A Time for Listening
In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses spends most of the book reminding the Israelites of their covenant with God. The whole book is set up as a long sermon about what God expects of the Israelites as their 40 years of wilderness wandering comes to an end and they move into the promised land. The Israelites are getting ready to move into a new future. To prepare them, here Moses look back and grounds them in their identity, their history, and their relationship with God. Moses recounts their story in the way it will be told as part of their Passover observance, part of the festival when, in gratitude, they share the first fruits of the land each year. Moses says:
You shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.
- Deuteronomy 26: 5-10
Though the long years of wandering and struggling in the desert are soon going to be over, as God’s people they must stay rooted in their story. Their blessing, the blessing they’re receiving in this promised land, isn’t only wrapped up in following the laws of the covenant, but also the story God is unfolding through them. Here, Moses reminds the Israelites that this will be their story to share, to introduce themselves to new nations, to ground their shared identity as a people.
Even today, this story is the refrain of the Passover festival. In Biblical times it was told when the Israelites celebrated a new spring, the first new produce from the ground and a new season of God’s care and blessing. Now, as then, the story provides a foundation for the coming seasons of planting and harvesting in gratitude, in acknowledgment of God’s blessings, and in their identity as the people God chose to bless and save.
We all have a story whether we recognize it or not. Here at First we are in the midst of a community listening project. Deacon Kirsten and Intern Pastor Raul have been organizing listeners to ask a representative sample of our members about how they tell our story. What are those memorable events in our community that help tell our story? What are the ministries and projects that have been impactful here? How do we talk about who we are as a congregation?
I’m hoping to hear themes of God’s care and calling. Maybe we’ll hear stories about members who grew into disciples. Maybe we’ll hear about God’s work transforming lives and bringing new freedom to broken relationships. I hope the stories we about First will help to remind us what kind of community we are and how God’s love has shined brightly in us and through us.
As October unfolds, I’ll be looking forward to continuing our community conversations as we take up our stewardship theme entitled: “Our Money Story.” The theme is intentionally direct - it invites us to name exactly what we’re talking about and not to skirt around it. To some this may seem like an invitation to bring tension into the room. After all, we often avoid direct talk about money. But, maybe we can reframe things by figuring out - first, what kind of story we ARE telling and next, what kind of story we want to tell through our lives and through our church community.
I’m looking forward to a month of hearing and sharing stories of God’s work at First. And grounded in who we are as a community, I’m excited to live into God’s story at First, with gratitude for what God has done and what God will do in our future.