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Meeting God for the First Time Exodus 3:1 – 15; Psalm 105:1 – 6, 23 – 26, 45 The paparazzi are at it again! How many of you have been tormented by their incessant clamoring after your picture? A recent interview indicated that they follow you shopping, they follow you when you want to go to dinner, they absolutely won’t leave you alone! One starlet claimed this week that she had an accident — ran into a parked vehicle — because the photographers had been following her. A news analyst has said that the supply and demand is out of kilter. There are way too many photographers for the number of people who want to be caught in pictures let alone compromising pictures. But the real question is whether stars need the paparazzi – just in order to keep them in the limelight of their fans. Well, I do suppose this is not all that big of an issue for most of us. We have not had to turn photographers or newscasters away from the door of the church and, frankly, none of you has told me this is a serious threat to your well being. Moses is a different story. Here is a man who, as a baby, was put into a basket and floated down the river; who then was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter who decided to bring the baby back to her mansion. A few months ago, Laura Bush traveled to Africa and took her daughters. The photographers were there. We have some wonderful pictures of the Bush daughters holding and caring for African children. Had they decided to bring some of those children home and raise them in the White House we would have daily pictures in our newspapers and tabloids. Likewise, the paparazzi were certainly there for Moses — even if they didn’t have digital cameras. The Pharaoh’s daughter raised him as a son, living in the household and giving him all the benefits of a rich and powerful young man. Then his life changed. Knowing that he was a Hebrew (Jewish) raised as an Egyptian he was alarmed when he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. In his rage, Moses killed the Egyptian. This is where he really got in trouble — because he forgot the paparazzi. He forgot that he had been raised as the grandson of the country’s ruler. He forgot that people would be watching his every move. He forgot that he was so special. Moses had to flee — and flea he did — whereupon he finally began to live a life of normalcy. He married a nice girl and settled down tending sheep for his father-in-law. Nothing to make him famous in this situation; nothing to have the paparazzi following; nothing to make any waves or cause anyone concern; Moses was just living a basic, good life — like we do! He probably took good care of his wife and their son. He undoubtedly tended well the farm of his father-in-law. I can imagine he put in long hours and tried to forget the life of glamour and intrigue that marked his early years. And so it was one of those regular days — get up, walk the dog, eat breakfast, go to work, break for lunch, back to work, home for supper and the news, some television and then bed — that our passage begins today. In the middle of that day — that just an old regular day — Moses was interrupted by God. Well, first of all it was an angel of God appearing as a bush burning. That caught his attention, and then God spoke — out loud — called him by name. Forget the normal day. Forget the ‘I’m just a regular guy’ theme. This is God, in person, calling Moses by name. In our faith tradition we have many call narratives — stories that indicate how and when God has called our mothers and fathers in the faith into action — that would be into God’s action. There is a pattern to these call narratives, and, although everyone hasn’t followed the exact outline, the similarities are important to remember.
Moses certainly was not expecting any kind of burning bush experience. He had retired from the limelight. He had settled into a normal pattern of living. He was doing just fine without the excitement and glory of living in the White House of Egypt. But, God always knows better than we do about our capabilities and God’s need for them in God’s world. And most always, God comes to us in surprising moments. We think we ought to be searching for God. In fact, we spend years and precious time in that search. The reality is that meeting God for the first time — and the best times — usually come on God’s timetable. They come because God is searching for us. Our task is being ready to hear — ready to see — open to the absurd timing and task that God has for each of us. The burning bush comes in various forms. Quite often it comes through the voices of other people in our lives — whether friends, family or strangers. John Bunyan — author of the classic Pilgrim’s Progress (which is second only to the Bible in number of copies sold) — was a very simple and poor man living in 17th century England. He made shoelaces as a trade. He was imprisoned twice for preaching without a license even though he didn’t believe he had a gift of preaching. In his autobiography he wrote: “Some of the saints who had good judgment and holiness of life seemed to feel that God had counted me worthy to understand the blessed Word and that he had given me some measure of ability to express helpfully to others what I saw in it. So they asked me to speak of exhortation to them in one of the meetings. “At first this seemed to be an impossible thing for me to do, but they kept at it…. So I tested my gift among them, and it seemed as I spoke that they were being given a blessing…. “I began to see that the Holy Spirit never intended that people who had gifts and abilities should bury them in the earth, but rather, he commanded and stirred up such people to the exercise of their gift and sent out to work those who were able and ready. And so, although I was the most unworthy of all the saints, I set upon this work.” (R. Foster, J.B. Smith, Eds. Devotional Classics. SanFrancisco: Harper. 1990. P.242.) God knows where we are and how we can be found — whether that be by a burning bush or by friends identifying our gifts. No matter our circumstances; what we have or haven’t done in the past; no matter how we have botched relationships or experiences previous to this time; no matter if we have heeded God’s call and claim in the past — God is trying again. We can get the excuses ready. God’s heard them all and none will satisfy God. Because when that experience, that touch, that claim, that first moment of connection is made at God’s initiative it will not be about why we cannot do whatever we are being asked. It will not be about the reasons we are unable to answer or see or feel or respond. It is about what needs to be done in this world, in this neighborhood, in this faith community, in your workplace, in your family according to God’s agenda. The call will come when we least expect it, and it won’t have anything to do with glitz and glamour of the paparazzi. But it will be about what God sees within you and what you might contribute to the wholeness of God's incredible creation. So my dear friends, be ready to meet God. God is searching right now. SW |
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