ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
February 27, 2022
Today, I am preaching on Exodus 3, the story of Moses encountering God in the Burning Bush. When it comes to the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), it is one of my favorite stories. In the previous couple of chapters, Moses has experienced some rough times, including being run out of Egypt by his adopted family. Moses later described himself as an alien, living in a foreign land. Moses struggled to find a place to call home, yet at the Burning Bush, the Lord spoke to Moses and told him to remove his sandals as he was standing on holy ground. In the Ancient World, people removed their shoes upon entering a home. Even today, our Muslim brothers and sisters remove their shoes when entering the Mosque, and churches and synagogues in the Middle East often have the same practice. Though interpreted a little different in each case, it is an acknowledgment that one is walking on sacred ground. And perhaps the most sacred was the house. Moses, who felt like a man without a people or place to call home, finally discovered his home. It was not found in a traditional four walls and a roof, but in his encounter with God. There he found his place. What we imagine to be our home may not necessarily be the home God is creating for us.
Speak your Good News to me, O Lord, for it is life-giving to my soul when I am reminded of how I am included among your beloved. Amen.
Going To Be A Little Different
