Loving God, there are times when we do not trust your timing and become anxious and impatient.  Remind us to turn to you at all times for all that is needed, and to remember and give thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    How quickly they forgot.  How quickly we forget!  The Israelites, after all, had seen plenty of evidence of God’s power at work.  They had witnessed one plague after another in Egypt, each one affecting only the places where the Egyptians lived, and not Goshen, where they lived.  They had been there at the Red Sea, when it seemed as though they were trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army.  They had seen how God had miraculously parted the waters for them, allowing them to walk through on dry ground, but not allowing Pharaoh’s army to come through.  They had eaten the bread from heaven, provided by God, and had seen good drinking water miraculously come out of a rock in the wilderness.  They had seen how God had shown up on Mt. Sinai, in a cloud with thunder and lightning.  But now, they are impatient, and they can’t understand why God (and Moses) are taking so long.

    This happens sometimes when we feel like we are in the middle of the wilderness, with no sign of God’s presence and direction.  Even though we might know what God has promised, we haven’t seen any signs of fulfillment yet, and we can’t understand what God might be waiting for.  We are in the middle of unfamiliar territory, unsure of what dangers lie ahead, and seemingly with no direction as to which way to go.  And so we look for something tangible that we can hold on to.

    In the case of the Israelites, they wanted a god that they could see.  They were afraid that Moses had disappeared and was never coming back.  They felt as though they were without direction and without purpose.  And so they wanted something that they could see and touch, a symbol that would go before them and lead them through the wilderness.  And so they pressured Aaron, Moses’ brother the high priest, until he agreed to produce a god for them.

    Some of the rabbis suggest that Aaron was stalling for time when he asked them to bring all of their gold to him.  He secretly hoped that maybe they wouldn’t bring it, but they did, and they end up with a golden calf, or bull.  It’s not such a far-fetched image, if you’re going to make a god, as both the Egyptians and the Canaanites had gods that looked like a bull.  While we might have a hard time seeing ourselves worshiping a golden calf, aren’t there times when we, too, try to replace God with something tangible?

    We feel anxious, and we aren’t aware of the presence of God, and we turn to any number of different things for comfort.  Some turn to addictions like alcohol or drugs or tobacco.  Some turn to accumulating more and more money, as well as everything that money can buy.  Some surround themselves with stuff, whether that be collectibles, or nick knacks, or piles of paper, or simply too much of everything.  Some turn to food or drink to fill the emptiness that they feel.  And some choose a famous person or group or team and simply worship them.

    Our god is our ultimate concern - whatever it is that comes first in our lives and that directs our decisions and how we use our time and money.  For most of us - at least if we are honest - there have been at least some times in our lives where the Living God who created the heavens and the earth has not been our ultimate concern.  There have also been times when we simply forgot about what God has done for us.  This tends to happen when we are worried about things in the present or in the future, just like the Israelites in the wilderness.

    The thing is that if they had remembered what God had done, they might have been thankful rather than anxious and impatient.  They could have remembered how hard life was for them as slaves and what a relief it was to be set free.  They could have remembered how God had rescued them, and led them through the sea, and had given them food and drink in the wilderness.  Remembering these things and focusing on them might have led them to thankfulness and praise.  Instead, they sought to put a golden calf in the place of God.

    For us, too, it is difficult to be thankful when all of our energy is focused on worrying about the present and the future.  On the other hand, when we are able to remember what God has done in our lives, it goes a long way in being able to have a life-giving relationship with God and in being able to give thanks.

    And so, remember those times when God has answered your prayers.  Remember those times when you have received healing and love and care.  Remember that you are created in the image of God and how God’s love for you has been expressed through Jesus.  Remember how God has provided for you during difficult times and has led you into a better place.  Remember those times when you have been privileged to witness the power of God at work.  For remembering such things leads to praise and thanksgiving.

    At the same time, pray.  Be in conversation with God.  Lift up the concerns and the needs that you have, as well as the needs of others.  Ask for God’s guidance and direction.  Cling to God’s promises of life in all its fulness, and of healing and salvation.  Ask to experience the presence and power of God.

    For, even though other things might make us feel better in the short term, God is the only one who gives life – even in the midst of the wilderness.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Pentecost 21 / Thanksgiving (NL 3)                    Exodus 32:1-14
October 9, 2016
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2016 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved