My next "preaching" assignment (though I don't like calling it "preaching") is in a few short weeks, which means it's time for me to start figuring it out.
We're in the middle of a ten-week series we've entitled "Dead Ends and U-Turns." We're looking at specific stories from throughout the whole Bible where God's people hit what we've been calling a "dead-end moment," and we're looking at the ways God worked in, amongst, and through God's people to cause a U-Turn in their lives, their situations, and their worlds. And we're asking, "What similar dead ends do we find ourselves at, and what U-Turn might we be called to make?" Each week has a scripture (or two) and a theme of sorts.
October 12 will find us with Exodus 17:1-2, discussing Obedience. Go read the passage, then continue reading.
It's almost impossible not to argue that much of the Old Testament is the continuing story of God's people continually struggling with obedience - and this episode is no different. God's people find themselves stuck in the wilderness (because they were obedient to God,) and their inability to procure potable water is seriously in the way of their ability to continue their obedience.
Some initial, disconnected thoughts:
1. I love the duality of Moses' responses.
To the people, he says something like: "Why are you pestering me with this? Do you think that God is supposed to take care of getting you water? Please....go take care of yourself."
But, in private, when it's just he and God, he says something like, "Holy <bleep>ing <bleep> God, these people are literally going to kill me if we don't find some water! They are totally ready to chop off my head and appoint a king or something!"
If I were staging the T.V. show, the former scene would have Moses laying back in his hammock, picking his teeth with a piece of straw, and casting off the people's concern with disconcerting nonchalance. The second scene would show Moses in his tent, fearfully packing a suitcase and searching for his passport as he prepares to flee the scene and all responsibility for it.
2. I love the non-duality of the inability to be obedient.
First, there is God's people. Scared out of their mind. At their wits end. Worried only about their very survival.
Second, there is Moses. Equally clueless. Equally scared. Worried only about his survival.
3. In this story, God's orders are clear. God's terms are unequivocal. But we have this odd belief in a dualism between the Old Testament and our lives today. We seem to believe that God's orders are significantly less clear and that God's terms are up for debate. In fact, we only seem to believe that God's will is somehow indecipherable when we're talking about our RESPONSE to God's orders. Every week, we gather together and pray for some fairly specific things - things we seem to be fairly convinced are God's will for God's creation - we seem to have a pretty good idea about God's orders and God's terms. It just seems that we don't recognize that those things we pray for are perhaps the things we're supposed to be obediently working towards.
Here's a Ronald Rolheiser quote about that:
"...thus, not only God in heaven is being petitioned and asked to act, but we ale also charging ourselves, as part of the body of Christ, with some responsibility for answering the prayer. To pray as a Christian demands concrete involvement in trying to bring about what is pleaded for in prayer...Our prayers need our flesh to back them up."
Please post your thoughts in comments.....
Jared, I've got comments for you, but don't have time to organize my thoughts. Traveling keeps me away from coherence. I'll respond as soon as I get a free moment.
Posted by: Bill | September 30, 2008 at 10:05 AM