CSI:Investigating the Self-Revelation of God

Introduction:

Author William Bausch opens his book, Storytelling: Imagination and Faith, with these words. “’Once upon a time’ is no time and every time. It is the standard phrase that introduces us to other worlds and to our own world, that connects humanity to a common story and storyteller. That is why storytelling and story listening are so congenial, for, in one way or another, we are hearing about ourselves.”

This describes, in part, why this sermon series Nancy and I are calling, “C.S.I., or Christian Story Investigators,” is important. These biblical stories, when we look at them in depth are really our stories as well, stories that connect us all to the storyteller, connect us to God. So in our investigations, we are doing more than uncovering the details of God’s presence and message for the people whose stories we are reading, but we are also uncovering God’s presence and God’s message for all of us today.

When I began to think about the stories I wanted to reflect upon during the sermon series, I decided to share a very quick overview of Moses’ story. His story spans four out of the first five books of the Bible. These five books are known as “Torah,” or “The Law.” A better translation is actually, “The Teachings.” It is this story of Moses that Jesus refers to when he says, “I came not to do away with the law, or away with Torah, but to fulfill it.” So this story of Moses is what Jesus came to bring to fruition in his life.

For those of you who are familiar with the story, you know it is a story of God’s calling and our response. It is a story where God reveals to us who God is and who God desires us to be. It is a story full of grace and hope and promise, as God seeks to take people from their oppression and slavery and lead them to a new land where they will know life as a blessing. It is a story also of ungrateful people, who when the journey to this new life gets difficult, they not only complain, but literally walk away from the God who has given them freedom and who continuously seeks to be their God. They make an idol, a golden calf, and worship it instead. Remember, an idol is anything we give authority and power to that takes us away from being focused on God and our walk with God. What idols might we have in our story. What are our golden claves? This Torah story is a story of God’s commitment to us and our lack of commitment to God. And finally, it is a story about a God who never gives up on us, even when we turn away. This is what Jesus came to live and model and fulfill.

I wanted to begin this investigation of the Moses story with the well known story of Moses and the burning bush. It is the story of Moses’ calling and the self-revelation of God to Moses. But, as I began to dig deeper and investigate what was happening, I discovered that there was so much here, that it will take me three weeks just to share this part of the story. So this is what we will be looking at, what we will be investigating for the next three weeks, the beginning of the story that is the predominant focus of Torah. You will have to investigate the rest of the story on your own.

But, to tell even this one story of Moses, I need to review the unfolding events in Genesis, the first book in the Bible. We need to have a basic overview if we hope to understand what is taking place in the beginning of Exodus, the second book of the Bible where Moses’ story begins. Most of the Book of Genesis is about the family of the Patriarch Abraham. It is a story of the first four generations of this family: Abraham, his sons Ishmael and Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob and then Jacob’s 12 sons. Through this lineage of Abraham, we discover that he becomes the father of three of the world’s great religions. Through his son Isaac, we see the birth of Judaism, and through this lineage we ultimately see the birth of Jesus and Christianity. Through Abraham’s son Ishmael, we see the lineage that leads to Islam, or the Muslim faith.

What is important for understanding our story today is to know what has happened in these last two generations that sets the stage for Moses. There is a long severe drought that leaves the people of what we call today The Middle East on the verge of starvation. Egypt is the only nation that has food, so Jacob and his sons travel to Egypt and take up their residence there. Even after the drought ends, this family continues to live in Egypt. This is where the story in Exodus begins. Years have passed and generations are born. As the story points out, 12 sons can sire many children over the years and the generations. The Pharaoh begins to see that this clan of people has become very large and very strong. So strong, in fact, that Pharaoh realizes that they could overthrow him. To prevent this possibility, Pharaoh orders this group of people, the family of Abraham to be enslaved and used as forced laborers. This takes place, but this family or clan continues to have children and grow in numbers. Finally Pharaoh gets so nervous or anxious about what is happening, he instructs the midwives of these Hebrew people to kill all the male babies that are born.

Knowing that this is now the practice of the Egyptians, Moses’ mother, in order to do all she can to protect the life of her male child, has Moses put in a basket after his birth and hidden in the rushes along the Nile. Right after Moses is hidden, Pharaoh’s daughter comes to the river with her servants to bathe. Moses is found by her, taken back to the palace and there raised. The story quickly jumps to Moses being a young adult. He is out amongst the Hebrews when he sees an Egyptian overseer beating one of his people. Moses gets so angry that he kills the Egyptian and hides his body. But Moses realizes there are witnesses to what he has done, so he knows it is only a matter of time before someone tells Pharaoh what took place and that he will be arrested and killed himself. So he runs and begins life anew in a land called Midian. Here he marries and becomes a shepherd. This is where the story for today begins.

Read Exodus 3:1-15

This scripture is important, and is the cornerstone of Torah, Jesus’ life and our story, because in it, we have God revealing to Moses, who God is. It is God’s self-revelation to us. And as the last two lines of the scripture tell us, “This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. ”So let’s begin to investigate what this story shares about the storyteller today.

Sermon:

One can only imagine what it must have been like for Moses as he was simply walking along, minding his own business, and then all of a sudden see a bush catch on fire, but not burn up. Moses turns to see what is happening, and when he does, he hears the voice of God calling out to him.

This will be our focus today. It is the fact that God took the initiative to reach out to Moses and call him to stand on holy ground. The word “holy” means to be set apart, to be separated from that which is worldly, so that you can be used by God to bring wholeness. God has taken the initiative to call to all of us to come and stand on holy ground. Nancy did the “Creation Story” two weeks ago. The message of the story is that creation is holy ground, for all of life, all of what we have is God’s creation, a gift from God, or God’s Original Blessing. The beginning of our story is that we, too, are called for we are in the presence of the holy as we stand on this holy ground, this blessing of earth that God has given to us for the living of our lives.

When Moses comes near, God tells him that he has chosen him for a special mission. God has chosen him to go to Pharaoh and bring his fellow Hebrews out of slavery and oppression. And what is Moses’ response? “Who am I that I should go . . .?” My suspicion is it is often the response God hears when God calls us to serve. I know it was mine. “Who am I that I should go.” If you read chapter four, you will see that Moses continues to give God reason after reason why he is the wrong person for God’s calling. Maybe that is why God called him, and why God calls us who are unsure we are the ones God needs. It is our humility that God seeks. The well-known statement of calling in Micah says it this way. “What does the Lord require of you, but to seek justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God?”

When I was in seminary, I remember Dr. Leonard Sweet, who was my professor and one of the smartest, most capable people I have ever met say to my class, “When I go into the pulpit to preach I go in fear and trepidation. Who am I that God would call me, that God would allow me to tell God’s story. Yet, I know that I am not alone, that God’s Spirit is there to use my offerings, as meager as they may be. That alone, is what allows me to have the audacity to bring God’s word.” To not go in humility could create the danger that we go not needing God, and that we can do it on our own, which is the real definition of pride.

We are all called. We all stand on God’s holy ground. We all live in the midst of God’s holy kingdom. We may all ask, “Who am I?” It is indeed a question that can keep us from pursuing our call. When Jesus began his ministry, he actually faced an opposite issue. People knew him and his family, and when he began his ministry he heard people say, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” You can hear the question, “We have known him since he was a child. How can he be the chosen one from God?”

My experience is a combination of both Moses’ and Jesus’ callings. How can I go into ordained ministry, I get so anxious in front of people. I have no training. Surely God, there are many more people that have better credentials and public skills than me. I doubted very deeply that I could serve God in this way. And those who knew me did not do anything to cause me to doubt my feelings.

When I finally accepted this calling I wanted to share it with those who maybe had had the biggest impact on my faith journey. My great-aunt was a devout Christian woman. I know she worried about me and my family, as we did not go to church when I was growing up. My dad worked most Sundays, and it was clear that God was not at the center of our family life. It does not mean that the acknowledgement of God was not a routine part of my life. I say, only somewhat in jest, that I did not know that the phrase God-damn was not an adjective for every noun in the English language.

So, my aunt had a reason for believing that I, and my family, needed a lot of extra prayers. Every card she sent, every gift she gave always had a sticker with a Bible verse on it. It was the one way she had to keep God and God’s story before us. So when I had decided to go into the ministry, and had been approved by the Pastor Parish Relations Committee and the District Board of Ordained Ministry, I knew I had to tell my aunt. I just knew how happy and excited she would be after all those years of prayer. So I called her and asked if I could come for a visit. After all, this is not the kind of thing you want to share over the phone. Besides, I wanted to see that look of joy on her face first hand. So I went, and as we sat down for lunch I said, “Aunt Marion, I want to tell you something.” She paused and looked up at me from across the table. I continued, “I am going into the ministry” I almost screamed out and then began to tell her what had transpired. Before I got very far, she stood up from the table and began to pace a little. Then she picked up something that sat on a coffee table and began to dust it. I stopped telling my story admittedly being somewhat puzzled. This was indeed not the response I had expected. Finally she stopped and looked at me and said, “I know God can do great things in people’s lives. That God transforms people and even does miracles.” This is when I knew I was in trouble. “But” she continued, “are you sure that God called you to the ministry?”

I can assure you there are a number of similar stories I could tell you as more family and friends began to hear about my new faith journey. Surely, many of us, may have good reason to ask ourselves the question, “Who am I that I should go?” But God calls to us, “You are standing on holy ground. You are part of my holy kingdom. It is I who is calling you.”

We believe, as United Methodists, in the “Ministry of all Christians” I remember my Ethics Professor saying to us seminarians over and over again, that we, as the ordained clergy were in ministry to you, the ministers to the world. If we have any hope as Christians that the gospel will get to every board room, class room and living room in the world, it is up to you, the ministers in the pews, to do it.” Then he would remind us, “Quite frankly, they, you, have the harder job.” You have the harder job, the harder calling, for you are asked to deal with Pharaoh, the world which does not know the way of God’s love. The sanctuary is seen and acknowledged as holy ground. The world has yet to recognize this fact that it is a place of holy ground.

We are all called. God has taken the first step. God has taken the initiative to reach out and bless each one of us and call us to walk with God. We call it discipleship, today. Will we say “Yes?” Or will we continue to ask, “Who am I?” This is the first understanding we have of God from this Moses story. Next week we will hear more of who God tells us God is. Moses’ question still lingers in our ears, “Who shall I say sends me?” Who shall I tell the world asks me to come? Our investigation continues.

Sermon delived by Rev. George Cushman on July 25, 2010.