December 8, 2016 – 16 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the Passover of the LORD. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.” Exodus 12:1-12

We all need a toilet covering that dresses up the porcelain as a reindeer, right? Haven’t you always wished you could show your neighbors and friends your reindeer toilet? I know the answers to these questions – no and no. I am certain I do not want a pair of eyes watching me in the bathroom – fake or not. I want my toilet to be an anonymous piece of porcelain.

Why are those who are hungry, thirsty, naked and in need seemingly anonymous in our community? How do they remain so hidden from us – or why do we seem to pass over them as we live our lives? Are there ways we can feed, clothe, care for, and visit these people in need in new and exciting ways? We have so many good ministries in our church, yet we cannot become complacent in the calling that this text presents to us. How can we expand our ministries to those outside of the Lemoyne area? How can we expand our concept and understanding of who our neighbor is?

Moses was forced to look beyond his own situation, happy as he was living his life as a shepherd and trying to remain anonymous. But G-d needed him to expand understanding of himself and to expand his idea of how he was to serve G-d. Moses was forced to understand that his “family” was more than just those whom he knew – his “family” was an entire people in need. As people of G-d we should always try to understand who it is we are passing over – who we should be offering ministries and how we can serve others.

Pastor Dave