SCRIPTURE: Exodus 3:1-15
TEXT: 1b …he led his flock beyond the wilderness, THEME: When God gets our attention, things begin to change. INTRODUCTION When we think about all of the amazing things that Moses was able to accomplish: negotiate release for Israelites from out of Pharaoh’s hand, out run an Egyptian Army with a million people, traverse the Red Sea on foot, Wander around in the desert for 40 years always finding water, healing snake bites, and eating chicken Manapua everyday (my personal favorite). He coined the phrase “Holy Cow” and transform former slaves, complaining, whining, pagans in to the People of God. What was his motivation? The Burning Bush story was a turning point event in Moses’ life. According to Steven Spielberg, Moses grew up as a Prince of Egypt. But when he discovered a taskmaster’s abusing a Hebrew countryman, he killed him. Witnesses came forward so he left the County. On the lam he meets a girl and marries her. They had a child and his life is normalized as he takes his father in law’s sheep out to pasture. Thinking that he has escaped his past in Egypt, he leads the sheep beyond the wilderness. SCRIPTURE This passage has many of rabbit holes to chase down theological minutia. Like why does he have to take his shoes off to stand on Holy Ground? (It’s because God is Japanese, of course). The burning bush is an attention getting device that calls Moses out of the routine of his life to hear God’s call to participate, in a God initiative; the work of rescue, liberation, and the restoration of the people of God. God has seen their misery, God has heard their cries, God knows their suffering, God initiates a plan to extraction them from slavery in Egypt and to deliver them to a land flowing with milk and Honey. What has God used as our burning bush, to get our attention so God could speak to us? Illness, drowning, sheltered in, being overwhelmed, loneliness, fear, injustice. What has God said to us, in the quiet of the pandemic? What is the still speaking God saying to us? My mind has been corrupted by Monty Python, when Moses shields his face to avert his eye, less he sees the face of God and die. I can’t help but think of that scene in the Search for the Holy Grail, where God says, God: What are you doing now? King Arthur: I’m averting my eyes, oh Lord. God: Well, don’t. It’s just like those miserable psalms, they’re so depressing. Now knock it off! There is no one like Moses, saved by Pharaoh’s daughter, raised in the palace with the Royals, Egyptian on the outside Hebrew on the inside. With a Heart after God, just as there is no one like you, with the combination of skills, relationships, experiences, personality, that makes all of us unique in the service of God’s initiative. God simply says to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt”. Easy Peasy. Simple in concept, but difficult to do. We need God’s help. Despite our objections, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish when God is by our side. APPLICATION This is a turning point in Moses’ life and in the life of God’s people. What has been the turning point event in our lives, where God has gotten our attention and called us to participate in an initiative? How has God’s call changed the direction of our lives? When my mother read the ordination paper I was presenting at my Ecclesiastical Council, she asked me why I had said that I was ‘called’ to the ministry. This is terminology we use in religious circles but most people don’t talk like that. Faith frames the events of our lives on a timeline of Godly events. I remember in Sunday School, when my teacher said, “God has a plan for you” “you have to discover that plan and do it.” I wondered what plan God had for me. There were different events in my life where God had gotten my attention and I was sensing that there were things that God wanted me to do; to help others, to use who I was to explain the Bible, to alleviate doubt in believing, to believe with faith, and to have faith that leads us to doing. Could it be that I was called to the Ordained Ministry? This question has plagued me all of my life. Maybe when I get to retire, I will figure out if I was ever called or not. There are points where God intersects our lives with healing, help, forgiveness, comfort, and provision. There are points where God intersects our lives Overcoming guilt, shame, inadequacies and fears. There are points where God intersects our lives with joy, peace, humility, and contentment. The call is simple, to live with a mindfulness of God. When I am on a Zoom Conference with my Colleagues. I feel like I am the least Spiritual of them, I am not religious, but I am thankful for what I have. Brother Steindl-Rast says that when we say grace, we need to go deeper, from thankfulness for the food, to the grocery store, to the truck driver deliverer, to the farmer, and the plants, nurtured by the sun, water by the rain and nourished by the earth. It all goes back to the earth. We eat earth. “Innumerable beings brought us this food.” Nurtured by the creation of God. When the God of the Bible, becomes real in our lives, in what we believe, in our faith, in our hearts, this relationship with God calls us, as Real people, with real faith, trusting in living God’s ways with their lives. This is a call that takes us on many faith adventures, vocations, relationships, journeys, and stories. CONCLUSION Moses leads his sheep beyond the wilderness and God gets his attention and calls him to participate in God’s plan of liberation, freeing the Israelites from the tyranny of Egypt. As he leads these people through the wilderness for 40 years, they leave their slave mentality behind and live into a faith relationship with God, becoming the real People of God. The burning Bush was a turning point event in Moses’ life where his direction changes to participate in the mission of God. What have been the turning point events in our lives where God intersects our life and calls us to mission? Moses might have known the ancient stories of Abraham and Sarah, he might have known the stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and how his people ended up in Egypt. Now that their lives in Egypt have changed to suffering, misery, slavery and pain, the People who live as a sign of the reality of God, have become the canvas of power over a king, escape from slavery, and survival because of their dependence upon God. Faith that wrestles with fear, trust that moves them forward, provision that miraculously appear, God’s sheltering, and life that is a journey in relationship with God. Moses will lead them, like his sheep, beyond the wilderness and into a place where God can get their attention.
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SCRIPTURE: Exodus 1:2-2:10
TEXT:10b …She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” THEME: God is in relationship with us. INTRODUCTION After Abraham and Sara are introduced in the book of Genesis, the rest of the story is getting their family (the people of God) out of Canaan and into Egypt. This is accomplished by their great grandson Joseph as he is sold by his brothers to traders headed to Egypt. God is involved, as Joseph advances to be Pharaoh’s second in command. His family migrates to Egypt to escape a famine back home. Generations have passed and this Hebrew family has grown to about 3 million people. SCRIPTURE Only three people are named in this passage. Even the King of Egypt doesn’t have a named, nor his daughter, or Moses’ mother or Moses’ sister. Our reference points are through the two midwives Shiphrah "to be fair" or "beautiful" and Puah "lass" or "little girl” and Moses. The new king comes into power, but arrogantly ignores the past, disregarding the history of the Israelites’ contributions to Egypt. Instead he frames them as a threat to their national security, he uses false numbers of their populous, creates a racial bias against them, and sees them as a threat to their economy. Fear incites the Law and Order King to act against this National Threat and turn these contributing members of Egypt’s society into slaves. Oppression continues with orders to Shiphrah and Puah to kill any male Israelite babies that they deliver. They can’t do it. They won’t do it. It goes against why they became midwives in the first place. It was to bring life into the world and not to contribute to the fears of a narcissistic, autocrat. So, although they had their orders, they chose to obeyed their good conscience instead. As midwives to these Hebrew women, they had gotten to know their families, their ways, their culture, the way they treat each other and their God. “17But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them…” When the King realized that the boys were allowed to live, they lied to their King, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” This played into to his prejudice that Israelites were less than human. So, he ordered every boy born to the Hebrews, to be thrown into the Nile. In the midst of their slavery, families continued to have children. A Levite couple had another child. This time a boy, and as best as they could, they tried to hide him, but when that became impossible, they did as Pharaoh’s law required. They waterproofed a basket with bitumen and pitch, and set their son amongst the reeds of the Nile. His sister watched on. God’s timing is everything. Pharaoh’s daughter arrives at the same spot with her attendants to bathe. She spots the baby in the basket and immediately knows what this is. As she takes pity on this crying baby, his sister jumps into action and asks her if she would like her to find nurse maid for the child. Pharaoh’s daughter knew what was going on, who this little girl was and who the nurse maid would be, and chooses against her father’s orders and gives protection to this boy. She pays the nurse maid for this service, providing a maternity leave income to this family. When he was weaned, his mother brought him to live in Pharaoh’s palace, as her son, whom she named Moses, because she drew him out of the water. Avenues of hope are created when people like Shiphrah and Puah, choose God’s ways over evil. This is true for Joseph who followed God’s way and prospered in Egypt for his family’s benefit, as well as for Jacob who’s passion for God leads him back home to Canaan, with progeny that become more than the stars in the sky, and Isaac who lives with a blessing that he passes on to his son, and like Abraham and Sara who’s journey, follows a promise, and is counted to them as faith. APPLICATION Theologian Walter Brueggemann says that, “Faith, is the capacity to read, discern, and live that life under threat, always in solidarity with God.” We are not to be passive spectators of God’s work, but participants in life, work, rescue and freedom. What does our ‘counter-life’ with God look like? Shiphrah and Puah are named above everybody else except for Moses, because their acts of civil disobedience give God space to work. Their ability to discern God’s righteousness cause them to live in solidarity with God and defy Pharaoh’s orders by preserving life. Never underestimate the ‘nobodies’ like us who have a deep reverence for God, where our faith-action, opens up spaces for God to operate in our world. Through the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, we can see how God is involved in a million different stories all at the same time, and still is initiating a plan of rescue and salvation. Just because things are not going the way God would want them to, it does not mean that God is not in control. God is about relationships and sometimes relationships can get messy. So even though things may seem dismal, it does not mean that God is absent or uninvolved in our personal lives or in the fabric of our community. Faith enables us to look back and see God’s activity all throughout our lives. Like how Joseph was able to see how God’s help, was a help for his family, but how the new king of Egypt could not. Shiphrah and Puah think for themselves. Siphrah and Puah listen to God’s voice over the noise of their king. Their names are preserved in this deliverance story of God, so we can see how our faithful action can be part of God’s bigger story. Their names are markers of what God is doing among us. Take encouragement from those who are visibly living their faith. Live risking to do things God’s way. This is faith and relationship with God all rolled into one adventure of faith. God has been helping all of us during the suffering of this pandemic, while we have been sheltered in, we have had stories of faith. Even as God has been helping, providing and protecting us, the County, the State and our church have been working on the Wailuku Mission Housing project. Our discussion after worship this morning will discuss a proposed partnership with EAH, (formally known as the Ecumenical Association for Housing). This partnership has the potential to bring this project into fruition. We have to be discerning and not afraid; we risk to trust in God despite our fears. As we listen to each other, all we can do is to make the best possible decision that we can at this time as the people of God at Wailuku Union Church. CONCLUSION Human beings have not changed that much over the centuries. People in power or disempowered are faced with the same challenges, fears and choices. When the reality of God is a part of our discernment, our lives are shaped towards a relationship with God that affects our relationship with others. We all play a part in God’s Story but not everyone is named; Pharaoh, Shiphrah, Puah, Parents, Pharaoh’s daughter, her attendants, sister, have choices of doing what they believe is right, compassionate, loving and pleasing to God or not. God plays a part in all of our stories; enduring hardship, living under oppression, being stewards of what God has given to us, living in relationship with God and reconciling our relationships with others. The suffering Pharaoh caused the Israelites was immense. As God dealt with their suffering, God was also executing a plan of deliverance using those who feared God to do what was right, over the wishes of the king. Living by faith, they created space for God to draw hope out of the water. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 45:1-15
TEXT: 4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. THEME: Forgiveness draws our relationships in closer to us. INTRODUCTION God has given Joseph dreams as indicators of God’s intent and presence. But when Joseph shared these dreams with his brothers, this gift did not foster his relationship with them. They create jealousy, animosity and anger towards Joseph which caused him pain and suffering at their hand. Joseph narrowly escaped with his life from being incarceration by them but now his enslavement begins. As a slave he has endured hardship, accusations, and imprisonments. But with God’s help, as he matures, there are opportunities for him to win favor, with his owner, a jailer and even Pharaoh. This leads to better treatment, relationships of trust and responsibilities that gives him authority, respect and power. God’s presence in Joseph’s life, builds an excitement about the future and hope. SCRIPTURE Noting the proximity of people to Joseph gives us a way to open up this passage. Everyone begins in audience with Joseph and his brothers. It just before the great reveal, that Joseph kicks ‘all those who stood by him’ out. Then, in the company of his brothers, he weeps and says, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” His brothers must have stepped back with that announcement, dismayed, confused and bewildered. Then Joseph says, “Come closer to me.” We can see the brothers stepping in closer, looking through the Egyptian garbed, into the face of their 17-year-old brother. Then Joseph draws them in closer as he recalls the truth of their treachery. “I am your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.”. Their history together of betrayal, lost love, hate and failure are cemented together. There is no denying, as they ‘own up’ to their part of this story. But Joseph draws them even closer, with their hearts, as he knows how they feel, distressed, angry with themselves, at what they did so long ago, which has haunted them ever since. So now Joseph draws them in closer through their spirit and their faith. For it is God who sent Joseph here, before his family, for their preservation. For this is God’s promise made to their family to be more than the stars in the sky. God sent Joseph to Egypt and made him a trusted official of the Pharaoh, Lord of Egypt’s commerce, for a time such as this (borrowed from Esther). There is another connecting piece. Their father back in famine ridden Canaan. Tell him Joseph is alive, Lord of all Egypt, and has a place to settle and live out the famine near to him in Egypt. Completely equipped to accommodate flocks and herds and all that they have. “Come down to me, do not delay.” Then finally Joseph brings them in closer through genetics. They are all half-brothers with the same dad, except for Benjamin. They are full brothers and have the resemblance of their father and their mother. Look at their eyes, and mouth you can tell that they are related. There is an undeniable family resemblance. This all culminates in an intimate hug with Benjamin and weeping and kisses of reconciliation with all of the brothers and healing conversations. Forgiveness gives us the power to draw others in, to come closer to us again. Forgiveness empowers us to let go of our pain, to reconcile relationships, to resolve the hurt and come closer to each other again. APPLICATION The forgiveness of Joseph, with his brothers provides food in famine, and shelter, but more importantly, this act of giving up his power to hurt back draws this family in closer to each other in love and into mission with God. How does forgiveness reframe the events of the past? What challenge does forgiveness present to those with power and to those without power? As Joseph looks back at his life, among the hardship, he is also able to sees God’s activity that helped him; first with the dreams, then with insight to interpret dreams, God has given him the ability to see things quicker than others and then the way the pieces fit together efficiently. Joseph learned how to use the gifts of God in ways that help people instead of showing only what he can do. Relationships are important to God. This is the story of reconciliation that does not need a sacrifice for forgiveness to take place. There is nothing that the brothers can do to merit forgiven for the injury they have caused to Joseph. Joseph’s love for his brothers and family is all that is needed to bridge the hurt with forgiveness. As with us, love is all we need to forgive someone for the hurt that they have caused us. Love can give us release of the restlessness of revenge that robs us of peace. God’s love for us can help us when our love is not enough. This is the pattern of the Gospel story, where God beckons us to come closer, not because of merit on our part or sacrifice to appease God, but because of God’s loving affection for us. We have God’s DNA from creation, we are family. Forgiveness take the hurt of the past and gives up the right to hurt back. What revenge or a court of law would do, to make us whole, forgiveness gives us a release to our spirit. Instead of revenge and the growing sense of animosity, there is a release for healing and a pursuit for justice. If we have hurt someone who has forgiven us for an offense, the next part of forgiveness is for action to do the work of retribution, to do what we can, to make a person whole. In part, when someone breaks the Law, there are times when they are required to perform hours of community service to help to bring about wholeness to the Community. If someone has hurt us, and we have forgiven them, we are giving up our right to hurt them back, just as much as they have hurt us, but justice and laws still must work to bring about acts of restitution to make us whole. If they don’t take actions to change the wrong, then there is work that need to be done. This is why, although the Civil War was won in 1860’s, there was a Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s because the remnants of slavery persisted and this is why the Black Lives Matters movement in 2020 has been fueled when law enforcement treats Black Lives differently from others. Forgiveness works to redefine our relationships with others with respect, love, wholeness and our coming into maturity in our relationship with God, with each other and with our selves. CONCLUSION This story is a happy ending, but it is only one high point in a long continuing saga of the People of God. This story line is repeated again, in other ways, in Israel’s long history with God, and through Jesus, where God is present, working in and behinds the scenes, helping and guiding the people of God. They again will be threatened with hardship and God will initiate a plan of provision, protection and salvation, that will draw them in closer to God’s self, in love, forgiveness, reconciliation and life. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
TEXT: 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh. THEME: Slavery is wrong. The removal of personal freedoms. INTRODUCTION Remembering the Blessing that Jacob stole from his brother, we have to ask, “How is that blessing working for him now?” Fleeing from his brother’s murderous anger, he arrived at Uncle Laban’s house, 400 miles away. After a bait and switch he ends up marring both of his cousins and acquired their maids too. Jacob has become very wealthy and fathers many children. Deciding to return to Canaan, he escapes from his Uncle/father in law Laban, with herds, wives and children and hijacked family gods. At the Jabbok he wrestles with God just before he reconciles with his brother and now is settled in the land of his birth, the land his grandfather was promised. Jacob’s life has been a struggle to get everything he has ever wanted, but he now seems to have it all. How is that blessing working out for him? SCRIPTURE Then in verse 2, this passage makes an interesting statement, “This is the story of the family of Jacob” and in the next breathe, the focus of the rest of Genesis is upon Joseph. All of this with; Abraham and Sarah, Ishmael, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, Bilhah and 12 boys and 1 daughter, leads to this event where the story of this family is told through what happens to Joseph. In this family where one child is played against the other and favoritism disrupts the balance. We shouldn’t be surprised that Jacob favors Joseph over rest of his children, because Joseph is most like him in dreaming dreams. Joseph is a sign of Jacob’s virility being sired in his old age like his grandpa Abraham did. His dad gave him a long robe with sleeves, that made his siblings hate him even more, like how Esau hated Jacob, speaking murderous threats. To make matters worse, Joseph became his father’s snitch against his brothers, like in the same way Isaac favored Esau or Rebekah favored Jacob. This holy family exhibit all of our flaws and triumphs. Human, broken, conniving, sensitive, gracious, passionate, good and loved by God. Connected through God’s DNA and called into relationship with God to be participants in God’s activities in the world. This family represents our potential for doing good and bad, for temptation and creative faithfulness, for struggling with sin’s consequences and excelling in imaginative possibilities of good. God values our relationship and sees good in us even when we think we are bad. There was an incident that happened in Shechem as Jacob and his family passed through from Paddan-aram to Canaan. Jacob’s daughter was accosted and raped. The perpetrator’s family was trying to make amends, but there is nothing you can do to erase defilement. So, two of her brothers took matters into their own hands and slaughtered all of the males at Shechem and plundered and enslaved the rest of the people. Jacob was rightly concerned when his boys took sheep out there to pastor so he sends Joseph out to tell him, how they are doing. But they didn’t stay in Shechem and moved on to Dothan, where Joseph finally caught up with them. They saw him coming in his bright, long sleeved Aloha shirt. “Here comes the ‘Dreamer’”. Name calling strips a person of their dignity. Labeling, stereotyping, racism and sexism means we don’t have treat a person how we would want to be treated or that we don’t have to take this person seriously. We use name calling to justify our unequal, inhuman treatment of others. We shoot the ‘enemy’, capital punishment is for the ‘murderers', we need protection from the ‘immigrant rapist’, there are boundaries to keep the ‘low life’s’ on their side, a disproportion number of criminals of ‘color’ are imprisoned, beware of the ‘gypsy’, we don’t have to listen the ‘stupid head’, the ‘foreigner’ just doesn’t understand how things are done here and the ‘different’ should go back from where they are from. Then they stripped him, incarcerated him with no water or food and sold him into slavery to fend on his own. They left him to his own faith. (pun intended) This is the story of how the people of God end up as slaves in Egypt. APPLICATION My gosh, what happened? Things seemed to be going along so well for Joseph and then all of this hidden animosity and fear rears its ugly head in jealousy, anger, retribution, incarceration and slavery. This is the family of blessing, promise, dreams and hope for the people of God. Where is our Sovereign God in all of this? How is God a part of this Telenovela? There is a little inkling of the movement of the Holy Spirit in Reuben and Judah as Joseph’s life is spared to be sold in slavery. Greed over murder was a better idea. The blessing upon this family is to be a blessing to all nations. We wonder how the Ishmaelites and the Edomites are being blessed by this family? The people of Shechem paid dearly. And still God has us dreaming God’s dreams for us. God can create through chaos, with us, and in us. Our primal feelings of fear, jealousy, insecurity, injustice, and selfishness, gives fire to our anger, fight, revenge, protest, and prejudice. But once we settle down and find some quiet, we can begin to think, to pray, to be calm, and not react to our feelings of outrage, but respond, strategize, gain a different perspective and listen to how God is leading. Our values of honesty, preservation of life, truth telling, love, forgiveness, healing, generous stewardship and sharing become our guides. We move from being a victim of circumstances, of evil, and of other people’s power, to becoming empowered to take matters into God’s hands. Although the world may bind us into its slavery, by its bigotry, into its stereotypes and classes, our spirits are free, our minds are free, and our hearts pump for God. Don’t act like a victim. When we encounter hardship, our actions can ensure that it will not last forever. At time we stop because we fear the pain we are going to experience. But in God’s embrace we have help in those painful situations. So, risk the pain and our hope in God can empower us to keep on going. Let us not forget that mixed race is the majority race in the United States and our Government must represent the majority’s interest and not just the interest of the privileged. So, fill out the 2020 Census. We did a good job voting in the Primary, vote in the General Election. CONCLUSION We like stories with happy endings. Next week our text will be the dramatic reconciliation of Joseph with his brothers. But this is by no means the end of the story. Our lives are like waves with ebbs and flows, the blessing in our lives is journeying with God, just as the Holy family shows us, that by journeying with God, their relationship with God grows. This is the blessing that Abraham and Sara’s family shares with all people, that you don’t have to be perfect to have God love you. God just does. You don’t have to have the perfect family for God to have promises for you, God wants to bless us. If we had to be perfect then nobody would get any promises. You don’t have to have your act together because while we were yet sinners God is working behind the scenes. God may not be mentions in this passage but God gets the credit for how things work out in the end. When our stories reach those peaks and valleys, our shepherd God walks with us, sustaining, protecting and leading to cool waters and green pastures. Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery and leave him to his faith, his dreams, his hopes. Joseph's life has taken a drastic turn for the worst. But by no means is it absent of God or God’s help. Just as, when our lives have seemed to have taken a drastic turn for the worst, God is there as we are left to faith. SCRIPTURE: Genesis 32:22-31
TEXT: 31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. THEME: We have scars as indelible markers of a life of faith. INTRODUCTION Scars are remnants of our stories. There are scars that remind us of a battle, of a birth, of disobedience, of helping, of healing and of faith. Most of my scars are attached to stories of carelessness or poor judgment; jumping on a bed and hitting the bed post, a box cutter that hit a can while opening a case of peas at Big Save, and grabbing a fish lure as it fell. When Jacob shows up the next morning, he has a noticeable limp, “What were you doing? Why are you limping? What happened to you?” SCRIPTURE Jacob’s story begins, “I changed direction to followed God’s call to move back home, towards my angered brother, my parents and God’s promises.” Meeting Esau was first (or so he thought). The last time Jacob saw him was after he bought Esau’s birthright from him with some lentil soup. Then dressing up as Esau, he stole his blessing from their father. Esau was ready to kill Jacob, so he ran away. Coming back home was like arriving at the edge of a storm. Jacob sent his cute kids, lovely wives, goods and livestock across to Esau’s side of the river thinking that if Esau encountered these relatives that he has never met and gifts, it might soften his heart. But as soon they reached the other side, an attacker grips Jacob by the river. They wrestled all night long. As dawn approached, this opponent, in a desperate move, struck Jacob’s hip joint out of its socket, but Jacob would not give release. He was embracing God and would not let go without a blessing. “What is your name?” God asked. It was like revealing a scar as he answered, “Jacob.” In saying his name, he confessed that he had been a ‘heel’ his whole life, inconsiderate, untrustworthy, a thief, a conniver and a coward. “Leave your identity as Jacob behind and live as Israel, a “God wrestler”. This name change is a sign of a direction towards God and if you forget or doubt this encounter, here is a scar, a reminder of your faith, a limp. Wrestle with God in the way you live and in your treatment of others.” If that wasn’t a strong enough faith marker, Jacob also renames the place “‘Peniel’ for I have seen God face to face and yet my life is preserved.” Jacob will always remember the time he held God in his embrace; the smell of heaven, the strength of God, the breath of life, the voice of compassion, the heat of their struggle and the blessing found in holding on to God. APPLICATION Turning towards God, Jacob is confronted with how he has treated people in the past. God confronts him that night, wrestling him where his strength does not win him an advantage. How does latching on and wrestling with God challenge and reshape our story and our Church’s story? What are our scars of faith, reminders of? A call to be in relationship with God is a call to be in relationship with others which isn’t always easy. I remember being a self-centered child, wanting to do things only my way, regardless of what my parents wanted. Sorrowful I would come to my senses and say I’m sorry. I see this as my grandson coming out of a timeout and into their mother’s arms. Tears are the scars of reconciliation. The Rev. Dr. Grant Lee passed away on Wednesday. He has been a friend for a long time. I met him while a Junior in High School. I was on the Youth Ministry Advisory Council and he was one of the advisors, as Youth Minister from Nuuanu Congregational Church. His life has touched and shape so many in ministry and formed multitudes in Christian faith. He worked at Pearl City Community Church, was an Associate Conference Minister, then he pastored Wailua UCC, a constant listener, capturing and telling local “Talk Story” events of faith. The later part of his life was with Parkinson, it was a struggle, but he made accommodations for it as he continued to advocate for ways to bring education to those who serve as authorized leaders of our congregations. Thinking about him, the indelible mark I see, is his broad smile. He took pleasure in people and their lives in Jesus. As our island’s COVID numbers increase, we have to reduce our exposure to each other’s again. We have discovered that we can be the church while ‘sheltering in’ by using the technology available to us, Facebook, Zoom, texting, email, cell phone etc. I ordered an iRIG Pre which is an iPhone interface that will take any mic in the sanctuary and pipe it into my Facebook live feed. Our worship has become a scar on Facebook that records our struggles and triumphs of being the church, separate and apart, but connected and thriving. Some members prefer worshipping this way as they can sit in the comfort of their homes, as a family, to worship. So, don’t let us sing alone, sing along from home, as we soooo miss our singing together. Sheltered in, can create raw nerves, close quarters can be eventful, always making accommodations, adjusting to different scenarios, praying for health care workers, schools and hybrid distant learning options. We live in stressful times, filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Prayer becomes a scar of faith, left on everything we have no control over, to engage the God who wrestles with us, to wrestle in the face of these times. Prayer is our way of embracing the smell of heaven, the strength of God, the breath of life and the voice of compassion. There are names that we have bore in the past that reflect our bias, our privilege over others, our greed and our injustice. God gives us the capacity to be renamed as ‘God Wrestler’ to reflect our identity as one in process, somewhere in the journey from where we were, to where God leads us to be. Where we are wrestling with our bias, wrestling with our exclusion, wrestling with our abundance over our scarcity, and wrestling with how to be just. God Wrestlers show movement, God Wrestlers ask questions, God Wrestlers give up old values for God’s ways, God Wrestlers change their perspective and their behavior. God Wrestlers are open to inspiration. CONCLUSION The scars of faith may not always be a keloid, at times it is a limp from a dislocated hip, at times it is the tears of reconciliation, at times it is a smile of joy, at times it is new technology at the altars set up for worship, at times they are prayers that bridge the gap between anxiety with the Holy, and at times it is a name change from “Heel” to “God Wrestler.” As we journey with God, we my stumble and fail, but it is not forever. We may hesitate because we are afraid of how much this is going to hurt. But in God’s embrace we have the help that we need. If we allow ourselves to risk the Pain, hope can empower us to move us on. Embracing God gives us the power of hope and we have scars to prove it. |
Pastor robbSermons Archives
April 2024
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