It was brought to my attention that the last time I preached here (in March), I preached on the 10 commandments and today I am preaching on the chapter after the 10 commandments. It seems I am preaching a very long and drawn-out sermon series.
If you find yourself thinking, didn’t I just hear about the 10 commandments recently. Then, you were probably here last week enjoying the amazing play presented by our youth-Away from a Manger. I would love to share with you these lines about the 10 commandments from the play. For those who missed the most amazing play ever last week, let me set it up for you-in the midst of the dress rehearsal for the Christmas play, the baby Jesus doll goes missing and all the actors are suspects in mystery. The part about the 10 commandments comes as Stage Manager 1 is questioning the Lamb.
Stage M:
You seem to know a lot about your Bible. Can you tell me the Ten Commandments?
Lamb:
Number 1, you shall have no other Gods before me. Number 2-
Stage M:
Okay, skip to, oh, let’s say Number 7.
Lamb:
Seven, you shall not commit adulterness. A-dult-err- something that means don’t be an adult. Or at least a mean adult. Right?
Stage M:
You know what? I think I meant to say Number 8.
Lamb:
Eight, you shall not steal.
Stage M:
Aha! Do you know it means to steal?
Lamb:
Taking someone else’s things.
Stage M:
That’s right. (Speaking slowly and deliberately) So you must know that it makes God very sad when we take things that belong to someone else.
Lamb:
Like when I took my brother’s bike and crashed it into a tree?
Stage M:
Lamb nods.
Exactly. And you want the magic doll, don’t you?
Stage M:
Have you ever thought about taking it for yourself?
Lamb:
No. I didn’t take it.
Stage M:
(After a pause) Okay, keep going with the commandments. Number 9?
Lamb:
You shall not bear false testimony.
Stage M:
Aha! And that means don’t lie about not stealing!
Lamb:
I thought it meant don’t lie about anything.
Stage M:
It does. What I meant to say was that whenever we’ve done something wrong, lied or stolen something, we just need to apologize and ask for forgiveness.
(This script came from skitguys.com)
I love this exchange about the 10 commandments. It reminds us that some of the subjects covered in the Bible are challenging topics and when we teach them to those who are younger-our words matter. I think translating the seventh commandment as don’t be a mean adult is fabulous even if a little different from the original translation.
Back to our Scripture for this morning from Deuteronomy, Moses has just delivered the 10 commandments to the Israelites who at this time have been wandering around in the wilderness for the past forty years. The time is coming for God to fulfill the promise made-the Israelites will be entering the land promised to them. We only have to watch the news to see that this promise of being given land already inhabited remains an issue. You may have noticed that our Scripture for today does not include any information about the people there in Biblical or current times living in the land flowing with milk and honey. And if you’d like to talk more at another time about the many challenges throughout the centuries with this land, I would be glad to have that conversation with you. Let me summarize it by saying-it is and has been very complicated.
Moses is giving the people one more reminder that God has set forth the ways to live well in relationship with God and in relationship with each other. If the people can remember the way God wants them to live, they will “multiply greatly” and “things will go well with” them. How do we think it goes?
The story of God’s beloved children down through the ages (spoiler alert-this is cliff notes version of the Bible) goes like this. God loves us. God gives instructions for our well-being, our ability to live together in community and in relationship with God. And we listen for a bit and then we start to drift off thinking we know better. So, God sends judges like Deborah to show people the way. And good news, it works for a bit and then nope. We want our own way again, thinking we know better than God. The people want a king (which God says will be a bad idea) and so they have a king. And God sends prophets to get the king and the people back on the right track. And each time the people forget, God reminds them.
Finally, God thought if I send my son, they will listen and remember. You know, Jesus was born into this world to show us the way. To be the truth. To give us life. And friends, just like our ancestors in the faith, we forget and need reminders. This is the beauty of celebrating Christmas every year. It is another reminder to write these words of God’s love and faithfulness on our hearts so we may pass them along to the next generation. What good news this is!
So, I’m wondering, people of faith- what are those stories, lessons, verses that are so dear to you that you have written them on your hearts? What hymns and songs do you love so much that you sing them to your children (or the children of the church) and you sing them when you are at home and when you are away? What memories of people of faith are so special to you that you think about them when you go to bed and when you rise? I want you to think on these questions. I also wonder if anyone is feeling brave enough to say something out loud today. What words are written on your heart? What do you want to ensure we together pass along to the next generation here?
While you are pondering your answer or answers, I’d like to share one. Many of you met my Dad when he visited last year. You haven’t had the opportunity to know my Mom because she died almost four years ago. She was a woman of deep faith who lived out her faith with her actions. I could share countless stories of how she inspired me and encouraged me to live out my faith. Instead I’ll share the words to the song that always make me think of her that we used as the final hymn at her funeral. It is called Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth.
In the bulb, there is a flower
In the seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free
In the cold and snow of winter
There’s a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
There’s a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There’s a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me
From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
Now that I got us started, does anyone have verses, stories, songs, etc that shaped your life that you know God is calling you to share with this faith community and future generations of the faithful?
I think you know what we have to do. God has entrusted us with these stories. Just because passing on the stories doesn’t make the big 10 (commandments) doesn’t mean we aren’t commanded/required/expected/encouraged by God to tell these stories. We must tell the stories and live out God’s love with our words and actions. We do this because God is relying on us to keep these words and not keep them hidden (under a bushel No!)…keep them in our hearts and share them with our words/actions/lives. It is important work we have been given to do. And the good news is that God doesn’t send us out to this work alone. Instead, God invites us to find a community like this one, where we can be fed with God’s word and supported by our faith family as the seeds of faith planted within us continue to grow as we pass it on by singing the old, old story in our new way. Amen.