The Other Six Days

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? Exodus 5:22

We live in a world that breeds discontent. We are bombarded with the message that to be happy we need more things, fewer wrinkles and better vacations. We also live in a world of sin, violence, sickness and death.

Jesus calls us to constant prayer (Luke 11:9-10), but what about our complaints?

James Tissot’s Moses and the Burning Bush

There are numerous biblical references to believers like Job, David and Moses complaining to God in the midst of their troubles and suffering. Despite his worries and doubts, Moses obeyed God. He fails in his first attempt to lead God’s people out of slavery, and things only get worse. Out of despair he complains to God. Is that a sign of discontent and a lack of faith? Or are complaints a part of a relationship with God?

Consider the Psalms of lament – prayers and songs that show us how to express our pain to God in a context of worship.

In these laments the authors pour out to God their sorrow (Psalm 137), anger (Psalm 140), fear (Psalm 69), confusion (Psalm 102), disappointment (Psalm 74), and depression (Psalm 88).

God anticipates that we will experience pain, so he gives us language to express it in prayer and worship. We can do this privately, like David did when he wrote Psalm 142 (1 Samuel 22), and we can do this corporately, like the people of Israel did when they sang Psalm 142.

Psalms of lament remind us that God does not expect for us to always experience prosperity. They also model for us how to complain in a way that honors God.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. – Hebrews 11:24-25

This Sunday Huntingtown United Methodist Church is beginning a church wide study on Moses: Following God into the Unfamiliar. Whenever I read stories about Moses, I can’t help but remember Ben Kingsley’s Moses, the animated Prince of Egypt, and The Ten Commandments, my favorite.

I grew up being fascinated by Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments every Easter. I still love it, even though it takes artistic license with the story, including Moses. Comparing and contrasting the Moses of the Bible with the Moses in the movie makes for some excellent table discussions Here are a few examples:

An Egyptian princess named Nefertari appears throughout the first half of the movie.  She and Moses have an interesting palace romance, but she does not appear in any Jewish literature. In Exodus, Moses gets married to Zipporah, a Midianite whom he saves by a well.

Charlton Heston was a classically-trained orator, but the Old Testament says that Moses had a speech impediment. This was one of his fears when God sent him back to Egypt. Moses had to relay all of his messages through his brother, Aaron.

In the movie Moses descends from the mountain with hair highlights from the Mount Sinai salon. There is no reference to Moses’ hair color, but we do read that his face glowed after being in the presence of God. It was scary enough that people kept their distance from him. 

Moses was a son of a Jewish slave growing up alongside Egyptian royalty. Maybe, like DeMille, I’m stretching my imagination to fill in some gaps, but I don’t think so. I imagine the younger Moses as a looked down upon outsider who lacked confidence and self esteem. He likely was educated and had military training and experience. Despite its artistic license, the The Ten Commandments does remind us that Moses’ upbringing in an Egyptian palace, good and bad experiences, prepared him for the calling he receives from God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

We are all unique, We have different perspectives, desires, and priorities. These can be beneficial to us, our congregation and our ministry teams. They can stimulate productive dialogue and encourage creativity. We can appreciate the diversity of God’s people. We can fellowship and serve with people who see things differently from us (Romans 14:1-13). Or they can produce unhealthy conflict.

Unhealthy conflicts in the church show us our need for God’s grace. The worst of human nature can emerge in our conflicts. Our broken humanity can contribute to, or be the source of conflict. We react, and devote energy into defending our position. As James 4:1-2 teaches, not all conflicts are beneficial. Sinful attitudes, motives, and behaviors lead to and grow out of conflict.

Unhealthy conflicts result in broken relationships and unconfessed sins. Dietrich Bonheoffer said that our life together as Christians involves our confession of sins to one another. Scripture urges us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Jesus urged taught his disciples to declare the good news of God’s forgiveness to one another (John 20:22-23). These can be powerful means of grace to those in need of healing consolation, and reconciliation.

God transforms us in our conflicts. Approach someone whose words and actions have offended us. Patiently listen and try to understand one another. Pray for and with one another. Do these with a genuine desire for healing and reconciliation. When we do these things we can be the mouthpiece of Christ, who alone can bind and loose our sins (Matthew 18:15-20). We will discover our own need for repentance and confession. Someone’s rough edges can serve as an unlikely means of our spiritual growth.

1. “…doing no harm, avoiding evil of every kind…”
2. “…doing good of every possible sort, and as far as possible to all.” 

The early Methodists were well known for small groups of people who helped one another grow in Christ, by offering one another encouragement and support. They were little churches, and their life together was guided by John Wesley’s General Rules. 

With the emphasis on the individual and the deterioration of community in the world, it is easy to see these simple rules as only applying to individuals. However, our personal relationship with Christ should always support the church family’s life together. The General Rules can help believers orient both their individual and corporate lives toward Christ.

Our need for community is constantly threatened by self-centeredness.  Churches have never been without controllers, dissenters, and faction builders.  The Church must take care that it is not killing community through divisiveness, pride, criticism, and selfishness.  Those who create such confusion in the body of  Christ should consider Wesley’s first General Rule to “do no harm.”

Just as the threat to community is self-centeredness, the vital builder of community is other-centeredness.  The second General Rule tells us to do every possible good to all persons.  Practical concern for the homeless, the orphan, the widow, and the social outcast exemplifies this principle.  This kind of corporate spirituality goes against our fallen instincts for isolation, self-gratification and control.  But the greatest experiences of joy take place when we are serving and sharing our lives with others.  Our personal relationship with Christ is expressed in the ways we love and serve the people around us.  

A congregation’s effectiveness depends on how clearly its members understand their purpose, and hold themselves accountable to that purpose.  By evaluating their work in light of the General Rules, they can measure their contribution to building the body of Christ and serving Christ in the world.  This corporate accountability would serve to keep the church’s work and the personal relationships of its members focused on its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. If we do not seek to walk as Jesus walked, we weaken and ultimately break our covenant relationship with God and with each other. 

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Isaiah 40:26

People have experienced Van Gogh’s Starry Night in different ways, so it has been interpreted in different ways. One interpretation suggests that the painting is related to Joseph’s (in the Old Testament) description of his dream that he shares with his jealous brothers: 

“Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Genesis 37:9

There are eleven stars in the painting, so maybe Van Gogh was thinking of Joseph’s 11 brothers as he painted. To his brothers, Joseph was a dreamer and an outcast and spent several years in prison. Van Gogh considered himself an outcast and dreamer in the world of art, and painted Starry Night from an asylum. Maybe he could relate to Joseph. 

Whether or not Starry Night is a direct reference to Joseph’s story, we can see contrast in both. The stars contrast with a gloomy village, the light contrasts with darkness, and hope contrasts with despair. Joseph provides an example of living in bright contrast during dark and difficult experiences. 

The church is a contrast society.  As individuals we can live in contrast to people who lack hope, understanding and joy. We can be that light on a stand (Matthew 5:13). As a church, we can live in contrast to the division, anger and isolation that are prevalent in the world. We can be that “town built on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). 

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6).

This may not be the most essential question, but it is a tough one. Pets are a part of the family, so losing one can be painful. If someone hopes to see their beloved pet again in heaven, I don’t want to squash their hope. Here are some thoughts from Scripture:

When God created the world, the creation of humans was unique from that of the animals. We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27). Humanity has a unique destiny. Jesus entered history as a human being, God’s message of salvation and eternal life is given to humans. At death, we reach complete holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1) and await the restoration of our bodies at the day of the Lord. When that day comes, we will reflect the image of our God with perfection. Animals are not described in the Bible as having unique thinking abilities that allow them have a personal relationship with God. Consider Psalm 32:9: “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” Still, I believe there will be animals will be in heaven:

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling^[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9.

It would be strange to use animals to illustrate future peace, even though animals will not be around in the end. It looks to me like animals are going to be around.

What about pets in heaven? We can only speculate. Heaven is a place where God intends for humanity to be fully happy: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). If a pet is essential for humanity’s happiness, I suspect pets will be there. That’s what I might say to a child who is devastated over their dog being hit by a car. Here’s a question worth asking, that isn’t just about pets in heaven: Does anything have such an important place in our hearts that we can’t be eternally happy without it?