Despite the joy with which the Israelites were brought out of Egypt, the passage in Exodus is full of “murmuring”. Sue Dudoward pointed out that ‘selective memories’ are part of our ongoing relationship with God, just as they were for the Israelites. She related it to a child who has grown past the terrible twos and is now running away from its parents to explore things, but periodically runs back to re-establish security. The Song of Miriam (as Exodus 15 is known) is not so much a song at all as a prophecy for Israel’s future. Sue presented God as warrior and champion of the Israelites, using nature and miracles to achieve His ends. When Israel grumbled about not having meat to eat in the desert, God gave manna, but only for each day. Israel grumbled for lack of water - God answered. The Israelites themselves were not warriors, not even when they defeated the Amalekites - God carried the battle as long as Moses’ arms were raised. Sue quoted Howard Yoder: “Exodus is a particular form of withdrawal into necessity. It is not a paradigm for how all…groups with all…values can attain all types of salvation.” Israel was leaving the security of enslavement for the responsibility for self, and its story is central to Jewish theology and Christian history – miracles upon miracles emphasize their (and our) reliance on God. Sue pointed out in John 6:32-40 that Jesus himself did not miss the centrality of this story. Here, in face of grumbling from the people, Jesus points out that just as Moses did not give manna to the Israelites but rather God gave the manna, so it is not Joseph and Mary’s son who gives the bread of life to us, but Jesus, through God the Father. [AP]

Passage: Exodus 15-17
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Sue Dudoward
Worship Leader: Vange Thiessen
Song Leader: Erna Friesen
Pianist: Ruth Enns
Usher:
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader:

Bring Flowers: Betty Funk
Coffee Helper: Helga & Peter Neudorf; Steve Krehbiel, Harold Neufeldt
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: Charmaine Wiens