Author: Japanese Congregational Church

Exodus 20:1-17

The LORD comes down to Mt. Sinai to talk with Moses in front of the people. This was so that the people will see and hear for themselves that Moses does converse with God and when Moses brings a message from God, the people can have confidence that it really is from God and Moses is not making it up.

After this, God calls Moses up to the mountain and gives the Ten Commandments.

It is interesting that what the Jews consider as the Ten Commandments differ from Christians. The Jews consider “I am the LORD your God” as the first commandment, while Christians consider it as a statement. Christians split “coveting” into wife and goods, while the Jews do not include coveting, since they view it as already having been covered by the commands against adultery and stealing.

I am the LORD your God (20:1-2). It is important to note that these laws come directly from God. It did not arise from needs, like human laws. It is also of note that God already identifies Israel as His, which means that this is not something that the people have to follow to have the LORD as God. Instead, it signifies how God expects His people to live their lives, because they are the people of God.

You shall have no other gods before me (20:3). There should not be anything that we put above God. It means to fear, love and trust in God above all things.

You shall not make for yourself an idol (20:4-6). We are not to make or possess any physical representation of God or have anything to worship instead of God.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD (20:7). Treat God’s name with reverence and avoid using it casually or disrespectfully, or in a way that brings dishonor to His name. What we do in the name of God should bring honor to God.

Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy (20:8-11). People are not to live as if all time were their own to do with as they please. We should take time out from worldly pursuits to worship as a community of God.

Honor your father and mother (20:12). Respecting parents and family relationships.

You shall not kill (20:13). We are to value life and acknowledge that it is God who should decide life and death.

You shall not commit adultery (20:14). To take seriously the sanctity of a marriage relationship.

You shall not steal (20:15). Respecting others’ property, rights, time, etc.

You shall not bear false witness (20:16). This has roots in the justice system, since the testimony of a witness is an important part, and if lies and falsehoods are presented as truths, then it unravels the whole system.

You shall not covet (20:17). Coveting implies that one is not satisfied with what has been given to us. We are not to want others’ spouse or possessions. This is the one command that goes to the heart of a person. Not only that, but it is also a warning that our inner covetousness can lead to sinful action, as well as having negative impact on others.

We should be aware that these were the basis of how God expected His people to live. The application of it went much wider. For example, Exodus 23:4 – When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. This is an extrapolation of the command to not steal. One is to respect others’ property, so one should not only not steal it, but also respect the others’ ownership.

Are we still under the Ten Commandments? Not in the sense that we must keep them for us to secure salvation. However, since these are God’s expectations of how His people should live, we should follow them.

Jesus even internalized them for us. He taught that we are committing murder in our hearts by just wishing harm to others or calling them names. He taught that we are committing adultery just by looking at someone with lust. This makes it much harder to be in compliance than the original version of the Ten Commandments.

How then are we to live as people of God? Jesus has the answer. When asked which is the greatest commandment, He responded in Matthew 22:37-40:  ³⁷He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus is telling us that all God’s commandments can be summarized as love God and love others. This means showing love and acting out of love towards others – Even those who we do not like or those who we consider as enemies.

We know that this is not an easy thing to do, but God expects us to show love to all the people we encounter. We are not capable of doing this, but the Holy Spirit can provide us the love sufficient to do so. God is love and we, as His children, are to act out of love always.

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on August 18, 2024.)

Exodus 19:10-25

After the LORD gave them military victory over Amalek, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro visits Moses. Seeing that Moses was overtasked with the people’s need for a judge, he suggests that they appoint wise men to act as judges so that they could take most of the burden away from Moses. They would handle the routine/simple cases, while Moses handled only the hard cases.

Three months after leaving Egypt, they arrive at Sinai. Moses goes up the mountain to meet with God. The LORD instructs Moses to remind the people of the powerful things He did to the Egyptians, and if the people are willing to obey His voice and keep His covenant, He will be their God. The people agree and Moses informs God of their decision.

God required the people to be consecrated before He would come to them. Consecration is the process of setting apart someone or something for sacred purposes. For two days they were to wash their clothes and stay away from sexual relations. On the third day, the LORD will come down to the people. They were not to touch the mountain itself and if anyone did, they would die. So, the people consecrated themselves in preparation for the LORD’s arrival on the third day.

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, and the top of the mountain was covered in a thick cloud. There was a loud trumpet sound, and the people trembled. The people stood at the foot of the mountain. The Lord came down to the top of the mountain and the mountain was covered in smoke and the whole mountain shook violently. Then as people watched and listened, Moses would speak to God and God would answer.

We are told that the purpose for God’s visit was not to meet and speak with the people. God does not speak to the people – He speaks only with Moses. So, what was this all about? In verse 9, God gives us the reason for this assembly – “in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after.”

God reminds the people of His power through the earthquake, smoke and thunder. Then He has a conversation with Moses in front of the people so that they can see that there is a special relationship between Moses and God, and so when Moses tells them that “this is what God says,” the people will believe that that is the case.

For the rest of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and until the tenth chapter of Numbers, the people will stay at Sinai. They will learn what Got requires of them. One of them is the tabernacle, kind of a mobile temple which will remind the Israelites that God is with them. The ark of the covenant would be placed inside, covered with a shroud. Once they settle into the promised land then the temple will be built in Jerusalem and will replace the tabernacle. The most sacred place inside would be called the “holy of holies” and none would be allowed to enter except a high priest and only once per year.

In this narrative, all of Mt. Sinai is treated as if it were the holy of holies, with no one allowed to touch it without God’s invitation. The punishment for touching the mountain is death. However, it is not the case that anyone (or any animal) that touches the mountain will automatically die – They are to be executed from a distance – By either stoning or shot by arrows. So, we see the continuing mode that when God deals with people, instead of doing all by Himself, God relies on people to do their part.

Intimacy with God was not readily available to the Israelites. The gospel according to Matthew tells us that at the moment of Christ’s death, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom. Many interpret this as meaning that the barrier to intimacy with God has been taken away and now is available to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

Consecration was part of the preparation needed to get ready to meet God, and it was taken seriously by the Israelites, since God took it seriously. We no longer have to consecrate ourselves for two days before meeting God, thanks to the work Christ did for us on the cross. We can be consecrated simply by accepting Christ as our savior. Baptism is an important ritual for believers because it signifies that we are willing to be consecrated – To be set apart to do the works for which God created us.

“Sunday best” means to dress up in the most formal clothing that we own – To look our best. Its origin comes from the practice of putting on our best clothes to go to church on Sundays. Some of us older folks probably remember our parents dressing up and telling us to put good clothes on to go to church. The understanding was to prepare ourselves to go worship God – Sort of like a consecration. This started to change in the 1970s and now, most churches prefer a more casual and relaxed approach. We emphasize more the accessibility of God and “you can come as you are” philosophy.

Is there anything we should do in preparation to come worship God? There probably is at least one thing. The Bible teaches us that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask Him to forgive our sins, He will.  Not only will He forgive all our sins, but He will also give us salvation, which means eternal life. But this does not mean that we stop sinning. In fact, John tells us in his first letter that we are lying if we say we have not sinned, and writes that if we confess our sins, the Lord will forgive us.

In some of the more formal churches, confession of sins was part of the order of service every Sunday. Even if it is not part of the church service, it probably is good practice for each of us to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness before we sit down to worship God. If we look back on the past week, we probably can think of times that we did something that was not pleasing to God or did not do something He would have wanted us to do. If nothing comes to mind, we might pray that the Holy Spirit will make apparent what we did or did not do, or simply pray that we would be forgiven for sins of which we may not be aware.

Thanks to what Jesus did on the cross, we do not have to go through elaborate rituals to meet with God. Nor do we have to approach Him with fear and trembling. However, it is good not to forget that the God we worship is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe. But it is also important for us to be reminded that this great God also loves us enough to send His son to die on the cross for us. And because of that, we now have ready access to the holy God of Israel.

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during worship on August 11, 2024.)

Exodus 17:1-16

When the Israelites moved into the wilderness of Sin and they needed food, the LORD provided quail in the evening and manna in the morning.

They are on the move again… and again, they need water, and the people complain. This time the LORD commands Moses to use the staff with which he struck the waters of the Nile and strike a rock with it.  Water comes out and the people drink.

Then Amalek attacks. Moses puts Joshua in charge of the fighting while Moses stands on top of a hill with his staff. It soon becomes obvious that when Moses is holding the staff up, Joshua and his men have the advantage but when Moses’ arms get tired and the staff comes down, then Joshua and his men start to lose. So, they set up a rock for Moses to sit on and Aaron and Hur stood on each side holding Moses’ arms in the up position. Joshua comes out victorious.

The LORD commands Moses to record all that happened in a book and then recite it in the hearing of Joshua. This was so Joshua would know that the reason he was victorious was because the LORD was fighting for him.

Since Israel was just recently freed from slavery, and since there was no way that Egypt would equip and teach their slaves to fight, we might question whether they were equipped to do battle. Apparently when they left Egypt, along with other goods, they were given battle gear since Exodus 13:18 tells us that, “The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.” But even if they had weapons, they were not trained to be warriors. So, the LORD fights the battle for them. But just like before, the LORD also is working through the people, rather than doing everything by Himself. Joshua and the men must be willing to go into battle, even though they do not know how to be an army yet. Moses, Aaron and Hur must make sure that the staff is held high. The people do what they are told to do, and God works through them.

It is the same with bringing water from the rock. God works His power through the obedience of Moses. Moses must have faith in what God promised – that water would come out if he did what was commanded and strike the rock. God works through Moses to bring forth water.

The LORD sent Moses to Egypt so that the Israelites could be freed from slavery and travel to the promised land which was flowing with milk and honey. This was part of the promise that God made to Abraham – That even though Abraham was old and without a child, if he would leave his home and go where God led him, he would become the father of a great nation that would become a blessing to the whole world.

Israel has not yet reached the promised land, so they are in the wilderness. God’s promise has been partially fulfilled with freedom from slavery, but they are still on their way to their destination so a big part of God’s promise is still unfulfilled. God has shown them grace and has provided for their need for food and water, as well as protection from an enemy army. At the same time, it has not been easy. They must march through inhospitable lands, taste hunger, thirst and fear. God is with them providing for their needs, but they too must do their part in following the lead of Moses, who in turn is being led by the LORD.

These wilderness stories are about a people stuck between promise and fulfillment. And when one realizes that fulfillment is not just days away but maybe months and years away, it is easy to lose one’s anchor in God’s promises. God leads but does not coerce. Where God leads may not be an oasis or free of danger, and there is always a choice to disobey. With all of the complaining that Israel does, they are still obedient to God’s leading through Moses – They are marching in the direction to which God is leading.

It would be easy to dismiss the “water from rock” episode simply as another example of the people complaining about thirst and God providing water. But it is interesting that both Deuteronomy 6:16 and Psalm 95:8-9 explicitly point out this episode as an example of what not to do – To test God.

So, what does it mean to test God? Is it simply complaining or questioning, “Is the LORD among us or not?” as the Israelites did in verse 7? Testing has to do with “putting God to the proof” – Seeking a way in which God can be coerced to act or show Himself.

One of the three temptations that Satan tried on Jesus was for Jesus to jump off the top of the temple for force God to miraculously intervene. Jesus’ response to that was, “It is said, ‘Do not put the LORD your God to the test.’”

In essence, testing God is any attempt to turn faith into sight.

It is important for us to keep in mind that salvation comes by faith, and we are to live our lives in faith. Like Israel in this morning’s passage, we too are in between promise and fulfillment. Some of God’s promises have come true in our lives, but much is still to come. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our sins have been forgiven and eternal life with God and other believers is assured. However, we still must go through the wilderness and experience hunger, thirst, fear, sadness, sickness, old age and death. God is with us and will provide for us and lead us through the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean that we will go from oasis to oasis until we reach our eternal destiny. In those hard times that our faith is tested, let us not test God.

In Massah/Meribah, the Israelites tested God and became examples of what not to do. With the help of the Holy Spirit, let us pray that when our faith is tested, we can become good examples to others.

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on August 4, 2024.)

Exodus 16:13-36

Previously, expecting to be led to a land of milk and honey, the Israelites found themselves in the desert with no water. They complain to Moses and Moses prays to God, and God reveals a solution to Moses by turning bitter water into sweet, as well as finding them a place to rest with twelve springs.

Now they find themselves with no food, and they again complain to Moses, declaring that in Egypt they were slaves, but they had food to eat. The LORD declares that He will bring meat to them in the evening and bread in the morning, and He wants the people to know that it is He that is causing this.

It happens just as the LORD declared – Many quail appear to them in the evening, and in the morning, they find manna on the ground.

Just like when they lacked water, hunger was a real issue, and the people were not complaining just for the sake of complaining, so, again, the LORD does not bring any judgement against them.

The parallel between the plagues of Egypt and the blessings of Israel continues. Earlier, for Egypt, water became undrinkable, but for the Israelites, bitter water became sweet. And now, although it rained hail on Egypt, it rains food on Israel.

Manna has some curious nature to it. Regardless of how good of a collector one is, when what was collected is measured, it all comes out to be one omer, which was the amount the LORD had determined sufficient to sustain one person. Human nature being what it is, there were undoubtedly those who thought this as unfair – Especially those who were willing to put in more effort or more time or both in collecting manna. But for those who could not compete with some of the stronger younger collectors, it was probably seen as grace from God.

Another feature was that manna would not keep overnight. If someone wanted to get a head start and collect more than a day’s worth, they found that in the morning it had bred worms and became foul.

The exception to this was on the day before the sabbath. On the sixth day, the people were to collect two days’ worth, since there would be no manna to collect on the sabbath. And when left overnight on the sixth day, the people found that the manna was still good to eat. God made this happen so that the people could rest from collecting on the sabbath.

Verse 35 gives us a preview of what will happen – That Israel will end up eating manna for forty years, until they enter the promised land.

It is also interesting to note that a jar of manna was one of the three items that were placed inside the ark of the covenant, along with the second set of stone tablets with God’s handwritten Ten Commandments and the staff of Aaron that miraculously budded.

Let us look more at the “unfair” nature of manna. No matter what effort one put into collecting manna each morning ended in the same amount for each person. A young and strong person gathering at maximum effort ends up gathering the same amount as an elderly person with bad hips and knees that barely seems to be gathering. On the surface, this seems unfair, especially to the ones with the greater capacity to gather.

A typical question someone asks about salvation is about two types of people – One who devotes her whole adult life to help others and to make things better for this world, but just could not believe in Christ, and a second person who lives a terrible life, hurting and killing others and ends up in prison but comes to accept Christ as his savior and Lord. Is it fair that the “good” person will not receive salvation, but the bad person does? I used to ask this type of question before becoming a Christian, and I have also been asked this sort of question after I became a Christian by people who are seeking.  And from a human point of view, it does appear to be “unfair”.

However, we must realize that salvation is not reached by working towards it. It is a gift, just like manna was a gift from God. God knew that until the Israelites were able to eat off of the land in the promised land, they needed to be sustained by manna. He made sure that regardless of one’s physical condition or abilities, that each person could gather the exact amount of manna necessary to sustain life. In the same way we cannot earn salvation by working. Anyone, regardless of the lives they have lived or the physical condition they are in, can gain salvation by simply accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Another thing to keep in mind is how important God sees that we all get rest. Without rest, we cannot refresh ourselves. Without rest, we cannot continue to work well, either in our secular work or for the LORD.

Although salvation is a gift and there is nothing we can do to earn it, once we are saved, then we have Kingdom work to do. Now that the great gift of salvation has been given to us, we should be filled with appreciation and be willing to do the good works that God has assigned to us.

God was teaching the Israelites to depend on Him daily. Whether through more natural means like the quail, or miraculous like manna, God had the power and the will to sustain them. Jesus also promised us a similar thing in Matthew 6:25-34 – That if we seek first the kingdom of God, then God will provide to us daily what we require to live. And we need to keep in mind that God has the power and the will to keep his promises.

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on July 28, 2024.)

Exodus 15:22-27

In the last chapter, we read that the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites to the edge of the sea. When Moses raised his staff, God parted the waters so that they could cross to the other side on dry ground. Once safely across, Moses raised his staff again, and the waters returned and drowned the army. Verse 31 tells us that, “Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.”

Then Moses and the people sing a song of praise to the LORD. Miriam then leads the women in dancing and singing. What is interesting about this Song of Moses is that Revelation 15:3 tells us that the people who conquered the beast will sing this song.

The elation and celebration do not last very long. On the other side of the sea is a desert and they do not find water for three days. When they do finally find water, it is bitter and they cannot drink it. They complain to Moses, Moses cries out to the LORD, and the LORD makes Moses throw a piece of wood into the water and the water becomes drinkable.

The LORD tells the people that if they will listen to Him and His commandments, He will not bring disaster on them like He did to the Egyptians.

The LORD leads them to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and they camped there.

We see that the people saw the great power of the LORD bring disaster upon Egypt with the ten plagues. Then they just witnessed another huge show of power by God when the sea was parted and they all crossed over safely, while the Egyptian army drowned. Still, it only takes a few days before they start to complain.

This is rather understandable, when we consider the fact that from the time Moses returned to Egypt, what they heard was that Moses had met Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And this God is sending Moses to them so that he can lead them out of slavery in Egypt to the land that was promised to their ancestors – the land that flows with milk and honey.

So, that was probably their expectation – That they would leave Egypt and be taken to a rich land where they can live in freedom. Instead, they are now wandering around in a desert where there are no trees or water. They start to think that living as slaves, but in a land with water, food and trees, would be better than living free in the middle of nowhere with no food and water.

If they knew how things were going to turn out – That they would end up wandering around in the wilderness for forty years and that none of them would get to enter the promised land, they would have probably all tried to turn around and go back to Egypt. It was a necessary plan by God that He had them cross the sea, since they could not turn back. There really was no choice but to keep going forward and trust the LORD if they want to live.

As the journey towards maturity as a nation continues for Israel, we will see two different patterns of when the people complain to the LORD. Complaint based on genuine need – and complaining without a genuine need. This situation in the desert is the former, since one cannot stay alive in the wilderness without water. So, God provides them with a solution – Making bitter water drinkable, as well as leading them to Elim where there are springs of water.

Even though their attitude may lack faith, there is no judgement from God. Later, in the life of the Israelites, we will see the latter type of complaining that does come with God’s judgement.

We can see in this incident the reverse of what happened to Egypt. The first plague on Egypt – The water in the Nile turning to blood – made the waters undrinkable. Here, the undrinkable water is made drinkable.

There are a few things to note that are of interest to us as people of God.

God knows what Israel needs – drinkable water – but He does not prepare it ahead of time. People complain and Moses calls out to God in prayer. And the solution is not simple miracle – God points out the branch or piece of wood to Moses. And when Moses puts it in the water, the bitter water turns sweet. From this, we can see that it begins with a perceived need which turns to prayer, and then a solution.

It is important to notice that God’s action starts with a prayer. We may not be convinced that prayer does any good – “the only thing we can do is pray” – But what we see in the Bible is that God starts to act because of people praying.

Also, often, the answer God gives us is not a direct and dramatic miracle from heaven but directs us to a solution that is already present in our surroundings. Many healing methods are of this kind. Often the world gives science all the credit, but it is God who is showing the scientists how to apply what is already present.

We also see from this whole chapter, which starts with the people singing praises to God. But for the people of God, singing praises is not enough – There also must be prayer, listening to God, and obeying God.

So let us continue to praise God through our songs, but also commit ourselves to prayer, listening to God’s words, and live our lives in obedience to Him.

Jesus Christ was sent to earth so that He could die on the cross and be raised again. He had no sin so did not deserve to die on the cross, but He did so willingly, to take the punishment that we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, He gave us the opportunity to have our sins forgiven so that we can have eternal life when this life is done, and a godly vocation while we live – To be witnesses for Him – To let the world know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on July 14, 2024.)

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff–no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Mark 6:6b-13

Context:

Jesus has begun his public ministry. He has performed miracles of healing and exorcism. He has chosen his 12 disciples that will follow him and travel with him. Last week we saw how he calmed the wind and the waves as they encountered a sudden storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee.

In this text, Jesus is traveling around to various villages, teaching and healing. He begins sending his disciples out two by two. They are to do the same work that he is doing. He gives them authority over evil spirits (and we can assume from verses 12 and 13…..an authority to heal various other diseases and to preach the gospel with authority.)

He gives them the following instructions:

• Take nothing for the journey except a staff 
• no bread, no bag, no money in your belts
• Wear sandals but not an extra tunic
• Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town
• And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them

Before we try to figure out what we should learn today, I have to admit that the text begs several questions:

1. Seriously? Jesus thinks that the disciples have been trained enough to trust them with this important work? (this balance between adequate training….and reliance on the Holy Spirit….continues today.)
2. Why are they to take nothing with them? No food, no money? Doesn’t this just cause a burden for those around them?  (“hospitality to the stranger” may have played a much more important role in their culture. No convenience store on every corner – and therefore a recognition that all travelers will need assistance from others.)
3. Why did they have to stay in one home only?
4. If someone didn’t want to listen to them….wasn’t it rude to shake the dust off of your feet as you left their home and village?

How do you pack when you travel?

• Most of us understand the concept and importance of traveling as light as possible. But most of us also fail at it.
• I can’t even decide on which shoes and how many pairs to take for a short trip!
• Present day “standard” – take only as much as can be fit in a carry-on piece of luggage? (so that we won’t be inconvenienced by having to check the bag.)
• Even in a world where almost everything could be easily purchased at our destination location, we usually try to pack in such a way that we will be completely ready for anything!

The culture in Jesus’ time was clearly different than ours. His disciples had a lot less stuff than we do. He may have been sending them out, knowing that the challenge of completely depending on God’s grace and the kindness of strangers…would lead to many powerful and important experiences. “Traveling light” was to be important to the disciple of Jesus. Is it still possibly true today?

So for us today: How is the instruction from Jesus on “traveling light” appropriate for us as individuals….and as a congregation? What does it mean for us to travel light?

Questions raised by Pastor Janet Hunt in her article about this passage – found on her blog “Dancing With The Word”

1. How does my attention to all my own stuff…sometimes distract me from reaching out with a gesture of kindness to another?
2. As I rely on my own careful planning for every eventuality, how am I less open to what God may have waiting for me?
3. If I already have everything I need on this journey (food, money, extra clothes, etc.) how am I less able to receive the gifts of those I meet along the way?

On this last point I can speak personally. As we served as missionaries, we were not allowed to work for profit or at a normal job in Japan. We didn’t have a work visa. Thus, we needed to have all of our needs covered by friends and churches and supporters back here in the U.S. It was never completely easy to feel so beholding and in debt to so many people – and yet it was through all of those connections that the work of God’s mission through us was accomplished, that needs were met, that prayers were offered, that friendships were deepened, that trust in God was strengthened.

Here are a few more questions that Pastor Hunt suggests for us as disciples and congregations:

1. Why do YOU think that Jesus had the disciples “travel light”?
2. What was absolutely essential for the disciples’ journey as they set out?
3. What should we “leave behind” as we are sent on our journeys of sharing the Good News?
4. What is absolutely essential for us as individuals? As JCC?

Thinking about these important considerations may help us move toward traveling more lightly!

(The above is a summary of the message shared during worship on July 7, 2024.)

Mark 4:35-41

Our text today is a well-known gospel account. Jesus, after having spent most of the day teaching a large crowd, directs his disciples to head across the Sea of Galilee to the other side. As they are in route, they suddenly encounter a severe storm which threatens to swamp the boat and end in disaster. While they panic, Jesus sleeps in the stern of the boat. In fear, the disciples wake him up with the accusation, “Don’t you care that we’re drowning?” Jesus gets up, rebukes the wind and says to the waves, “Be still, be silent” and there is immediate calm. Jesus appears to be surprised by their level of panic and lack of faith. The account ends with the disciples being in fear and awe over what they have just experienced – Jesus’ evident power over the wind and the waves!

There are so many ways to interpret and understand this account. Many scholars point out that it is a continuation of the revealing of Jesus’ identity through these displays of miraculous power. In the earlier chapters of Mark, Jesus has shown his power over evil spirits and over physical illnesses by performing miraculous healings. Here, he displays his power over creation – the natural world.

Others see it as a story of discipleship:

• We are invited by Jesus to get into the boat and cross over to the other side.
• The disciples (and by extension, us..) do so in our obedience and following of Jesus
• Yet, we soon find ourselves in trouble….. a storm that creates chaos
• How do we respond? How should we respond?

Let’s look briefly at the questions that arise in this story.

The disciples’ question of Jesus:

“Don’t You Care that we are drowning??”

This question….this accusation “don’t you care?” “where are you when we need you?” “Have you forsaken us?” is found throughout the Psalms, and in fact throughout the prophets in the Old Testament.

We find ourselves in crisis, even when we are trusting in God. Why doesn’t he come? Why isn’t he saving us? Has he forgotten about us? The apparent assumption that many people (sometimes ourselves) come to is: Either God does not have the power to help us….. or, for some reason he just doesn’t care enough about us. While these thoughts are evident throughout scripture, we can imagine the same questions even in our modern era:

• 6,000,000 million Jews killed by the Nazis in World War II. “Where is God in all of this?” was surely a thought on the minds and hearts of many.
• The situation in Gaza today. “Doesn’t God care about the innocent children being killed?” The same questions and doubts arise within our own hearts.

The disciples were fearing for their very lives. Surely their question is reasonable….and understandable.

Jesus’ question to the disciples:

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus’ question appears to infer that fear and faith cannot exist together. Are fear and faith opposites? Is all fear bad? Is the emotion of fear somehow unnatural? Of course not!  The feeling of fear is absolutely necessary in order to survive. Fear of contagion causes us to be careful in washing our hands. Fear of failure….or not getting into a certain school or program…..causes us to study harder. Fear of what others will think….can cause a change in our behavior. Fear is often the engine or motivator for our actions. But is this always good? Is this always the best motive? Obviously, fear can at times be a detriment and a hindrance. Is it possible that although we can simultaneously experience fear and faith…that the two are on a spectrum, where we find ourselves operating primarily out of one or the other. To put it differently for the sake of this story…”Does our faith in God’s presence (Jesus’ presence in the boat with us) make any difference? Could that begin to move us from fear to faith?”  Consider the following two scenarios:

Scenario 1: we as disciples are in a boat in a storm. Jesus may be there, but we are not truly aware of his power, nor believe that he truly cares about us. This fear that grips us, rather than helping us survive, actually works against us.

Scenario 2: we as disciples are in a boat in a storm (the same storm!…even if we are people of faith). While we recognize our natural tendency to be afraid and lack courage, we trust in the fact that even in this difficulty, Jesus is with us. He has not forgotten about us, even though we don’t understand why he “is asleep”.

The disciples’ final statement:

“Who is this…..that even the wind and waves obey him!”

At the conclusion of this story,  the disciples were frightened – maybe a sense of awe rather than just being simply scared. Think about it…..they had been surprised enough at the miracles of healing and exorcisms. However, having the weather listen to his voice, seeing Jesus’ evident control of the storm – this was something that they had never even imagined, much less seen. We’re not told the conclusion to their thoughts…..but surely this must have been an experience they looked back on in later days and years. At this point in the story, the disciples were only beginning to understand the difficulty….as well as the available resources…..that would be part of their journey in following Jesus.

Some Conclusions:

1. Each of us has been invited “into the boat…to go with Jesus to the other side”. We don’t always know what lies ahead on this journey of discipleship….but we are willing to commit. This is true for us as individuals…..AND as a church.
2. We WILL encounter storms and chaos. “In this world you will have many tribulations” …as Jesus clearly told his disciples. The path of discipleship was never promised to be easy. How will we respond?
3. Although Jesus’ presence does NOT guarantee our desired outcome….He does promise to be with us in ALL circumstances, in ALL storms.
4. Will that fact begin to make a difference in how we live? Will we find ourselves operating more from faith than from fear?

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 30, 2024.)

Exodus 14:15-31

After the death of the Egyptian firstborn and the Lord’s Passover, Israelites leave Egypt after living there for 430 years. They are now a population of six hundred thousand men along with women and children. They and their household and livestock all leave.

God considered the state of mind of the people and led them in an indirect path that was less likely to result in battle. God thought that if the people had to face battle right away, they may get discouraged and be tempted to turn back. The LORD provided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Whenever the pillar stopped, the people stopped, and when it moved, the people followed it.

God was not quite done with showing the Israelites, the Egyptians and the world around them God’s great power. He leads the Israelites in a way that makes it look like they are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.

When Pharaoh hears what is going on, he decides to pursue them with his army to destroy them. He personally leads them.

The Egyptian army approaches, and Israel is caught between the army and the sea. People cry out and complain to Moses. God commands Moses to lift his staff and the sea divides. The pillar that was leading them now moves between the people and the army and the people move forward into the sea over dry land with a wall of water on both sides. The Egyptians also enter the sea in pursuit.

The war chariots are getting bogged down and the soldiers realize that they are in trouble, since the LORD is so obviously fighting for the Israelites. Then the LORD commands Moses to stretch out his hand again, and the water covers the Egyptian army and destroys it. The Israelites make it to the other side safely.

We notice that there are three elements working harmoniously in this miracle – God, human and nature. God chooses not to work alone. God commands Moses to stretch out his hand, Moses stretches out his hand over the sea, and the east wind blows all night to create dry land from the sea. It is not an instantaneous work of God.

The most advanced technology of the day, the war chariot , is no match for God’s creation. They get bogged down, making it obvious to the Egyptian soldiers that the LORD is God of all creation, and they are no match for His powers.

We recall God’s words to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:15-16 – “¹⁵For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. ¹⁶But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.”

As I was preparing this morning’s message, it hit me that the same factors that were at work during the Red Sea crossing were at play. God directs that a message be delivered, Pr. Tim or I must do our part, and it takes a bit of time. God does not do it by Himself. It would be nice if God would just write the message and give it to us and makes us deliver it in perfect form. But He continues to use humans to do His work.

It is the same with any Kingdom work that He assigns to each of us. God directs, we respond and do our part, and it takes time and/or creation to also cooperate.

Most importantly, we should keep in our minds that the purpose of Kingdom work is to make God and His powers known to us and that His name would be glorified throughout the world. To preach the good news of Jesus Christ – That He was sent to this world to be crucified, not for His sins, since He had none, but for our sins, so that anyone who accepts Jesus as his or her savior and Lord would have their sins forgiven and granted eternal life with God and His people.

So, when called upon, let us do our part by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit and continue to tell the world around us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on June 23, 2024.)

Exodus 12:29-32

Even after nine previous plagues, Pharaoh does not agree to let Israel go, so God sends the tenth plague – The death of the firstborn. Pharaoh has had enough and summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to go away with their flocks and herds. He also asks for a blessing. The Egyptians are eager to have Israel gone from their land and when asked, give them jewelry of silver and gold as well as clothing.

The LORD instructed the people through Moses and Aaron how to survive the death of their firstborn. They are to sacrifice a lamb for each family. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of each house. They are to roast the lamb and eat it that night. No bones are to be broken. The LORD will pass through the land killing every firstborn human and animal, but when He sees the blood, He will pass over that house. This is the implementation of Passover.

People obey the Lord’s instructions, and their firstborn are kept alive, while the firstborn of the Egyptians perish in the night.

The month of the Passover is now to be considered the first month of the year, and the Passover tradition is to be observed every year and passed down through the generations, so that they too can be reminded of the great things the LORD did for Israel.

Celebration of Passover has been kept alive by tradition and ritual, following the command of the LORD regarding avoidance of leaven found in Exodus 12:14-19. During the festival of Passover Jewish households not only do not eat leavened bread but remove any leavened products throughout the house.

The Seder meal is at the center of the celebration. Families gather around the table and follow the ritual that includes reading the story of Exodus, drinking four cups of wine and eating symbolic foods – Matzah (unleavened bread to represent hurried departure that did not allow for dough to rise), bitter herbs (symbolizes the bitterness of slavery), a roasted shank bone (representing the Passover lamb) and others.

The telling of the story is meant to keep the knowledge alive of what the LORD did for them. The youngest person present traditionally asks the Four Questions:

1. Why is this night different from all other nights?
2. Why do we eat unleavened bread tonight?
3. Why do we eat bitter herbs?
4. Why do we dip our food twice tonight?

The food is dipped first in bitter herbs (representing the bitterness of slavery), and then in charoset (mixture of chopped apples, nuts, wine and spices), representing hope and resilience even in difficult times).

Each of the four cups of wine represents a different aspect of Passover. The first cup marks the beginning of the Passover meal. The second cup is consumed after reading the Haggadah, or the Passover story. The third cup is drunk after the meal, signifying redemption from Egypt and expresses gratitude for freedom. The fourth cup is the Cup of Elijah and is left untouched – It symbolizes hope for the future redemption and the arrival of the Messiah – It is called that because of the belief that Elijah the prophet will announce the Messiah’s coming.

Passover was celebrated in Jesus’ time, and it was the reason why the leaders of the land were in Jerusalem when Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified.

The New Testament identifies Jesus as the Passover lamb. John 1:29 refers to Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 speaks of Jesus as “our paschal lamb”.

Jesus is hanging on the cross as the Passover lambs are being sacrificed. Exodus 12:46 commanded that none of the Passover lamb’s bones should be broken. John 19:31-34 tells us that when the soldiers went to break Jesus’ legs so that He would die quicker, they found Him already dead, so no bones were broken.

The Passover lamb symbolizes deliverance, freedom and redemption. That is what Jesus brings us also. Passover freed Israel from slavery to Egypt, while Jesus frees us from slavery to sin. Paul teaches in his letter to the Romans that before we were saved, all we could do was sin, but now that we are saved, for the first time in our lives, we have the choice not to sin.

Revelation 20 tells us that after our earthly lives are over and the Lord returns, there will be a final judgment. There is a lake of fire which is second death and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be thrown into it. The way to get our names into the book is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do that, the blood He shed for us marks our hearts and second death will pass over us, just like the angel of death passed over anyone in the houses marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. Let us be grateful that our eternal life with the Lord is set, due to our faith in Jesus. For those who we encounter that are headed for second death, let us share Christ with them so that they might also get their names written in the book of life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on June 9, 2024.)