Welcome
We are so glad you’ve chosen to worship here this morning. Welcome, Welcome to this sacred space and this holy time. You are invited to celebrate communion with us by finding some elements around your house: light a candle, find some bread or crackers, and something to drink.
Just a few announcements: Today, we have an all congregational meeting at 7 p.m. You can show up in the church parking lot between the Heritage Chapel and the main building, Or you can join by zoom. We have posted the links on Facebook and on our web page.
Kids zone on Tuesday, Youth on Wednesday, Board Meeting on Wednesday.
Call to worship
The Lord is my light, my light and my salvation. Of whom shall I be afraid?
Pastoral Prayer
Children’s Moment
Do you watch “America’s Got Talent?” Or maybe you like going to the circus and seeing the tight rope walkers, or the trapeze artists who swing, and jump from one side to the other.
Those things scare me. Not sure I could ever do them. There was a man named Charles Blondin, who was a tight rope walker. Walked across Niagra Falls, several times, once he did it on stilts, One day he brought a wheel barrow and walked with it across and back. He asked how many of the people in the crowd believed he could do that with a person in the wheel barrow. They all cheered. Then he asked, “Who will volunteer?” and the crowd grew very silent. Would you do it? I wouldn’t.
Our scripture this morning is God parting the Red Sea and the people walking through on dry ground. I imagine how astounding it would be to watch that miracle unfold, and how frightening it would be to actually start walking. You would have to trust that God would hold the water back the whole time. And when you made it to the other side, with all your friends, what would you do? Scripture says they started singing and dancing. Their fear had been overcome by faith and their faith turned into rejoicing. I just hope when you face a very fearful moment, you would remember God’s presence walking with you every step of the way.
Scripture
Our scripture lesson this morning is long. I was tempted to edit it, give you just some of the best parts, maybe skip over the death part, There are children in the room. But as I read it several times this week, I kept coming back to the epic nature of this story, It is pivotal in the life of the Hebrew people, and important to us. So bear with me and maybe immerse yourself in the reading. … Pun intended.
Exodus 14:10-15:21
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?
What have you done to us, Moses, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you, … you have only to keep still.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.
“Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power— your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. “In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O Lord, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O Lord, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. The Lord will reign forever and ever.” When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
This is the word of God, for all the people of God. Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Sacred Space, Holy Ground
There are several moments that come to mind when I think of this story. There is so much material to unpack. It’s hard to know where to begin. So, before we dive in, pun intended, hold on to this main point. Trust God, one step at a time.
The first thing that jumps out at me is the sarcasm of the people: They had witnessed some incredible experiences, including the Passover, remember, and then when they were being pursued by Pharaoh’s armies, they look at Moses and say, “Were there no graves in Egypt?” Their sarcasm turns to ridicule: “We told you so, Moses.” And that ridicule turned to despair and fear.
Then there’s the powerful reply of Moses:
“Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you, … you have only to keep still.”
Keep still, and watch what God is going to do next.
It’s a story of epic proportions. The spirit of God, who led them his far as a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night, now moves behind them, standing guard between the armies of the Pharaoh and the people of Israel. All night. A sort of impenetrable force field shielding them. What a fantastic image. Science fiction couldn’t do better than this.
It is a story of trusting God with your life.
Elie Wiesel, who walked out of the Nazi Death Camp at Auschwitz when it was liberated, wrote of the Hebrew people and the Red Sea:
‘One could see people running, running breathlessly, without a glance backward; they were running toward the sea. And there they came to an abrupt halt: this was the end; death was there, waiting. The leaders of the group, urged on by Moses, pushed forward: Don’t be afraid, go, into the water, into the water! Yet, according to one commentator, Moses suddenly ordered everyone to a halt: Wait a moment. Think, … take a moment to reassess what it is you are doing. … Enter the sea not as frightened fugitives but as free men!’
(A Passover Haggadah: As Commented Upon by Elie Wiesel and Illustrated by Mark Podwal)
Be still, watch, trust, then step.
Do you ever wonder about the first person to step from the shore to where the water used to be? We don’t have body cam footage, or eye witness accounts, but according to the rabbis who wrote this history, it was Nahshon son of Abinidab. (There’s a biblical character you don’t know, but should.) In later times, his son marries Rahab. Somebody else you should know. They say only after Nahshon actually waded into the water did the sea part so everyone else could cross over. Someone had to take the first step.
Trust. Someone had to be first. I remember spending a fall semester in Sweden, at a small college that was separated from the town by a small lake. It was a thirty minute walk around the lake to the town, but when the lake froze, it was six minutes. However, I wasn’t going to be the first person to try it. When my friends and I finally worked up the courage, we brought a big rock with us, threw it high in the air and slightly in front of us to make sure the ice was solid. We literally took one step at a time.
There’s one concept I’m not sure I want to explore. This event reveals a tremendous disconnect between then and now. It was a pretty big problem for some of the people around Jerusalem , in the time of Jesus. They were looking for a God who would not only overturn the tables in the temple, but who would overturn the ruling government. If God can separate the waters, then we want God to separate the Romans from our land.
And we are not that different from our ancestors of 4 B.C. Sometimes we want God to display this type of power to drive out the devils on our doorsteps and hold back the evil forces that are nipping at our heels.
Where is this powerful God now? Why doesn’t God act in this ominous way, today? There are plenty of hard hearted pharaoh’s in our midst. We’ve seen the destructive forces of wild fires. We could use a spiritual pillar of fire to protect the innocent, to guard the most vulnerable.
And when I asked those hard questions in my prayer time this week, the response became louder and clearer each time. Keep still. Watch. Trust. Then step.
I like marching bands. I did that in high school, our sons did it in high school and college. I remember having to stand perfectly still, at attention, just before the half time show, watching, listening, above all the chaos and cacophony of a football stadium. Tiiiiiiigh, tut, tut. And on that second staccato whistle, our collective right knees raised and we stepped off. Precision, coordination; moving, pivoting, trusting that everyone else would do their part, so that no two people tried to occupy the same space at the same time.
There’s a time for us to be still, resting, waiting, watching, listening for the call of God. And then there’s the moment when we take the first step on holy ground.
I view our meeting tonight as that moment. It is a trust filled moment when we seek the guidance of the spirit and step in a new direction together. I hope you will make every effort to be a part of this decision tonight. It is the beginning of a new day for Azle Christian Church.
So, one final thought about this spectacular moment.
Anathea Portier (Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.) highlights two Hebrew words for “dry land” in the scripture. The first, used as the water recedes, is the same one from Genesis, chapter 1 as God separates the waters and creates land. In Exodus then, we understand that God is creating something brand new for the Israelites. It’s a new day, and a new world where they are walking; Holy Ground; Sacred Space.
But the other word for dry land is used for where the Egyptian soldiers wind up: Dead, … on the seashore. That word is used in other Biblical stories to suggest a land that is barren, dried up, desert, a wasteland.
It’s an extreme contrast that we can barely comprehend. Holy ground, or God forsaken ground. Ground of our being, rooted in God’s love, or Ground zero, laid waste by destructive forces.
The question for us becomes: Where do we stand? What is our next step?
James C. Howell in his book “Worshipful: Living Sunday Morning All Week,” writes of others, whose journeys from one shore to another, can inspire us.
Picture Nelson Mandela walking out of prison in South Africa, in 1990 marking the end of Apartheid; Watch Mahatma Gandhi walking to the sea in 1930 protesting British occupation in India. Look for John Lewis, and so many others crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965.
These moments inspire us because we know the pain that preceded their movement. And we know the hope of where their steps have led.
Be still. Trust. Then step. Amen.
Table Meditation
I hope you have something nearby to eat and drink as we share in communion together.
There’s this story about a rabbi who was known by the name Baal Shem Tov. And the story goes that when he was dying, he said to his disciples, “I have acted as an intermediary for you, but when I am gone, you must do this for yourselves. You know the place in the forest where I call to God? Stand there in the place and do the same. Light a fire and then say the prayer you have learned. Do all these things and God will come.”
So Baal Shem Tov died and the first generation of his followers did exactly what he told them to. And sure enough, God came to them.
After that generation passed, the second generation had forgotten how to light the fire, but they still went to the forest and said the prayer, and sure enough, God came to them.
The third generation came along, who had forgotten how to light the fire and no longer remembered the place in the forest where they should stand to pray. But they said the prayer as the Baal Shem Tov had instructed. And again, God showed up.
By the fourth generation, no one was around who remembered how to light the fire or where the special place was in the forest. Neither could anyone recall the prayer the Baal Shem Tov had taught his followers. But there was one person who remembered the story about the fire, the forest, and the prayer, and though all he could do was tell the story, he did, and it was sufficient. And sure enough, God came.
These stories we tell of our teacher and redeemer, Jesus, are interrupted by a pandemic. We cannot go to our special meeting place and light our candle together and say our prayer. So we sit at home on Sundays and say, “I cannot reach the table, but I am eating the bread.” And sure enough, God will show up.
Or we say, “I can’t remember the words to say, but I remember this means we are all together even when we’re apart.” And sure enough, God will show up.
Or we say, “I don’t have bread, and I couldn’t even get the FB Livestream to work, but I’m asking God to bring my heart nearer to my community and to God’s own self.” And sure enough, God will show up.
Words of Institution:
It is with this hope that we tell the story each week that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus broke the bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And then he took the cup also and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Drink it in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” All are welcome at the Table of Christ.
Join in me prayer.
Holy One of this table, our generous Host and loving God, when our lips cannot form the words for prayer, may we eat this bread and may it be sufficient. When our internet or our souls cannot connect to our church community, may we drink this cup, and may it be sufficient. We call attention to Your promise to come to us when we cry out for You just as the Israelites did in Egypt, and we trust that You will keep that promise. In Jesus name we pray, amen.