Moses used to like messing with other peoples business. Meddling in other peoples’ lives, intervening. But “like” wasn’t the correct word, “compelled” was more like it.
He didn’t go looking for trouble, it just always seemed to find him, and before he could think better of it, he would get involved.
Once it meant killing a man who was brutalizing slaves.
He had to leave the country after that, Pharaoh had heard of the event and was after Moses. Moses was still hiding out from that.
Another time he helped a bunch of women get access to water when a band of shepherds kept running them off, hording the water. Fighting over water can get dangerous.
That time had worked out better, that was how he met his wife, Zipporah, they now had a child, Gershom.
Moses worked for his father-in- law now. Moses tended the flock of Jethro.
Moses would wander for weeks on end with his flock finding pasture for them far into the wilderness.
So much for meddling in other peoples affairs, so much for getting involved, now it was just him and some sheep in the middle of no where, hiding out, where no trouble could find him, life on his own terms.
But trouble found him anyway.
This time the trouble wasn’t with Pharaoh or some abusive slave holder, it wasn’t trouble with a band of outlaw shepherds hijacking the waterhole.
This time the trouble came from God.
It turns out Moses and God both share an affinity with meddling in other people’s affairs.
A burning bush that was not consumed, a voice calling out Moses name, holy ground, bared feet, a mission to deliver the people from Pharaoh’s hand, and the name, the name of the Holy One, I will be who I will be, He is what he is, I am what I am, the name that isn’t a proper name, the name that is kinetic, in motion, action, a verb.
God had heard the cry of agony of his people. God was getting involved.
So much for hiding out, trouble had found Moses, Moses was getting involved.
A world bound in chains, the God who sets the people free, the God who is known in freedom, who is known in the action of deliverance, of exodus.
The Gospel of freedom, the good news of deliverance, the God who gets involved in peoples business, what does this have to do with us today?
Are we hiding out?
Have we checked out?
Are we afraid to get involved in other peoples lives?
Are we in need of deliverance? Has ole Pharaoh shackled us in some way?
Do we hear the cry of agony from a world that is in chains?
Do we turn a deaf ear of resignation?
The Gospel of freedom, the good news of deliverance, the God who gets involved in peoples business, what does this have to do with us today?
What does the good news that God in Christ is setting the world free from the powers of Sin and Death have to do with us? What does this church, Grace Church, this part of the body of Christ, have to do the exodus to where all become free?
Will we as a parish continue to hear the voice from the burning bush calling out our name, calling us to get involved in the redemption of the world, setting the captives free?
The story of Moses comes to us with a serious challenge, to get involved in the world, because that is where the God whose name is a verb is known, known in the action of setting people free to be fully alive.
Grace Church is holy ground, this is where we gather, a sacred place where we are silent before the holy fire of God, to be sent forth over and over again, so that we may bring and be good news to a world that is tired of the same old news of not getting involved, of hiding out in distraction, of being resigned to the many petty and massive slaveries that reduce and mar the image of God, the same old news that always withers the glorious humanity we have been created to be.
We are called as a congregation to bring something different to the world, a word that is good, to look ole Pharaoh in the eye and say let my people go.
So much for hiding out. Trouble has found us. It is time to get involved.