An Abiding Hope Blog

Lesson 9: God's Abiding Presence

Scripture: Exodus 25-31; 33:7-11; 34:11-40; 38; Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Key Scripture: Exodus 25:1-9; 33:7-11; 40:34-38; Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Key Idea: The tabernacle represented God's ongoing presence among the people in the wilderness, just as Jesus and the Holy Spirit represent God's eternal presence among us now.

PW Marketing Associate Carissa Herold reflects on Lesson 9.

Ever have a song or hymn stuck in your brain, on a seemingly endless loop? On this day I find I have my own personal internal soundtrack with just one hymn streaming through my grey matter, over and over and over again. This hymn is “Abide with Me,” and a quick check assures me that it is, indeed, featured in our newest hymnal (Glory to God, page 836).

Isn’t it interesting that “Abide with Me” is coursing through my brain on the very day I had set aside a bit of time to write my ninth and final blog for An Abiding Hope? I honestly didn’t plan it! My mother-in-law would tell me this is a “God wink.” I don’t know for sure, of course, but I suspect she may be onto something because she is a very wise woman.

I confess I don’t recollect even 90 percent of the lyrics for “Abide with Me.” In my brain I hear “Abide with me fast falls the eventide…hum hum hum…hum…hum…hum…O Lord, abide with me.” But opening to page 836, I have just rediscovered the words of this hymn and I would like to share them with you:

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see. O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour; what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Isn’t this study (and hymn*) all about living in the grace of God’s abiding hope? The ancient people lived difficult lives, even the fortunate few who were brought out of slavery. Was life easier? Perhaps. But like the author of this hymn, at the end of the day, whether we are comforting a restless toddler, preparing for another shift at work, curling up in our favorite chair, or dealing with the other happy and unhappy details of a life, God’s abiding presence is what is true, and brings the only enduring comfort, hope and joy.

As humans, ancient and modern, we are ever fearful, even the most faithful among us. We build and plan and worry and fret. How much of the world’s ills can find their origin in misdirected fear? But with fear comes choice. We can try to conquer our fear through controlling and building up earthly treasures. We can pursue and stash wealth, build greater armies and taller fences, even try to control our destiny with healthful pursuits like bountiful exercise and other wonderful achievements. But do these earthly things really bring deep peace and contentment?

Building and doing and making our way are all part of God’s plan. But what and why we do what we do matters to God. For example, let’s talk about the tabernacle. God instructed the people to build the tabernacle and even gave them specific instructions about how to go about it and what to use as building materials. Truly, did God of All require a tabernacle? We learn in the study that God directed the building of the tabernacle—not to inhabit but as a lesson and reminder—using the very expensive gifts of rare wood and fine fabric, gems and so forth, that had been heaped upon the fleeing people by their former captors. “No doubt,” writes Janice, “a number of the people had counted on these expensive items as a means to ‘jump start’ a life of ease once they had freedom. The call to give to the tabernacle’s construction was a call to demonstrate their faith in God’s future providence by giving up the material securities they had on hand. God presented the people with a choice of great spiritual and theological significance.” (page 81)

Choice. There’s that bothersome word again. We choose. We can live our lives in a myriad of ways and deal with our fears and questions in as many. One option is to choose to live as God’s people and welcome God’s abiding presence. Janice writes, “God had promised to be with them and to name and claim them as God’s people. The tabernacle was a sign of God’s commitment to that promise. Now the people needed to remember their promise to be with God, to walk always in God’s way. Thus, Moses ended his speeches with a call to choose God—and thereby choose life (see Deut. 30:11-20).” (page 83) (emphasis is mine)

Choose God, choose life.

I really love how Janice concludes this lesson and study. She writes, “[L]et us take heart in the good news of Exodus and Deuteronomy. These marvelous books promise that, while we may give up on God from time to time, God never gives up on us. We are never abandoned, never unloved, never forgotten.

“’Is the Lord among us or not?’ asked the Hebrews in the wilderness. ‘Yes,’ we proclaim joyfully, ‘God was and is and will be with us—forever! Hallelujah and Amen!’” 

Thank you for abiding with me during this blog series. Throughout the series, I have learned a lot about a lot of things. Delving into the study in this way, allowing the words from the study and scripture, hymns and musings formulate my ponderings, has set me forth on a very enlightening journey. I am now an enthusiast of journaling and blogging as a way to fully live into a study. But of course, Janice Catron’s expertise and her seemingly effortless way through scripture provided a most solid foundation. Thank you, Janice.

And my thanks to the many Presbyterian women who have reached out to me during this series. Your kind words and support mean so much to me, whether I’m blogging or no. I am grateful for you and the many other Presbyterian women who, despite the pulls and tugs from so many directions, continue to choose God, choose life. Thank you for choosing to live out your PW faith in joy, generosity, and love.

*Just a side note, the lyricist of “Abide with Me,” Henry Francis Lyte, was quite ill with tuberculosis when he inked the words of his most beloved hymn, “Abide with Me”; he passed away soon after. I can only imagine his yearning for God’s abiding presence as he struggled with this terrible infection. His gift to us are his heartfelt words that speak to his deep desire for God’s abiding presence “through cloud and sunshine.”

 Carissa

The Creativity Continues!

The creativity continues to flow! Sue Moore (and Debbie!) from Southminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield, MO finished their quilt and presented it at their PW luncheon on Saturday, April 5, 2014. Sue and Debbie created this quilt using the quilt pattern found on the Horizons website at http://pcusa.org/horizons/. Feeling inspired? Download the pattern, create your own quilt, and send it to us to post!

Lesson 8: Temptations along the Way

Scripture: Exodus 32:1–34:10; Deuteronomy 6:10–25

Key Scripture: Exodus 32:1–24, 30; 34:1–6; Deuteronomy 6:10–12

Key Idea: The story of the golden calf shows how quickly anxiety and fear can lead us to turn from God. The story also shows the infinite measure of God’s grace, mercy, and steadfast love.

PW Marketing Associate Carissa Herold reflects on Lesson 8.

One of the unexpected benefits of committing to writing this blog series on An Abiding Hope has been my discovery of something subtle but, well, I’m finding, quite real. As I ponder the task at hand over (usually) days or weeks, I have taken notice of the sense of a certain leading, if you will, of my thoughts. As I have explored and wandered, unexpected things have popped up, seemingly at random. I have drifted into interesting and unexpected conversations; have recalled long ago discussions and books; or am given the gift of that apt quotation or thought from seemingly nowhere! Yes, of course, I am a person of faith and as such, I should be at least a bit comfortable with the idea that this sense of being lead is not magical thinking but holy hints (my mother-in-law calls them “God winks”). Or perhaps I am simply taking notice and seeing things anew.

So here’s something out of the ordinary. Today is March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, and here I sit, in my bright green sweater (I don’t like to be pinched!), with blog 8. My initial plan was to write about prayer. I really respond to what Janice writes about prayer and had considered beginning my blog with her words: “Moses’ effective appeal then leads us to an insight about our own relationship with God. If, as this text suggests, God truly listens to us and responds to our intercessions, then prayer is a serious responsibility on our end. While we may be more comfortable with the idea of a God whose mind never changes, it is important to see that the Hebrew tradition includes at least one theological strand that says God listens to us in profound ways.” (p. 73)

The outline for blog 8 is formulated in my mind, just waiting to be written. My plan—to lift up our amazing connection with God who, like a loving parent who knows and has experienced so much, still lovingly and attentively listens and responds to a young child’s musings and desires and understanding of the world—has taken a bit of detour. Because for some inexplicable reason (probably because today is St. Patrick’s Day and thinking about all things Celtic is probably not unreasonable), my mind has drifted to a book we studied a while ago entitled Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God by Mark Batterson. In this book, Batterson likens the Holy Spirit to a wild goose. Stay with me here! God loves sparrows and wild geese too! Batterson writes in the introduction, “The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me. They call [the Holy Spirit] An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, The Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround [God].”

The premise of the book, as I recall, distanced by a couple of years from a thorough reading, is that the Wild Goose invites the chase! If we choose of our own free will, we can take up the chase and go where we are lead. And although we tend to like to keep our world neat and in order, and our understanding of God safe and predictable, the nature of the Eternal One is anything but. Batterson writes, “We try to make God fit within the confines of our cerebral cortex. We try to reduce the will of God to the logical limits of our left brain. But the will of God is neither logical nor linear. It is downright confusing and complicated.”

Complicated and confusing, indeed! Our God is an amazing God. We are invited into relationship and our prayers are heard. But who among us cannot point to a time in our lives when we have felt abandoned or unheard? Lost? Alone? Perplexed? I can only imagine Zipporah’s thoughts as she summoned up the courage to appeal to God to save Moses!

Just as a young child cannot always understand the seemingly capricious nature of her loving parent, we can never know the ways of our God and perhaps that is a good thing. Being scolded for chasing a ball into the middle of a busy intersection may seem severe to a child so focused on play that she had neglected her parent’s many warnings about never venturing into the street. Or perhaps a parent’s seeming aloofness after a busy day may strike a child as unfathomable. Or perhaps my cerebral cortex is working overtime, trying once again to make mortal sense of God’s confusing and complicated nature? Truly, isn’t it easy to slip into that comfortable mode of finding a way to neatly explain God’s nature? As I chase the Wild Goose, I will try to remember to live in gratitude and love, and keep the lines of communication open and clear!

Until next time—Carissa

Lesson 7: Covenant Living

Scripture: Exodus 20–23; Deuteronomy 6:1–9

Key Scripture: Exodus 20:1–17; 22:21–27; Deuteronomy 6:4–9

Key Idea: God’s law (or teaching) provides instruction on how to honor God and others, especially through social justice. This form of love fits with Jesus’ teaching, as well, and it is part of our holy calling.

PW Marketing Associate Carissa Herold reflects on the 10 in the 10 Commandments.

I openly admit that the topic of this lesson—the Ten Commandments—has stirred in me a bit (okay, a lot!) of anxiety, at least in terms of writing this blog. Consider this: The very foundation of our personal, corporate and spiritual lives is built upon these 10 laws (or “teachings” as suggested by Janice Catron). What could I possibly add of worth to the deep sea of commentary that has been written over generations on this topic?

Since I am at a temporary loss, I will share something very interesting! Many years ago, I attended an ecumenical service led by a rabbi. He introduced us to the Shema, the words from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” The rabbi told us that these words from scripture are printed in permanent ink on a small piece of parchment, called a klaf, which is often placed in a small case called a mezuzah. The mezuzah is then affixed to the exterior doorframes of Jewish homes; some choose to also affix the mezuzah to interior doors as well. Why? Because this first commandment is, Janice Catron affirms, the “foundation for all others” (An Abiding Hope, p. 64) and is never to be forgotten. “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.”

Foundational, indeed! “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” How many of us couldn’t use our own reminder in a world where distraction is ever present? “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” Affixing this reminder, at the very least in our hearts, will keep us ever mindful of our true foundation as we come and go.

The next three commandments are ways we are to honor God, as articulated by God. These are no small suggestions—these are commandments/teachings! “First, make no idols (20:4), whether of God or another deity. Next, do not misuse the divine name by saying it to support a false oath or evil purpose (20:7). Finally, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (20:8).”

Janice continues, “The last commandments focus on relationships between people, yet are still rooted in God’s relationship with the community of faith. How we treat one another is a direct reflection on how God has treated us.” (An Abiding Hope, p. 64) Isn’t that amazing? God calls us to be in relationship with God and with one another and has given us some simple (to learn, perhaps not to live out) “top 10” teachings to help us live our best, most faithful lives!

So as I have been thinking about the Ten Commandments, why 10? Yes, there are oodles of other teachings (for an entertaining read, consider The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs) but there are only 10 of the, well, Ten Commandments. Surely our broken world requires many more! (In fact, I’ve discovered that some people add a few extra commandments for a bit of levity, always in the formal King James’ “style”: “Thou shalt not vote for so and so”; “Thou shalt not wear white socks with black dress shoes”; “Thou shalt always remember that the cat rules the house.”) Perhaps, just like telephone numbers and computer passwords, we humans tend to share a common comfort zone in skillfully remembering important things. And truly what is more important to remember, particularly as we make our way through our often complicated (messy?) lives, than those commandments that please God and make our lives, individually and collectively, healthier and life-affirming?

So my ponderings on “why 10?” hit gold (not the golden calf kind, just an expression, I promise)! In J. Gerald Janzen’s commentary on Exodus, he shares why some believe that God gave Israel 10 commandments: a commandment for each finger—a very helpful way to learn and remember! “Why 10? Is it that one learns to recite them on one’s 10 fingers and that the association of the 10 in this way with one’s hands is a reminder that one’s hands, as the instruments of one’s actions, are to be guided by God’s claim on us? (Idols, too, are called ‘the work of human hands’ (Deut. 4:28; Psalm 115:4; Isa. 2:8; Hos. 14:3]). Such an explanation … must remain speculative, but as a practical device for learning and remembering, it would fit with the direction to bind the Shema on one’s hand, fix it as an emblem on one’s forehead, and write it on one’s doorpost and gate (Deut. 6:8-9). (J. Gerald Janzen, Exodus: Westminster Bible Commentary, p. 141)

As we proceed to the next lesson, let’s consider how radically different our world would be if we individually and collectively tried to better live into God’s teachings. How would the world’s people live if murder in any of its forms was a rare thing? If everyone had access to God’s intended abundance so few were compelled to steal or covet? Janice writes, “Clearly God cares about how human beings treat one another on earth, and the divine heart opposes oppression, exploitation, and injustice.” And what is our role, as people of faith, delivered out of bondage, saved through grace, in this imperfect world? “Just as clearly, we see that God calls (even expects) us to work for justice and wholeness on behalf of others. We are God’s advocates and instruments, guided by love to be actively involved whenever and wherever we are needed, even if the cause seems hopeless.” (p. 65) How would our lives change if we truly understood and trusted that the foundation of all is the understanding that “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone,” and that our God seeks our active participation in our relationship with God and with one another?

—Until next time, Carissa

P.S. My friend (and conveniently, Horizons Bible study editor!) Betsy Ensign-George gives a big thumbs up for the books, What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism, by Robert Schoen, and The Shema in the Mezuzah, by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.

Lesson 6: Becoming a Holy People

Background Scripture: Exodus 19 and 24; Deuteronomy 7:1–11

Key Scripture: Exodus 19:3–6; 24:3–8; 15–18; Deuteronomy 7:7–9

Key Idea: In the covenant relationship, God offers us abundant blessings. We honor this covenant throught the choices we make each day.

Throughout their Exodus journey, the Hebrews commited to covenant relationships with God, to life as a holy people. But, each time, they grew impatient and broke the relationships. Again and again, God renewed the covenant, extending grace and love to the people. Sound familiar? We are not unlike the Hebrews. We commit and fall short regularly. God's grace is always available to restore us. We work out our holiness in covenant with a steady, faithful God.

PW marketing associate Carissa Herold reflects below on choosing covenant, choosing holiness.—sjd

Choosing God

Janice Catron sums up lesson six, “Becoming a Holy People,” with a very thoughtful anecdote. “While traveling on a plane a few years ago, I sat next to a Jewish gentleman who observed kosher law. Through some mistake in the system, his meal was missing. As this was a long flight over lunchtime, I worried that he might be hungry, so offered to share my meal—‘If,’ I said, ‘there is anything here you are allowed to eat.’

“His answer was a theological education, all in itself. ‘I am free to eat anything, he replied, ‘I choose to eat only that which declares my loyalty to God’” (An Abiding Hope, p. 60).

Even in joy and love, let’s face it, choosing to become a holy people, is, well, sometimes inconvenient. Think of the staggering number of Sunday mornings, Wednesday night gatherings, Bible studies, devotions, Easter sunrise services, PW gatherings and Christmas pageants you have participated in, lead, attended, initiated. And since Presbyterian women are known the world over for always being first on the scene, ever ready to roll up our sleeves, I’m confident that you and your PW sisters have trod that extra kilometer through volunteering, staffing, supporting, and even founding, food banks, hospitals, seminaries and schools, and shelters; and bringing the good news to dark places such as detention centers, war zones and refugee camps.

But as the world increasingly clamors for our attention and promises a better (easier) way, staying true to our faith—declaring our loyalty to God day by day in the way that we understand (as encapsulated our dear PW Purpose)—can seem, even to the most cheerful and resilient, ever more outmoded in a world that offers a quick fix (or momentary distraction) with much less bother. Becoming a holy people, as one can observe in scripture and in our own lives, may seem at odds with our natural human inclinations and out of step with how the world thinks we should step.

Choosing Holiness

But becoming holy is ours to choose. Yes, the world offers an ever-increasing, almost dizzying array of choices. Here in the United States, one only has to visit the cereal aisle at the local grocery to prove my theory. Some choices are inconsequential (bran or oat) and many are consequential (health and family issues, end-of-life decisions). Not making a choice is a choice, too. Choices, made or disregarded, are ever present.

So how do we choose to be a holy people? Or perhaps more accurately, how do we not get distracted (or cave into an easier way) from honoring our God? Scripture makes it clear, as did the probably hungry traveler who chose to keep kosher, that God gave us instructions and happily/maddeningly, free will to respond or ignore these instructions and also the intellect to reinterpret how to live as we move away from the wilderness into a high-tech world. So how do we live our lives as holy people with instructions from such a distant time and place?

Thanks to this blog series, I can follow a thought from the study to where this thought naturally leads me. And that is why I am so grateful to have stumbled on two books written by two very thoughtful people who are grappling with the choice to observe Sabbath in this world of Sunday football practice and Thanksgiving Day shopping opportunities.

In the book, The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time, Judith Shulevitz provides a very interesting historical look at the Sabbath against her own deeply personal walk as she grapples with the meaning of Sabbath in this 24/7, secular world. She writes in the introduction: “If you view the stuff of everyday life as the raw material of Judaism, and its rules as a framing device, then you grasp something essential about the Sabbath: It is meant to turn the ordinary into the singular. A weekly house scrubbing, when done on Friday, becomes a way of making one’s home ready for God. A dinner party for family and neighbors attains the status of a royal banquet, welcoming home the Sabbath queen. To the mundane satisfaction that comes from cultivating good habits—cleanliness, organization, family togetherness—is added the sublime sense of rightness that comes from following God’s commandment” (p. xxiv).

Walter Brueggemann will soon release a book (February 2014), Sabbath as Resistance: Saying NO to the Culture of Now. In these pages (I have an uncorrected bound galley so do keep that in mind should this quotation differ from the actual printed book), he writes, “’No-Sabbath’ existence imagines getting through on our own, surrounded by commodities to accumulate and before which to bow down. But a commodity cannot hold one’s hand. … We may come to know, but likely not without Sabbath, a rest rooted in God’s own restfulness and extended to our neighbors who must rest. We, with our hurts, fears, and exhaustion, are left restless until then” (p. 89).

Living holy is a choice, a choice that honors God and, in turn and consequence, honors God’s people and creation. I am truly grateful for all of the Presbyterian women of faith who continue to choose to show up and live as a holy people, despite many pulls and distractions and unanswered questions.

—Carissa Herold

Until next time . . .

Hazel B. Sparks Receives Her Quilt!

Hazel B. Sparks of Clemson, SC (pictured). Hazel is 87 years young and is over the moon with excitement about winning the An Abiding Hope Quilt!

She is a lifelong Presbyterian and even went to high school and college at Montreat. She has served as president of the women of the church (and every other office), and is an Elder and still leads Bible studies! She is a member of Fort Hill Presbyterian Church in Clemson.

Congratulations again to Hazel B. Sparks and thanks to her daughter, Beth Sparks Batson, for sharing the above information with us!

Look Who Got Creative?!

Look who got creative? Carol Tigges from VA Beach! Carol worked all fall on creating this quilt using the quilt pattern found on the Horizons website at http://pcusa.org/horizons/ and took it to her PW Women's Christmas gathering on January 5th where it made its debut. The fabric-art quilt that originated with An Abiding Hope has a "Sister-Piece" sewn and quilted by Carol Tigges, PW Treasurer and Elder at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Princess Anne in VA Beach. Carol also presented a "Story Quilting" workshop at The 2010 Massanetta Synod of the Mid-Atlantic Summer Gathering. Thanks goes out to Ginny Sorrell for sharing Carol's lovely quilt with us.

The Official An Abiding Hope Quilt

Pictured is the official An Abiding Hope Quilt won this week by HAZEL B. SPARKS from Clemson, SC. Isn't it lovely?! If you are feeling creative and want to create your own An Abiding Hope quilt, go to http://horizons.pcusa.org/ and download the quilt pattern!

Winner of the An Abiding Hope Quilt

We have a winner! The drawing for the An Abiding Hope quilt was conducted on January 14, 2014 in the main office of Presbyterian Women, Inc. located in Louisville, KY. The winner is: HAZEL B. SPARKS from Clemson, SC! Check out the short movie to see the drawing take place and to hear Hazel's response when we notified her!

 

Lesson 5: God Provides

Exodus 15:22–18:27

Carissa Herold, PW marketing associate, offers these thoughts for Lesson 5.

With all due respect to all who do, I do not consider myself a collector. I do not seek out exotic stamps, or autographs from famous folk. I am not the curator of each first edition by my favorite author. Although I like these things, I do not search high and low for dancing resin raisins, nostalgic toys, comic books, trading cards, pottery or hymnals. And yet, despite my protestations to the contrary, I have amassed a lot of things. In fact, a quick glance to my windowsill and I see one collector’s tin, a dozen or so animal figurines, an angel, a smiling tear-shaped yellow doll (just give it a good pinch and it laughs!), a candle, a piggybank, and a basket bursting with greeting cards. Not a collector, indeed. In my defense, most of my happy collection is because people care about me and express their goodwill with cards and itsy bitsy glass and wooden creatures and coffee cups. But as I ponder my plenty, which goes well beyond my windowsill, I consider anew those who live as refugees in camps in faraway lands or, just three short blocks away, the men, women and children who have no place to call home except a shelter from 7 until 7. My ponderings on plenty and scarcity bring me to lesson five.

Lesson five begins with such an understated, quietly humorous, paragraph: “The last lesson ended with the single greatest event in the Hebrew people’s history: passing through the sea waters to safety under God’s power and guidance. Now we see that the people were barely past this experience when they began to complain.” (Let’s be honest, who among us cannot relate to the occasional lapse into petulance or dissatisfaction even during the rosiest of times?!) But when these newly freed people, who had probably experienced very few rosy days, complained of bitter water, God did not respond in anger but instead gave them sweetened water. And when the people fondly remembered the “fleshpots” and bread (Ex. 16:3) they were provided by their enslavers, while perhaps not fully allowing themselves to remember the true price they paid for these filling foods, God responded once again not with anger but with just enough food, not just for one day but just enough (and twice as much for the Sabbath!) for every day, day after day after day.

I had never connected the dots between Exodus’ manna story and the words “give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer until I read this lesson. “For Christians, the image of ‘bread from heaven’ (16:4) has remained a meaningful part of our tradition. For example, in the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray that God will ‘give us this day our daily bread’ (Mt. 6:11), we remember and re-experience God’s gracious gift of manna in the wilderness. We remember and celebrate that God provides for the physical and spiritual needs of the community of faith—and we trust that God will provide for us.” (page 49)

But a closer read of the scripture yields something very surprising to this blogger: God discourages hoarding and storing by turning sour any surplus manna. That must’ve been quite a lesson for these ancient people and, let’s face it, perhaps quite a lesson for us in this new world of ever so much stuff.

My takeaway is that we are to trust that God will provide sufficiently today and craving more than enough is not part of God’s plan for us or, let’s face it, our planet. “Give us this day our daily bread.” And although I like my things and do live in this place and time where the U.S. economy depends on things, for better or for worse, I trust that we can trust God’s astonishing benevolence in ensuring that there really is enough for everyone. Perhaps our job as people of faith is to remember those without access to partake of God’s intended abundance for everyone, while always staying mindful that hoarding and storing was discouraged in the wilderness.

 Until next time,

Carissa