08/04/2013 ~ Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 13 ~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Psalm 49:1-12; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21 ~ A Union Service with the First Baptist Church of Norwich, NY at the First Baptist Church of Norwich, NY ~ Note: the Reading Used at the Service Was the Entire Chapter of Exodus 3 ~ Note: References are Made to the Specific People Playing the Parts ~ Note: the Sermon (Play) Is Done Last in the Service of Worship, Followed by the Hymn When Israel Was in Egypt’s Land.
God of the Ancestors: a Screenplay, a Comedy, a Midrash
NARRATOR:
This play, God of the Ancestors, is a Comedy and a Midrash. It is also, actually, a screenplay, so a little audience participation is needed. We need you to participate with your imagination. We need you to hold an image in your mind’s eye of the time of Moses and the desert land of Midian. These images might be vividly represented on a movie screen, but we lacked the Cecil B. DeMille or even the Stephen Spielberg kind of budget necessary to put such an extravaganza together, so please imagine. The story we’ll explore is that of the burning bush, a reading you’ve just heard, and this play actually uses all the words found in the full text of the reading. In fact, this play is a type of literature which is quite ancient and is common in the Jewish tradition called Midrash. Midrash looks at what’s recorded in the Bible and asks ‘what might have happened, but got left out of the record?’ Midrash tries to fill in the blanks, tries to ask what was in between the words that were finally handed down to us. Midrash looks at what was left out in many different ways, sometimes with drama and sometimes with comedy. But it always looks at Scripture with a true sense of reverence. Indeed, the point is to help make Scripture more understandable and accessible. (Slight pause.)
So, on with the play. There are three characters. They are Miriam, the sister of Moses {and Janice Van Houten will be Miriam}. Then there is Moses {and The Rev. Mr. Joe Connolly will be Moses. I think he got that part just because he has a beard.} {And The Rev. Mr. David Spiegel will play Yahweh, God. Is that a promotion?} Oh, and one more thing. {I am, Ericka Tyler, your humble Narrator.} Since you just heard this reading from Scripture, you already realize this is largely a dialogue between God and Moses. Miriam is here to make comments. What else would a sister do? Now, the play imagines God and Moses as if they were two little old Jewish men who, together, own a small appliance store on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. And what might two little old Jewish men who own a small appliance store in the Lower East Side of Manhattan do? They argue. That’s what they do. On to the Play. Remember, we need your imagination to be at work, because this is movie. (Slight pause.)
The screen fades from black to the rising of the early morning sun. The sandstone hills of the land of Midian come into view. On the soundtrack a flute is heard playing music in a half tone scale, a psalm tone. The picture on the screen then cuts to the scorching mid-day sun. Noises from the sheep are heard and they are seen being moved forward by a lone shepherd. We follow the shepherd scampering over rocks and crevices as he moves his flock along. A voice is heard speaking directly to the audience. It’s Miriam, the sister of Moses. When Miriam is speaking sometimes she appears in the frame of the picture with the action in the background, sometimes she is just heard in voice over. When she appears on screen, she is never recognized as being present by Moses because he can’t see her. Only we, the audience can see her. One more thing, and again you need to use your imagination: Moses and Miriam are dressed in clothes appropriate to their station in the year 1250 Before the Common Era.
MIRIAM:
My name is Miriam. Moses is my brother. You know? Moses? The one in the song. (She starts to sing) Go down, Moses / Way down to Egypt’s land, / Tell old Pharaoh, / To let my people go.
NARRATOR:
Seeming a little flustered, she says:
MIRIAM:
Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes I get carried away with singing.
NARRATOR:
She composes herself.
MIRIAM:
Let me continue. As it says in our Scripture, in fear Moses was forced to flee the land where his people were held captive, Egypt. But he has done well for himself. He has married Zipporah, and has a son, Gershom. But the people of Moses, the Hebrews, suffered greatly under the Pharaoh, and God took notice. Moses, even though he may not have wanted to, was to become the servant of the God, the instrument of God, the chosen of God. This is the true story of how that happened. It’s all here. Not one word has been changed or left out.
NARRATOR:
From the lighting and the angle of the sun, we can tell that it’s now late afternoon. Moses is scooping water into his hands and drinking from a pool. The sheep are all around him.
MIRIAM:
At this time Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
NARRATOR:
The camera cuts to a blazing bush and back to the astonished face of Moses.
MIRIAM:
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; Moses looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said,
NARRATOR:
The camera focuses on the face of Moses. We see fear, pain and wonderment as Moses speaks.
MOSES:
I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.
MIRIAM:
When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called him out of the bush,
NARRATOR:
The camera focuses on the depths of the bush, on the flames which burn many colors from red to blue to white and back. A voice speaks:
YAHWEH:
Moses, Moses!
MOSES:
Here I am.
YAHWEH:
Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place you are standing is holy ground.
MOSES:
Holy ground?
YAHWEH:
The holiest. Besides, I just planted some grass seed right where you’re standing. If you tramp on it with those sandals, the seedlings will never have a chance. They will never come up. You must nurture them and give them a chance. They will have a much better chance if you’re in your bare feet.
NARRATOR:
Moses complies with this request, scampering to a different location. Suddenly realizing he is in the presence of God, he quickly lies prostrate with his face to the ground.
YAHWEH:
Moses, stand up. I want to talk to you. I like to see people’s eyes when I talk to them. They’re the window of the soul, you know.
NARRATOR:
Moses stands up.
MOSES:
I’m curious. Is there really enough water up here to grow grass?
YAHWEH:
I work at it. Besides, I import my own rain. I am, after all, the God of all things. I am the God of the clouds, the earth, the sea, even the grass. I am the God who nurtures.
MOSES:
Yes, but you bring water? Up here? To water the grass?
YAHWEH:
You’re a strange man, Moses. You want to know if I can get water up here, but you have no curiosity about how this bush burns, but is not consumed.
MOSES:
I presumed you had your special effects person rig it up.
YAHWEH:
Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses. I am sovereign over all things. You want to know how this works?
MOSES:
No, it works. That’s all right by me. That’s all I need to know.
YAHWEH:
I’ll tell you how it works. I make it work; that’s how it works!
MOSES:
I’m glad we got that detail straight.
YAHWEH:
Moses, you don’t understand. I am God. Others have gods. Other nations have their gods. It will ever be thus, but I am God above all.
MOSES:
Yes, but who, exactly, are you anyway? For instance: do we have mutual acquaintances? You know, like my aunt Sally who knows anyone worth knowing. She’s a real Yenta. Or maybe my Uncle Hiram. He’s a schlemiel, but I like him. Do I know anybody that you know?
MIRIAM:
God was clearly not please with this line of questioning.
YAHWEH:
(STAGE DIRECTION THE FOR ACTOR: Throughout this next speech the voice of God picks up speed and gets louder.) Moses! I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Abraham whom obeyed me in faith when I told him to take his possessions and leave his father’s house, Abraham who I promised to make a great nation, whose descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham who accepted my word and packed his family and crossed the desert to Shechem. I am the God who kept my promise by giving Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, in their old age. I am the God of your father, the God of Isaac, the boy named laughter, the boy who grew and I blessed because he trusted in me and I am the God of your father, the God of Jacob— Jacob, the conniver, Jacob the schemer, Jacob who would wrestle, who would strive with me! Moses! I am the God of the Ancestors. I am the God of your ancestors. I am the God of the covenant.
NARRATOR:
The camera, which has been concentrating on the bush during this speech, cuts to Moses who is cowering.
MIRIAM:
And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
YAHWEH:
It’s all right, already, Moses. Look at me. Don’t look away. This may not be exactly a face to face meeting, that’s maybe for later, maybe not, but know that I am compassionate. Know that I love you greater than any other. Know that I will not ask of you that which you cannot do. Know that I loved your ancestors, Abraham and Sarah— know that I loved your ancestors, Isaac and Rebekah— and know that I loved your ancestors, Jacob and Rachel. Know that I love my people.
NARRATOR:
Slowly, with each successive statement, Moses has stood up straighter and straighter.
MIRIAM:
Then the LORD said,
YAHWEH:
I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings,
MOSES:
Hold on a cotton picking minute. How could you know about the sufferings of your people? Where were you when we needed you? You were hanging out on this mountain, that’s where you were, and your people are back in Egypt! Enslaved! I was there! I know!
YAHWEH:
What do you think? Do you think there’s a giant ball and chain tying me to this mountain? Do you think I haven’t been there, in Egypt? I’ve even been to downtown Memphis at rush hour! So many chariots! And going so fast! And traffic laws— they never heard of traffic laws! If you’re not careful, you could get killed in a place like that! How dare you question me? Because I do know what’s going on down there! I am a God of the oppressed! I am a God of justice. I am a deliverer of the persecuted! It is this very oppression which cries out to me and says I should come down off this mountain, for crying out loud! I’ll tell you what else, already! I have and I will come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amoreites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
MOSES:
Easy for you to say!
YAHWEH:
(Calmer, slower.) You know, Moses, You’ve got a lot of chutzpah. You’ve got a lot of guts, questioning me like that. I like you. You’re a real mensch, a person— you know what I mean?
MOSES:
Oh, thank you. So, you’re saying you understand the plight of your people? You’re saying you’ll do something about it?
YAHWEH:
Moses, you may be a mensch, but you can be dense, too. I just said it, didn’t I? The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. I don’t think you quite understand what I’m getting at, though. It isn’t just that I will do something about it. We’ll do something about it, together. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.
MOSES:
Say what?
YAHWEH:
You should use a ‘Q’-tip on those ears, my friend. It improves the hearing. What I said was ‘Do I have a deal for you!’
MOSES:
Deals? Why should I want a deal? What is this? A game show? What is this? Are we going into business together? Are we opening a small appliance store together? So, it’s deals, you offer. Who needs them?
YAHWEH:
You’re right. I don’t make bargains. Covenants, yes. Deals, no. Covenants are deeper, bigger, wider, broader, richer than deals, you know. Covenants are based on trust. Deals... deals are based on tit for tat. So... I am the God of the covenant. I don’t make deals. Tag you’re it.
MOSES:
What? What does this mean ‘Tag, I’m it?’
YAHWEH:
You have just won an all expense paid trip to glorious Egypt! The land of the Pharaohs! Land of the pyramids! Bring your sun tan lotion; it’s always sunny and 112 degrees in the shade! You, my friend, will get to go down to Egypt and bring my people out, and free them from their suffering. Any sand you want to take out of Egypt with you is free of charge, but you will be liable to pay all federal excise taxes. And thank you for being a contestant on This is Your Desert!
MOSES:
What? Now wait a minute
NARRATOR:
Miriam enters the camera frame again and comments.
MIRIAM:
Moses and God went at it for quite some time, back and forth and back and forth with each other before Moses finally said to God...
MOSES:
Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
YAHWEH:
Who are you? I’ll tell you who you are. You’re Moses, that’s who you are.
MOSES:
Tell me something I don’t know.
YAHWEH:
Look, I’m sending you there. What are you? Mashugga? Crazy? You can’t say ‘no.’ I’m God. You’re Moses. That’s all you need to know. Case closed.
MOSES:
And that you are God counts for what when I go to the Hebrews? That counts for bupkis, nothing, zero, zilch! I can see it now. I go to the Hebrews and I say, ‘Hello, I’m Moses. God sent me.’ Right? Of course, right! Next thing they’ll bring me to a psychiatrist. ‘Have you been hearing voices lately? Have you been seeing visions lately?’ Oy! I can see it now. ‘How long did the bush burn without being consumed, Moses?’ Just come over here to this door. It’s a nice padded room. You’ll get you’re three square meals a day and you won’t have to worry!’ Oy, Vey! How did I get into this?! How does the saying go? With friends like this...?!
YAHWEH:
(Shouting.) Would you calm down! Enough already!
MIRIAM:
Finally, when Moses was calm, Yahweh said,
YAHWEH:
(Calmly.) Look, I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.
MOSES:
And what’s so special about this mountain. Maybe if I bring them out, I’ll just look for any mountain. Maybe we could go here, maybe we could go there. I hear Miami Beach is too hot this time of year, so that’s out. Maybe we could just have a short picnic, then we’ll go right back to Egypt where it’s safe. I’m sure the Pharaoh would like that much better. He can be a mean cuss, you know. I wouldn’t want to have him angry with me. All those soldiers and chariots...
YAHWEH:
Moses!
MOSES:
(Resigned.) I know. I know. Go down. Bring back. This mountain. You are the sovereign one. No earthly ruler is sovereign. I understand.
YAHWEH:
Moses, I like you. You’re a quick learner. This will work out just fine.
MIRIAM:
Moses then realized he had forgotten some important details. So, Moses said to God,
MOSES:
If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them? That’s a fair question, don’t you think? I mean, it’s all right that I tell them that you’re the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel, but that’s not really enough. It’s not a name. Everybody has a name... some kind of name. I can’t say to them ‘What-cha-ma-call-it sent me.’ They’ll say, ‘Yeah. And who’s on first, what’s on second.’
MIRIAM:
Once again God and Moses went back and forth. Friendship happened between them very quickly. When people become good friends, it often happens quickly. And by this time they were really the best of friends. Moses knew God intimately. And vice-versa. Only the best of friends could talk to each other like this. They argued, they hassled, they compromised, they schmouzed. They had a great time. And, of course, they had still more discussion about the name. Finally God said to Moses,
YAHWEH:
I AM WHO I AM.
MOSES:
Well, that’s good. I’m glad we got that straight. You are who you are. But what’s your name.
YAHWEH:
What is not my name. I AM WHO I AM.
MOSES:
No, no, no. You don’t really understand. I need to know your name.
YAHWEH:
I AM WHO I AM.
MOSES:
No, no, no. You don’t really understand. I asked who you were. You keep saying, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ I can’t go telling people that. They’ll say, ‘So what?’ ‘What does that mean?’ You gotta give me more than that to go on.
MIRIAM:
But God was insistent about what name God should be called. Indeed, God said further, thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’
MOSES:
So, what does this mean? Does this mean I’m going to Egypt and I’m talking double talk to the Hebrews and to the most powerful king on earth, and he’s going to do what I ask?
YAHWEH:
Moses.... I am a God who acts. I am a God who is in relationship with people in their lives. I am a God who acts in history. I am a God who is present. My name indicates this. I am not only a form of the word which means being. I am the acting form of actual be-ing.
MOSES:
This I understand, and this I honor. But how am I, how can I say this to your people so they will understand? ‘I am who I am’ just isn’t enough!
MIRIAM:
Perhaps the plea of Moses for more was heard, because then God said to Moses,
YAHWEH:
Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this is my title for all generations.
MOSES:
And they will understand?
YAHWEH:
They will understand. (Slight pause.) Well, probably.
MOSES:
We can only hope.
MIRIAM:
God further said to Moses:
YAHWEH:
Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’
MOSES:
I like that ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ part. It has a nice ring to it. Like an advertising slogan. Or perhaps a song title. Maybe that will be enough to sell them on the idea. Did you ever think about giving up this management gig and going into advertising?
MIRIAM:
If Moses could have seen the face of Yahweh, which, of course, Moses could not, Yahweh would have been glowering. Yahweh then said,
YAHWEH:
They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
MOSES:
Now wait a minute. I told you that this Pharaoh guy is a bad dude. I don’t think he’ll let us do that— leave Egypt, go sacrifice.
MIRIAM:
And Yahweh agreed and said:
YAHWEH:
I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.
MOSES:
Finally we agree on something! So what did I tell you, already? How are you going to handle this?
YAHWEH:
I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go.
MOSES:
You would help me like that?
YAHWEH:
I will bring this people into such favor with the Egyptians that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed; each woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman living in the neighbor’s house for jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; and so you shall plunder the Egyptians.
MIRIAM:
All of this promised at once was clearly too much for Moses to take in, too much for Moses to process at one time, because Moses seemed to backtrack to something which had already been discussed and said,
MOSES:
But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’
MIRIAM:
Repeating himself was only one of the annoying habits of Moses. My brother even got on my nerves sometimes. You had to ask him a hundred times, you had to ask him a thousand times, and then you had to show him. God is not like that, not like Moses. God hears. With God there is a relationship. Sometimes you get what you’d like, but sometimes God thinks that what you’d like is not so good for you, and you don’t get that. But God always hears. (Slight pause.) I am always surprised with the patience of God. Especially with someone like my brother. Moses was such a pain. Imagine someone like Moses bothering you? Imagine asking a question like ‘suppose the Israelites do not listen?’ after going over it a hundred times. As if further proof was needed about the sovereignty of God, the LORD said to Moses,
YAHWEH:
What is that in your hand?
NARRATOR:
Moses is seen holding his staff above his head.
MOSES:
A staff.
YAHWEH:
Throw it on the ground.
MIRIAM:
So Moses threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it.
NARRATOR:
Moses is seen beating a hasty retreat from the snake.
MOSES:
Would you stop it, already! I hate snakes! Yuck!
MIRIAM:
Then the LORD said to Moses,
YAHWEH:
Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail.
MOSES:
I told you! I hate snakes.
YAHWEH:
Do it, already!
MIRIAM:
So Moses reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand. This took a lot of courage on the part of Moses, since he did hate snakes. Perhaps the fact that he picked up the snake by the tail showed how much trust he had in God. Trust is important in a relationship with God.
YAHWEH:
This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel, has appeared to you.
MOSES:
Yes, but snakes, snakes— what could be worse than snakes? Did you have to choose snakes? I hate snakes!
MIRIAM:
Again, the LORD said to him,
YAHWEH:
Put your hand inside your cloak.
MOSES:
Oh, no. What now?
MIRIAM:
He put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
MOSES:
Don’t do this to me! I don’t like this.
MIRIAM:
Then God said,
YAHWEH:
Put your hand back into your cloak—
MIRIAM:
So he put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his body—
MOSES:
Oy! That’s a relief. For a minute there, I thought I was going to need a dermatologist. My brother-in-law wanted to be one but flunked out of medical school. But, really, you don’t seem understand what I am getting at. I believe. It’s the Israelites I’m worried about.
YAHWEH:
If they will not believe you or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or heed you, you shall take some water from the Nile and poor it on the dry ground; and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.
MOSES:
I’m not sure I’m ready for this.
MIRIAM:
Moses had this problem. No ambition. At least that’s what I think. He did not want to do any of this in the worst way. He knew he had to, and looked for any way out, any excuse to avoid this responsibility; so Moses said to the LORD,
MOSES:
O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; I am slow at speech and slow of tongue.
MIRIAM:
He was right on that count. A talker, he wasn’t. He tried three times to ask his girlfriend to his high school prom before he worked up the right language and the courage and got it done! Then the LORD said to him,
YAHWEH:
Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.
MIRIAM:
God is the one from whom all blessings, indeed, all knowledge flows. Our Hebrew word for knowledge is: yada. But it’s more than simple knowledge. All our talent, all that we are flows from God. And yada is more, even, than that. It’s intimate knowledge, knowledge of the LORD, understanding born of relationship, understanding born of experience. Well, back to Moses. Moses was still stubborn about speaking, and he said,
MOSES:
O my Lord, please send someone else.
MIRIAM:
Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said,
YAHWEH:
What of your brother Aaron, the Levite?
MOSES:
Aaron? I never thought about Aaron.
YAHWEH:
I know that he can speak fluently;
MOSES:
He’s always been a talker. And charm! He could charm the flies off a camel!
YAHWEH:
Even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad.
MOSES:
Glad? Of course glad. I’m his brother. Besides, I’m the one he comes to when he needs to borrow something. That reminds me— I think he still has my lawn mower.
YAHWEH:
You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
MOSES:
What a relief. Now he’ll have the speaking part and I’ll just be an extra. I can stay in the background.
YAHWEH:
I don’t think so. You’ll still have the lead part in this play. But he, indeed, will speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. Now, take in your hands this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.
MOSES:
I’m still not sure I trust this staff. It was a snake a couple of minutes ago, you know.
NARRATOR:
Moses gingerly retrieved the staff and shakes it a couple of times.
MOSES:
Hmmm... seems as good as new. Well, anyway, what a relief it will be to have Aaron. I thought I was going to do all this myself. Let me off the hook, finally. Yes? You know, this is worse than a final exam at schul.
YAHWEH:
Moses, I don’t think you get it yet. You’ve not been let off the hook and I’m not letting you off the hook. That’s not where I’m coming from. I am God. You are not. I have steadfast love (or as we say in Hebrew) hesed, for you and my people. I will not fail you. I will be with you. I will be with my people.
MIRIAM:
And so, this how the first encounter of Moses and God ended. There were to be many more. They were to be faithful in this relationship. You can read all about it in the Bible. But this incident is where it started. And it seems impossible, doesn’t it— the divine and the human working together? Divine grace, human response— without this the liberation of God’s people would not have been possible. Yes, Yahweh is a God of justice who is a champion of all oppressed people. I think that God was willing to act in our lives, that God was willing to anoint one of us, that God was willing to be in relationship with us, is the point of this encounter. That Moses responded shows us there is the possibility of a relationship with God, a relationship of which each of us is capable. And we can encounter God in our lives everyday. The confrontation of the burning bush may seem dramatic, but each encounter we have with God, each experience we have in life is equally important, if we remember the presence of God. When we encounter God in strangers we meet, when we encounter God in our enemies, when we encounter God in our neighbors, when we encounter God in our friends, when we encounter God in our family, when we encounter God in all these, then we encounter God just as plainly as did Moses. God told us about the truth of encountering God. God told us about the truth of this when God gave us the Torah. And God gave us the law when we finally returned to the mountain, under the guidance of Moses to worship God. Everything is there in the Torah. (Pause.) And what is in the Torah? Love God. Love neighbor. Do all the things in the Torah because you love God. And what of Moses? Never since has a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, arisen in Israel.
NARRATOR:
On the screen we see the setting sun. The lone figure of the shepherd, Moses, surrounded by sheep, is seen walking down the slopes of the sandstone hills. A flute is heard playing in a half tone scale, a psalm tone. The screen fades to black as the words “The End” come into focus.
