedy strikes without care or concern for how good and faithful we are.
But to the suffering Jews and to us today, this passage offers hope. It offers a vision of deliverance. It offers the first biblical reference to resurrection. Now resurrection is one of those words that sometimes our modern mind doesn’t know what to do with. It’s a word that’s been abused and twisted at times. It’s a word that offers comfort and hope at other times. But what is it?
Well, I spent a lot of time this week reading about resurrection. The Nicene Creed, The Apostles Creed, The Scots Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism… every historical and constitutional document in the reformed Christian tradition refers to resurrection. But by and large, they refer to the resurrection of Christ and its meaning for the life of the church and for us as individuals. Not as much is said about the idea of resurrection and deliverance for the people of God.
But where did I find more information on resurrection? In texts about funerals. We, as a people of faith believe that something happens after we’re dead that does or will transcend death. Our faith heritage is not usually very specific about what that looks like because we just don’t have much biblical guidance one way or another. But we are clear that death is not the last word.
But much like I said of last week’s text, I’m not willing to tell those who are suffering that they have to wait for the hereafter for deliverance and I don’t think Daniel was either.
Resurrection is something that happens in ways we are not always aware of in the midst of it. For the people of Daniel’s time and the generations in exile that read these scrolls, they took heart in the way they passed on parts of themselves, their heritage, and their faith. I say this because of verse 3. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” This verse is referring to victory found in sharing of ourselves with others, an act of faith.
In the bible, wisdom is never about knowledge or facts. Wisdom is about faithfulness and diligence. People without much knowledge are referred to as wise because they seek more than they speak. They are humble with knowledge and desire understanding over convincing others of their rightness. The wise are also those who remember and hold to the journey that has brought them here and will carry them forward. So when this verse says the “wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky” it’s referring to those who faithfully seek to take part in God’s victory. And that faithfulness will help them lead others to righteousness.
So here we are, back where we started. We’re called to faith. Our hope in resurrection both in the afterlife and now is wrapped up in this faith. For Daniel and his people, their faith was all they had left. It told them of their history, their hope for the future, and sustained them in this time of trial. It was everything to them. And just like the people who read Daniel’s stories found hope in their time, we must ask what is it our faith means to us in this time?
Well, we read from Hebrews 11 today that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That means that faith is that quiet utterance from within that tells us our hopes are not in vain and that we are not delusional but in fact visionary. So when I ask, what is it our faith means to us, I intend that more as something we should go from here and chew on. What are the hopes that well up in us? What things not seen do we believe in? What beliefs make us better people, more Christ-like? What does our faith compel us to do? What do we even think faith is?
When I am back with you on February 6th, we’ll look at one last apocalyptic text and flesh out what some of these questions of faith look like for us as a community of believers. But in the meantime, let us humbly ponder these questions of what is faith and God’s calling to faithfulness, looking for glimpses of God along the way. And let us do so with assuredness that faith is sufficient and it is our calling. Amen.
Good morning. As always it’s a pleasure to be here with you and this week is no exception. You see, worship is one of those spaces where we come and intentionally yet humbly try to watch for God. We catch glimpses of God in music, prayers, the Word, the space, one another, and many indescribable moments. We also catch glimpses of what God wants for us… healing, love, sanctuary, justice, celebration, peace... wholeness, if you will.
I raise this issue about worship not because today’s sermon is about worship but because I think the rich and multi-layered way we experience worship is similar to the rich way we can experience today’s reading from the book of Daniel. You see, this week we continue our look at apocalyptic literary texts from the bible with one that in some ways is the most difficult passage we’ll look at. It’s difficult in several ways but also rich with meaning. But we’re going to try to go from the big picture and zero in on a core piece of meaning.
If you should ever decide to read the book of Daniel, I suggest you do so with an ancient Persian and Babylonian history book one side and a good biblical commentary at your other side while sipping on a big cup of humility. I’m not saying that this book is out of reach for everyday people. I’m saying that the more you engage it, the more it will show you… sort of like worship. So let me start off by sharing with you some of why this is such a complicated text and then we’ll move into figuring out what beauty emerges from its complexity.
First off, if you were following along in your pew bibles, you may have noticed that today’s Daniel text is the last chapter of the book. Daniel is not a very large book and this is a passage that draws to a close a series of stories and visions. I say “series of” because in fact, this book was not written all at one time. When we, the modern reader pick up this book, we see a nicely put together chronicles of a man named Daniel broken into chapters and verses. In reality, the original texts that we pull this from are a combination of scrolls that draw upon the experiences and folklore of the Jewish people while they were in exile. To make matters more interesting, some of those scrolls are in Hebrew while others are in Aramaic. So, we add language issues on top of the historical issues of putting together a book that cuts across time.
Now, all this may not seem important when we read either the book or today’s individual text but it is. It’s important because it means that when we look to interpret the symbols and the stories, we should be even more diligent in our study and care with what we learn. Wars have been started in the name of what people believed this book was telling them. Wars have been started because they were too sure of their own knowledge that they forgot to faithfully watch for what God wanted to reveal.
And this is the key point I believe God has for us today. Our calling is to faith, not knowledge. It is from genuine faith that we see what is important and then grow into knowledge and wisdom that is purposeful and transcending. But even more core, faith is sometimes all we have… and that is more than good enough.
Okay, so with that long introduction, let’s jump into this scripture text more fully. Chapter 12 is really the end to a longer vision that Daniel is sharing that started in Chapter 10. Like I said before, Daniel and the Jewish people are living in exile. This is a time where they are being terribly mistreated. They aren’t being mistreated necessarily because of their religious beliefs, though there is that too. But more broadly, they’re being victimized because the dictator like leadership is concerned only with conquering more lands and more people. All commoners were subject to oppression and the whims of the royals, not just the Jews.
So these stories that called upon folk heroes like the angelic Michael and Gabriel were a source of hope and comfort to the Jewish people that the suffering they felt would not be the last word. And that’s where we break into this story. The conclusion of this great battle where God’s justice triumphs over these worldly rulers is a time to pause and take it all in. And what happens when Daniel pauses in this vision? He sees resurrection and new life.
Now at this point you might be thinking, “how is it that Pastor Lavender sees this as being about faith? Sounds more like last week’s sermon of God’s triumph and the Lamb’s victory.” Well, it is… but it’s not. This vision was shared with people who would not know that victory during their lifetime. They would continue to know suffering and abuse. So, if we have a promise of victory but we aren’t there yet, we’re left to be faithful in the meantime.
Let’s reread part of this passage. Verses 1-4 read,
‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase.’
What do we see here? Well, first of all, in a broken world of fear and pride, people are going to suffer. The whole of the book of Daniel is about good, everyday people suffering even when they try to do the right thing. Now we don’t live the wretched lives of the people in exile that starved to death and were held in slave labor but we do know about other ways to suffer, don’t we? Think about your own life. What about times of intense grief and loneliness or fear and uncertainty? We’ve all had them. And we’ll continue to have them. Look around this room or at your friends and family. Unimaginable tragedy strikes without care or concern for how good and faithful we are.
But to the suffering Jews and to us today, this passage offers hope. It offers a vision of deliverance. It offers the first biblical reference to resurrection. Now resurrection is one of those words that sometimes our modern mind doesn’t know what to do with. It’s a word that’s been abused and twisted at times. It’s a word that offers comfort and hope at other times. But what is it?
Well, I spent a lot of time this week reading about resurrection. The Nicene Creed, The Apostles Creed, The Scots Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism… every historical and constitutional document in the reformed Christian tradition refers to resurrection. But by and large, they refer to the resurrection of Christ and its meaning for the life of the church and for us as individuals. Not as much is said about the idea of resurrection and deliverance for the people of God.
But where did I find more information on resurrection? In texts about funerals. We, as a people of faith believe that something happens after we’re dead that does or will transcend death. Our faith heritage is not usually very specific about what that looks like because we just don’t have much biblical guidance one way or another. But we are clear that death is not the last word.
But much like I said of last week’s text, I’m not willing to tell those who are suffering that they have to wait for the hereafter for deliverance and I don’t think Daniel was either.
Resurrection is something that happens in ways we are not always aware of in the midst of it. For the people of Daniel’s time and the generations in exile that read these scrolls, they took heart in the way they passed on parts of themselves, their heritage, and their faith. I say this because of verse 3. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” This verse is referring to victory found in sharing of ourselves with others, an act of faith.
In the bible, wisdom is never about knowledge or facts. Wisdom is about faithfulness and diligence. People without much knowledge are referred to as wise because they seek more than they speak. They are humble with knowledge and desire understanding over convincing others of their rightness. The wise are also those who remember and hold to the journey that has brought them here and will carry them forward. So when this verse says the “wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky” it’s referring to those who faithfully seek to take part in God’s victory. And that faithfulness will help them lead others to righteousness.
So here we are, back where we started. We’re called to faith. Our hope in resurrection both in the afterlife and now is wrapped up in this faith. For Daniel and his people, their faith was all they had left. It told them of their history, their hope for the future, and sustained them in this time of trial. It was everything to them. And just like the people who read Daniel’s stories found hope in their time, we must ask what is it our faith means to us in this time?
Well, we read from Hebrews 11 today that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That means that faith is that quiet utterance from within that tells us our hopes are not in vain and that we are not delusional but in fact visionary. So when I ask, what is it our faith means to us, I intend that more as something we should go from here and chew on. What are the hopes that well up in us? What things not seen do we believe in? What beliefs make us better people, more Christ-like? What does our faith compel us to do? What do we even think faith is?
When I am back with you on February 6th, we’ll look at one last apocalyptic text and flesh out what some of these questions of faith look like for us as a community of believers. But in the meantime, let us humbly ponder these questions of what is faith and God’s calling to faithfulness, looking for glimpses of God along the way. And let us do so with assuredness that faith is sufficient and it is our calling. Amen.
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