16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. 21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:16-22)
18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.” 19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
(Exodus 4:18-20)
Moses was a murderer , hiding in Midian for many years, married a local girl and had two sons. He was working for his father in law as a shepherd. He was 80 years old when God called him from the burning bush on Mount Horeb. His mission ? To bring the enslaved Israelites out from Egypt into Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Moses thought he was not worthy, Moses thought he was not equipped, Moses thought someone else could do a better job. But God wanted him to do it. God gave him speech , God gave him power through his staff to perform miracles, God gave him Aaron to assist him.
Moses did not sneak away. He properly said goodbye to his father in law, took his wife and sons to accomplish what God had asked him to do. That is how the great enterprise of exodus began.
God never promised Moses he would enter into Canaan. God never gave an inkling that the journey would take 40 years. But off Moses went. And he earned the title : a friend of God.
I have no pearls of wisdom today, no exegesis, no sermon, just a few musings on church life of LGC.
Like Moses, many of us have a sense of unworthiness - surely someone else could do it better. Yes, there were probably other people more qualified than Moses to lead the Israelites. But God asked Moses.
Paul was an enthusiastic persecutor of the early church when he was called to take the good news to the gentiles. Jesus chose Peter when he knew Peter would deny him three times. Jesus chose Judas Iscariot even though he knew Judas would betray him.
We could never fully understand the workings and reasons of God’s mind.
With COVID 19, LGC has changed its mode of worship and has gone on line for many of her activities. I am pleasantly surprised that many hidden talents in LGC have risen to the occasion and become new servant leaders in this critical and unprecedented time. We are truly grateful for their ministry in the front line and in the back room.
LGC is a small community, yet requiring many servant leaders for outreach as well as pastoral care for congregants, for children, youth, young adults as well as seniors, for couples as well as singles, to plan for long term as well as the short term. Am I worthy ? Probably not. But let us as a group of weaklings (even 80 year olds!) find strength in the power of Christ. Let us be faithful to the task at hand.
We look at Moses again, from another perspective.
Whenever a group gathers together, leaders will emerge. In LGC we have servant leaders, in mutual service.
Moses had Aaron and Miriam to complain against him. Paul had the church in Judea to complain about his ministry to the gentiles. Timothy had people in the church complaining that he was too young. Jesus was not short of opponents.
We have dreams and illusions of what a leader should do or should be. When reality checks in, we are disappointed and bitter. Are we modern day Aarons, Miriams, Pharisees, scribes? Or do we follow Christ and help our leaders in their task ? Complaining does not achieve anything, but following Christ does. We will be called friends of God.
Prayer : Loving Heavenly Father, search our hearts , deconstruct us and rebuild us into the image of Christ.