The Moses Resume

Exodus 3:1-15

What qualities would you list on your resume?   If you were an employer, what qualities would most look for?

The resources I found on the topic of Best Qualities to list on a resume say the number 1 quality that is sought by employers is communication skills.

This is followed by:

Honesty or integrity

Teamwork

Interpersonal skills

Self-Motivation

Flexibility

Problem solving skills

If we were to create a Job description for leadership among God’s followers, Moses would be at the top of the list of candidates who are Biblical role models for leadership.

So, let’s take a look at this Biblical role model then, and try to determine what might be on a job description for a position of leadership among God’s people.

Moses had a remarkable life.

His story began when he was an infant, chosen by divine intervention, and placed in a basket on the river Nile.  So….he is adopted.   This, in and of itself, does not raise a concern, but the level of dysfunction that this causes him later when he has trouble relating to his own people does.  Moses lacks interpersonal skills. 

When an Egyptian abused one of his countrymen, he kills him.

Hmmm….that would strike teamwork, problem solving and flexibility from the list.

Then, Moses buries the body in the sand, and flees to Midian as a fugitive.

So…I guess honesty and integrity are off the list.

Years later Moses wanders to the "mountain of God," Horeb, or Sinai while shepherding sheep.  He comes upon a bush that won't burn. It's so extraordinary that Moses stops to investigate.

Hmmm…Ok, so he is either just curious…or, he has A.D.D., and has just left his sheep because his attention was distracted by something shiny.

He hears the voice of Almighty God coming from the bush. Moses knows it is God, because he "hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God”.   

Ahhh….there’s a quality that God can work with…Faith!  Unfortunately, faith in God is nowhere on our list of the best qualities to put on a resume.  It seems employers aren't looking for people of faith. 

Now, when God gives Moses his assignment, Moses starts to argue: "Why me?  Why should I go to Pharaoh?"  Essentially, he is claiming God is wrong.  God answers. But Moses won't stop: “What name will I say has sent me?  What will I say?”  

Ok, first off, we have to say that the number one thing listed as a quality sought by today’s employers must be stricken from our list…Communication skills.  Moses doesn’t only ask what will I say, but he admits that he has trouble speaking.

Second, God has to go to great length to motivate Moses to get moving.  So, we can scratch self-motivation from our list.

But, it’s kind of hard not to read between the lines here and realize that Moses is giving God a hard time.  So last, but not least, when I read this and I try to put myself in Moses’ shoes…well, bare feet, I’m thinking, “Dude!  This is God!  Just shut your mouth and do what God says!  How can you even think about arguing with God!?” But he does.  So, it is safe to say that what Moses has is chutzpah…audacity.  He is brazen!

But, nowhere in our list of sought after qualities is chutzpah.  Yet, it seems that is precisely a quality that God sees in Moses

So, if Moses is our role model for good leadership, let’s recap our list of qualities on his resume.

Qualities Moses lacked:

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Honesty, Integrity

Flexibility

Problem Solving

Self-Motivation

Qualities Moses has:

Faith

Chutzpah

That’s it! 

Those are the qualities that Moses brings to bear when God calls him to accomplish what is arguably the greatest leadership challenge in history.

So, what do we see in one another as we consider what we bring to bear for what God puts in front of us?  Do we look at the challenges ahead of us and assume that we are not qualified, not capable?

What do our conversations with God sound like?  Do we even have conversations with God?

And, if so, do we have the chutzpah to really push God for answers, the way Moses did?

Our church needs leaders.  Has God been whispering in your ear, or speaking to you in a kind of burning bush, telling you that you are needed in the service of God in your church?  Are you stepping up, or avoiding doing so because you think you’re unqualified?

If we were the employer of such an enormous challenge of leading people out of Egypt, would we have hired Moses…fugitive, dysfunctional, attention deficit, argumentative, inflexible Moses? 

God saw more in Moses than he saw in himself.  

And, God sees more in you than you can see in yourself.

Don’t measure yourself by the world’s standards.

Trust that God has already measured you by His…and has called YOU!

Amen

What's the Difference Between a Bible Study and a Worship Service?

A friend wrote me this excellent question:

Pastor, I've participated in Bible studies that resemble worship services.  I've also been to worship services that seem more like Bible studies.  Can you tell me the difference, for we Lutherans, between a Bible study and a worship service?

Here's my response:

For questions like this the Augsburg Confession is very helpful.  Concerning the Church: "It is the assembly of all believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel."

The role and purpose of the church is to communicate the gospel, the means of God's grace in and for the World. While Christ declares in Matthew 18 that he is present wherever two or three are gathered in his name; making it possible for the gospel to be preached by any believer to anyone, virtually anywhere, still the assembly of believers for worship remains the church's primary instrument for this purpose.

Secondly, our confessions seem clear that to carry out this purpose there need not be uniformity in method or practice across the church. The only necessities are that the gospel is purely preached (put simply, this means that both the law and the gospel are exposed from the Scriptures to bring about faith), and that the sacraments are administered. There are no other requirements for the worship service to be considered "Lutheran".  It behooves us to participate in the Lord's Supper whenever we gather for worship, since it is the real presence of Christ for the forgiveness of sin.  Why would any of us ever choose to not want such a gift as often as possible?   Even so, the frequency of the Lord's Supper is not a requirement for the uniformity of Lutheran worship. Essentially, the only requirements for Lutheran worship is that it is the assembly of believers where the Word is preached and the sacraments administered.  All other elements (music, liturgies, rites) are left to the discretion of the local congregation to form its own identity and edify its practice, but they are not required.

Therefore, the difference between worship and a Bible study is to do with whether or not the Scriptures are preached and the sacraments administered.  Most of the Bible studies I have participated in, and even some in which I have led are not places where the Scriptures are preached.  Preaching is very different from studying.  So, the first question to ask is whether or not there is a person designated to preach the Scripture, not just lead a study of it. Still, there are some Bible studies where a leader may in fact be preaching on the text of that day.

This leads me to the next portion of the answer. Are the people who gather, coming with an expectation of receiving the sacraments?  As we've already determined, for we Lutherans a worship service requires both Word AND sacrament. Even if we do not offer the sacraments at every worship service we still respect the fact that it is within our designated worship service where a person might expect to find the sacraments.

 So, even when a Bible study resembles a worship service, or a worship service resembles a Bible study they are not the same, because (a) preaching is not the same as studying, and (b) there is no expectation of receiving the sacraments in a Bible study.

He replied:

Thank you for your answer. I am unclear on one thing. If a church only has Communion every other week, does that mean that, technically Worship only happens on those weeks when Communion is expected? 

My response:

No.  The efficacy or legitimacy of Worship is not determined by the frequency of Holy Communion. Also, a single worship service does not make a congregation. The Holy Spirit calls us into the life of a community of believers. Our Lutheran piety is congregational. That congregation is assembled by the Holy Spirit, and brought to life upon new life through time by the gospel shared within the community in the Word and Sacrament. Therefore, the life of the congregation is dependent upon Word and Sacrament, like a child is dependent upon parents. Within the life of the congregation, the ELCA encourages Holy Communion as often as they gather for worship. But, the life of the congregation is not dependent upon the frequency of Holy Communion, just that the worship remains connected to it. Each member participates within that community on faith, while faith is fed and nourished by the same Word and Sacrament. Think of it like this. St. Gus Lutheran by the gas station might have communion every Sunday, while St. Bill Lutheran by the bank might have communion once each month. Yet, both hold worship every Sunday. In both cases the life of the faithful as well as the congregation is fed and nourished by Word and Sacrament, because both worship services remain connected to the sacrament. Each individual member, as they participate within the life of the congregation, are fed and nourished in their faith by the presence of Christ in both Word and Sacrament. Now, getting back to your original question, let's say you are not a member of a congregation, and you are not regularly attending worship. Yet, you attend the every Wednesday evening Bible study at St. Gus Lutheran, where the pastor leads you in prayer, singing, and even preaches on the text for the day. However, that gathering of the faithful is not the regular worship service, where the sacraments are expected among the life of the congregation. The Holy Spirit has gathered you into an encounter with the presence of Christ in Word, but not Sacrament. So, this weekly event is not a worship service, and you are not a part of the congregation---even if you've been attending that weekly Bible study for years, and have made many friends. This is hypothetical, of course. I can't honestly imagine the Holy Spirit calling a person that close for that long without the person finally being willing to dip their toe into the waters of Baptism and start coming to worship.

A resource that you would find helpful on this subject, if you haven't found it already, is the ELCA's document called "The Use of The Means of Grace". You can download it here: The Use of the Means of Grace

When God is Silent

Exodus 1:8-14

Sometimes God is silent.
                                   No...Usually God is silent.

But, with a little faith we begin to notice that silence is not the absence of sound, but the very sound of God's presence.

Here's what I mean...
Right now, you are reading this on some form of computer device.  No doubt, that device has some form of anti-virus system.  You don't see it.  You don't hear it.   Still, it's there, protecting your device from all sorts of threats.  In what we might consider to be silence, your anti-virus is present and working.

God is like that.  Always present, always working, in the silence.

Take a good look at this reading from the beginning of the Exodus story.
Notice the silence of God.
Things have changed in Egypt since Joesph provided a safe-haven from the famine for his family.  That was 400 years ago.  Now, the Joseph family has become the "Hebrew People", and they are numerous and strong.  Notice verse 12, "The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied."  Nowhere in this text is there any mention of God, yet how else would oppressed slaves, subjected to harsh treatment, continue to grow numerous and strong for generations?   Now, think back to the last blessing that these Hebrew people were given from God...the one thing these people were promised.  God promised to their forefather Abraham that they would become a nation of people "more numerous than the stars". In what appears to be the silence of God for generations of slavery, and harsh treatment, the sound of God's presence becomes audible in this verse.

No matter how silent God may seem in your life, and in this troublesome world, with a littler faith we can begin to hear the sound of God's presence...in the stories of everyday people loving one another, enduring and overcoming...growing numerous and strong.

Take a moment and just listen to your own story of faith and life and love.  You know, that story of people and relationships intersecting with you through the generations of your life.  Just be silent for a moment and listen to your own story...everywhere people are loving you, encouraging you, strengthening you...everywhere you are overcoming and growing in faith and confidence...there you will see God, and there you will hear the sound of the presence of God.

Remember, silence is often the very sound of God's presence.  

Amen!

#Humblebrag

Read Genesis 45:1-15

We have a new word in our dictionary.  That word is humblebrag.  

It is when someone uses social media to say something that sounds humble and down to earth, when actually the person is bragging about themselves.  

Here's an example:  A well-known body-builder posts, "It is so awkward to go to bodybuilder.com and find my picture in the left column."  

Here's another example tweeted by Cody Allen (Country Music Star)   "I just won an ACM, but don't worry I'm still stuck like everyone else in a Taco Bell drive-thru right now."  

I find it upsetting that the world we live is losing the ability to show humility without turning it into a way of bragging about ourselves.  

If ever there was a moment in the Bible worthy of a good humblebrag it is when Joseph reveals to his brothers that the one who has been merciful to them, rescuing them from famine, has been their very own brother--the one they sold into slavery.  But, Joseph takes no credit for it.  He interprets all the events, including his brothers selling him, as God's will to protect his family from the famine.  In a moment when Joseph could easily have praised himself for a job well done...he turns all the attention and praise toward God.  

Maybe that's a lesson we need to hear as well.  

Maybe a little less praising of ourselves and a little more praising of God would help keep all of us a bit more humble. 

So, next time you're tempted to tweet out a humblebrag or tell your neighbor how great it is to be you, skip the brag and remember the humble.

Amen!

You Do It

Matthew 14:13-21

Pop Quiz :-)
How many of Jesus' miracles are recorded in all four Gospels?
Answer:  Only one
This one, the Feeding of the 5000.
That fact should make us pause for a moment and ask "Why?"
Of all the miracles Jesus performed, what is it about this one that caused all four Gospel writers to say to themselves, "Hey, this is a story that people need to remember."

The obvious answer, of course, is that this was a pretty amazing miracle!

But, there's something about this one that is unique; that gives it a bit more substance worth remembering for the future generations of Christianity than the others.

The Feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle story that gives us such a perfect illustration of discipleship.
This miracle story doesn't seem to be about the miracle itself so much.  The focus seems more to do with the humble efforts of the disciples than Jesus' amazing feat of provision for the masses.
This is a miracle story that reads as if it is about something going on more deeply between Jesus and the disciples than between Jesus and the masses.  Its a miracle story that seems, on the surface to be about feeding hungry people, but its a story with added detail that seems to point us toward a deeper meaning for the loaves and fishes.

This unique depth in meaning is signaled by Jesus in a very pointed phrase: "They need not go away, you give them something to eat."
In other words, when the disciples came to Jesus informing him that the masses were hungry and need something to eat, setting the stage for the big miracle, Jesus turns to them and says, "YOU DO IT"

Of course, Jesus miraculously provides for the masses, but not before the disciples offer to him what they have, which turns out to be only 5 loaves and 2 fish, hardly enough for even one family, let alone 5000.
It's as if Jesus is declaring to his disciples a message of faith and trust that is bigger than the feeding miracle itself.

The loaves and fishes represent our weakness, our humility, our limitations to face the bigger problems before us.  Yet, when we trust our Lord with what we do have, we witness miracles.
The disciples looked at the situation before them, realized they had only 5 loaves and 2 fish and came to the conclusion that they were incapable of doing much good.  But, in calling them to do it themselves, Jesus affirms that there is more good that can happen than they ever imagined---when God is at work through them.  

With that one simple command, "YOU DO IT", Jesus calls all of us to trust God with what we have, and stop limiting our selves by what we don't.  The effect is our Lord saying to us, "You're not going to benefit by sitting back and watching me do all of this awesome stuff for you."  YOU DO IT, and with my help, we'll accomplish miracles---miracles that are not only a blessing for others, but miracles that continue to affirm your faith and buttress your trust in God.

Discipleship is never easy, never convenient, never black and white.  If it was it wouldn't require or build any faith or trust within us.  No, discipleship is always difficult, inconvenient, and very very gray.

This week, with finances from the pastor's discretionary fund, I have been a part of a consorted effort from a few members of our church to assist a young married couple find adequate housing.  It hasn't been easy, it hasn't been convenient.  But the fact that there our church is willing to respond, willing to give what we have, willing to trust God and do it...that is the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

I met with a woman this week who shared with me how difficult it has been for her to balance her life as a wife, mother, employee, and volunteer. She shared with me how deeply called she feels to continue her volunteer efforts, and yet how inconvenient it has become, and how gray have become the boundaries of her time as she constantly juggles commitments.
Sometimes the miracle isn't that life is all put together, neat and tidy, simple and convenient.  Often the miracle is that we hear our Lord calling and we are willing to say YES!.

For all of us, life is held in a delicate balance between things all put together and things that are coming undone, between faith and unbelief, between heaven and hell, between death and new life.

The miracle of the loaves and fishes isn't so much the miracle that all are fed, but that Jesus had faith in his disciples.
For us today, the miracle isn't that we have faith in God.
It's that God continues to have faith in us.

This is why, I think, this particular miracle story was so important to those Gospel writers.
It gives witness to what the space between death and new life in Jesus truly looks like.

When it seems that we are confined by limitations, and yet we still have enough.
When we are confused, even lost, and yet we still keep seeking a solution.

When we think we can't go on, but then we do.

Therein is Jesus' miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Amen

Who Is Your Rock?

Isaiah 44:6-8

Remember Looney Tunes cartoons?
Remember Wiley Coyote and Road Runner?
For the benefit of the younger folks, Wiley Coyote was always in pursuit of the Road Runner, never to actually catch him.   The Road Runner never really outwitted the coyote, and he never came across as particularly savvy; the coyote was just constantly a victim of his own hubris.  He always assumed he was more capable than he actually was at catching the Road Runner, and inevitably in every episode something would go wrong, and prove the coyote to be...well...human.
There is this one scene that comes quickly to mind.  He thinks he has finally trapped the long-legged bird, when the scene zooms out to show that he is standing on the edge of a cliff, and then the rock beneath his feet crumbles and he falls into the ravine...as he so often does.

Isn't that the way life is, sometimes?
We think we're pursuing our goals and then the ground beneath our feet falls away.

Recently, my wife told me that I was her rock.
Has anyone ever said that to you?  It's humbling.
I'm proud of the fact that I am able to offer some measure of strength and consistent support for her.  The Lord knows how much I depend on her as a source of support and encouragement.
I hope that in similar ways I am somewhat of a rock for my son, my family and my parents.  I want them to know that I will be there for them as a secure source of hope, guidance, and support.

But, the truth is, I'm not a rock.
I'm as vulnerable as the coyote on the cliff.

In my 14 years of experience I've done many funerals and weddings.  At them, I've heard countless people declare their devotion to another with words similar to that of "so and so has been my rock"
I've heard speeches from cancer survivors thanking their immediate caregivers with these same sentiments.
I've listened to people describe their road to recovery from addictions or sinful habits as that of being unable to have done such a thing without so and so being a rock in their lives.

Still, I'm willing to bet that each of these "rocks" know the same humbling truth that I speak about today.
This is the truth that our Scripture reminds us today...
None of us are actually the "rocks" our loved ones think we are.

It's no secret, really.  We are all as vulnerable as the coyote on the cliff.

Yet, there still exists the need for someone to be that unmoving object in our life--that rock of faith, endurance, security.  We all need someone to give us a place to stand that we can depend on; someone to support us when no one else does; someone to love us when no one else will.

From the prophet Isaiah, God declares to us that He will be our rock.
God asks for our trust in him above all other things we might trust in.
God tells us, "There is no other rock."
Noting else we can stand on that wont erode, or fall apart.
God is our rock--an unmoving, unchanging, unwavering solid ground upon which we can stand strong and remain faithful.
And, through the gospel, God shows us that His rocky, unmoving strength for us comes through the gift of Jesus' loves for us.
The way Jesus loves us...willing to die for us...willing to suffer for our benefit...paradoxically, this is our strength, our security.  With faith in God's love for us beneath our feet, we are strengthened and supported through life.

If I am able to be any kind of rock for my wife, my son, my siblings, my parents...I know deep down where the truth lies within me...that it is not because of a strength or security that I come up with on my own.  It is because of God's love for me, because the love of Christ is in my heart and soul, and therefore it is beneath my feet.
If I am able to be any kind of rock for anyone, it is because God is my rock.

I believe this is the truth for all of us.
When we use that expression, describing someone as our rock, we are pointing to God working in and through our lives.

We may know that we are incapable of truly being a "rock" for those around us.  But, we have a God, who is our rock.  With faith the ground beneath us may give away, and still we are upheld with hope.

With God supporting us, providing us with secure and solid ground we find within our love for one another a kind of strength that defies our weakness and vulnerabilities.  It is a kind of strength that isn't ours, but a strength that is most profoundly noticed when we are willing to give it to others in spite of our weaknesses.

With God as our rock, we have a model of godly love.  We have Christ.  With Christ we are strengthened to be strong for others.  With Christ, we can be like him, we can be like the rock for others.


The following is a video of one Father whose love for his son is an example of God's love for us.  It refuses to quit or give way beneath his son.  The father's love stands as solid as a rock for his son.

Just as this father's love is a rock for his son, our Heavenly Father's love is a rock for us.  It empowers us to stand strong for those we love.  

Today, consider the people who have been been or who are your rocks.  

Thank them.

How can you be a rock for others?  

Amen.

The 3rd Sacrament

While sifting through some unedited media I came across this message from a year ago about the value of church fellowship.  I only had the audio, but I've added a few slides and thought it was worth posting.

Blessings,

Pastor Rich