Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don’t Need

[0:00] Amen. Amen.

[1:00] Amen. Amen.

[2:00] Amen. Amen.

[3:00] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good morning.

[3:14] I want to say a good morning to everyone who is gathered here and to those who are watching online. My name is Kathy Stengel. I'm one of the pastors here and we welcome you to worship this Memorial Day weekend.

[3:29] So it is a day when we think about hot dogs and picnics and you can wear white pants and white skirts and all of that. But it is really a weekend when we remember people who made the decision to protect our country and lost their lives.

[3:49] Or those who didn't make the choice but ended up in those places. We are also mindful this weekend yesterday the last of the 13 who died in Buffalo was laid to rest.

[4:03] And so we remember those who lost their lives and certainly we remember those children and teachers in Texas this morning.

[4:15] And given the heaviness of all of that we are reminded that as long as we have breath within us. We are called upon to praise the Lord for God's eternal and always ever comforting and guiding presence.

[4:32] And so it is that God that I say may the peace of Christ be with you. Let us worship the Lord. I do have just one or two announcements.

[4:44] One is that we were collecting items for refugee resettlement. That has concluded. So we would like to ask that you don't bring any further donations and put them out there.

[4:57] Otherwise they end up either recycled or we end up putting them in the garage. Which they end up for some other purposes but we need to know what they are for. But the refugee collection has ended.

[5:10] That house is fully furnished and they are doing their thing in terms of getting adjusted to life. So just that one announcement. The other ones are in the bulletin for your information.

[5:23] Thank you. Good morning everybody.

[5:39] And good morning to everyone online. Psalm 150 verse 6 says, Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. So we are going to open today with two songs.

[5:53] Hopefully to bring some comfort and some remembrance that we can lay down those burdens. And God will lift them up. The first verse of God will take care of you. Be not dismayed whatever be tied.

[6:05] God will take care of you. Beneath his wings of love abide. God will take care of you. And that's something really important to remember. So I invite you to stand. That's something really important to remember. So I invite you to stand. That's something really important to remember.

[6:17] Oh, God will take care of you.

[6:30] name on every time God will take care of you. Beneath His wings of love, O mind, God will take care of you.

[6:51] God will take care of you through every day or all the way.

[7:03] We will take care of you, God will take care of you.

[7:15] Through days of torment, our doubt fail, God will take care of you.

[7:25] When dangers near, so pathless sail, God will take care of you.

[7:38] God will take care of you through every day or all the way.

[7:48] He will take care of you. God will take care of you.

[8:00] All you may need, He will provide. God will take care of you.

[8:11] Nothing new has will be denied. God will take care of you.

[8:23] God will take care of you through every day or all the way.

[8:34] He will take care of you. God will take care of you.

[8:46] God will take care of you.

[9:09] God is alive and His finns. Let us leave off the Herzkyäre on Him. What looks to me like weakness is a case for the story My story isn't over, my story's just begun Here you want to find me, that's what I want to learn Here you want to find me, that's what I want to learn Ooh, lay your burdens down Ooh, here in the Father's house Take your shame at the door, cause it ain't welcome anymore Ooh, you're in the Father's house I was not the end game, the truth is the right

[10:19] Never wanted perfect, you just found my heart And the story isn't over, if the story isn't good Failure's never final when the Father's in the room Failure's never final when the Father's in the room Ooh, lay your burdens down Ooh, here in the Father's house Take your shame at the door, cause it ain't welcome anymore Ooh, you're in the Father's house Yeah Prodigal's come home, the helpless find hope

[11:25] Love is on the moon, when the Father's in the room Vision doors break wide, the dead come to light Love is on the moon, when the Father's in the room Miracles take place, the sinner go find faith Love is breaking through, when the Father's in the room Ooh, Jericho was quaking, strongholds are shaking Love is breaking through, when the Father's in the room I said, love is breaking through, when the Father's in the room Ooh, lay your burdens down Ooh, here in the Father's house Take your shame at the door, cause it ain't welcome anymore

[12:31] Ooh, you're in the Father's house Yeah Lay your burdens down Ooh, here in the Father's house Take your shame at the door, cause it ain't welcome anymore Ooh, you're in the Father's house Amen You may be seated After these couple of weeks, when we find ourselves here in the Father's house There's something leveling about the way the world is that maybe makes us look at what we have And what we do with it a little bit differently

[13:32] And so as we come to this time of offering, I'm mindful of Can anything I have make the world a better place, a safer place, a more praiseworthy place, a more joyful place?

[13:47] Is there anything that I have that can make God's word, God's heaven, God's space and place more available to other people?

[14:00] Then may it be so, and may I give it rather than hold it And so it is that we come to this time of offering So this is a new song for us, Psalm 62 by Aaron Keyes And it just spoke to me that sometimes worship isn't busyness, sometimes worship is rest And the Lord wants us to rest in Him And that's a kind of worship So My soul find rest in God alone My rock and my salvation My fortress strong against the foe

[15:00] And I will not be shaken Though lips may bless and hearts may curse And lies like arrows pierce me I'll fix my soul unrighteousness And look to Him who hears me Oh, praise Him, hallelujah My delight and my reward Everlasting, never failing My Redeemer, my Redeemer, my God God rest my soul in God alone Amidst the world's temptations When evil seeks to take a hold I'll cling to my salvation Though riches come and riches go

[16:02] Don't set your heart upon them Don't set your heart upon them The fields of hope in which I sow Are harvested in heaven Oh, praise Him, hallelujah My delight and my reward Everlasting, never failing My Redeemer, my God Alleluia, hallelujah O, praise Him, O, praise Him Oh, praise Him. Oh, praise Him.

[17:00] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, praise Him. Oh, praise Him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

[17:14] Oh, praise Him. Oh, praise Him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

[17:26] Oh, praise Him. Oh, praise Him. Hallelujah. My delight and my reward. Everlasting, never failing.

[17:40] My Redeemer, my God. Oh, praise Him, alleluia.

[17:50] My delight and my reward. Everlasting, never failing. My Redeemer.

[18:02] My Redeemer. My Redeemer. My Redeemer. My Redeemer. My Redeemer. My Redeemer.

[18:14] My Redeemer. My Redeemer. My Redeemer. Thank you.

[18:52] Thank you.

[19:22] Thank you. So we come to a time of joys and concerns.

[19:46] do you have any joys or concerns that you'd like to lift up today? Okay, please pray with me.

[20:02] God, we come to you with hearts that may be troubled this day. We've seen so much violence in these past couple of weeks, and we don't have any explanations for it.

[20:18] We ask that you lift up the families, not only in Buffalo, but in Texas, in California, that you help us to find the words to comfort them, to offer them hope that comes from you.

[20:37] We ask that you look over and watch over every person here, and our children who are returning back to school and may have some fears, and their families, and our community.

[20:56] Show us that you are the way and you are the light. Lord, help us take a breath and listen to you and calm that turmoil that's going on in our lives right now.

[21:14] Help us be still. God, we thank you for everything that you've given us, and we thank you for the time to be together and worship you today.

[21:26] God, we thank you for the joy of family and the ability to travel and be together.

[21:47] God, we ask that you look over our leaders and show them the right direction to go. God, show them that love isn't politics, that love is the way to go, and that we find our answers in you.

[22:07] In your name we pray. Amen. Good morning.

[22:42] Good morning. Today's scripture comes from Exodus, chapter 16, verses 1 through 28. The whole Israelite community set out from Elam and came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elam and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.

[23:07] In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.

[23:27] Then the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

[23:44] On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days. So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him.

[24:08] Who are we that you should grumble against us? Moses also said, You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you the meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him.

[24:25] Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord. Then Moses told Aaron, Say to the entire Israelite community, Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.

[24:40] While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. The Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.

[24:53] Tell them, At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

[25:10] When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, What is it?

[25:21] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded. Everyone is to gather as much as they need.

[25:34] Take an omer for each person you have in your tent. The Israelites did as they were told. Some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.

[25:50] Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Then Moses said to them, No one is to keep any of it until morning. However, some of them paid no attention to Moses.

[26:02] They kept part of it until the morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Each morning, everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

[26:17] On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much, two omers for each person, and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, This is what the Lord commanded.

[26:29] Tomorrow is to be a day of Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left, and keep it until morning.

[26:41] So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. Eat it today, Moses said, because today is a Sabbath to the Lord.

[26:53] You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any. Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.

[27:06] Then the Lord said to Moses, How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

[27:18] Morning, church.

[27:34] Would you join me for a word of prayer? Loving and gracious God, we are indeed thankful for this morning. Thankful for your presence among us.

[27:45] And now, Lord, as we come before you, hearts open, having poured ourselves out in song and in prayer, having heard your word, Lord, move among us. Give us what you know we need.

[27:58] Plant that seed in each of us that will grow and bear fruit for the honor and the glory of your name. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen. So, we have been walking through this Eastertide with a series called Emerge.

[28:17] And the visual representation of that has been butterfly. And butterflies are cute and cool and all, right?

[28:28] I mean, you see them. They have all the pretty colors on them and we see them fluttering through the sky and everything. It's nice to look at. Now, we look at a butterfly and we're like, that's pretty amazing.

[28:39] Look at what God has done. But I want to ask you a question. Do you think butterflies spend any time wishing they were caterpillars again?

[28:52] Kind of a weird question to ask, but I want you to just sit with you for a minute. Do you think a butterfly spends its time wishing it was a caterpillar again?

[29:05] Now, of course, that gives butterflies a little more brainpower credit than they probably have. But that being said, when you put it that way, especially when what we said about butterflies and how they look and how we see them and what we think they mean in our creation, it seems odd to go back from being a creature who can fly, have a creature that's known for its beauty, to go back to being kind of earthbound and one that's not as popular, shall we say.

[29:38] But the interesting thing about this is that we can say that about a butterfly and we can recognize that the idea of wanting to go back to being a caterpillar seems kind of strange.

[29:51] But the truth is, is that particular question is one that we can all relate to. We can relate to it a little more than we probably want to admit. Not only can we relate to it in the question about the butterfly, but we can also see it in the story that we read today.

[30:10] Because this is fundamentally a message about how we deal with change. Because change is never an easy thing.

[30:23] And especially changes that are deep changes, hard changes, God-driven changes. If those kinds of changes were easy to do, we'd be doing them.

[30:35] And they wouldn't take the kind of push that they make. But when we start to get into these kinds of questions about this kind of change in our lives, we realize that that kind of change is hard.

[30:48] It's really hard. And when that kind of change starts to hit our lives, we start to push back. And all of a sudden, being a caterpillar doesn't seem so bad anymore.

[31:03] But if we really want to get into how this works in each of us, let's listen to the story again. Because you heard Bill talk about this idea.

[31:13] And this story is kind of familiar to most of us. You know, if you've grown up in the church and if you've read the Bible, most of us heard the story about the bread from heaven.

[31:26] But when you put that whole story in its context, you start to see a little bit about what it means to follow Jesus and how challenging it can be sometimes.

[31:37] So, let's set the stage, right? So, the nation of Israel has been liberated by God.

[31:50] That they have been slaves in the nation of Egypt for 400 years. Slaves under hard labor. And they were set free by the power of God's own hand.

[32:05] God sent Moses. God worked through the plagues. God led them through the Reed Sea. And now they're in the desert. Now, here's the thing.

[32:19] When God set them free, they kind of grabbed everything they could grab. They packed up and they headed out pretty quickly. And because they were on the move, they didn't realize that this was going to take a little longer than they thought.

[32:34] And so, we're a couple weeks into this trip. Not a couple, more like four to six weeks into this trip. And the food runs out.

[32:46] And you're in the middle of the desert. And that's when we start to hear what we heard today.

[32:59] And just in case it didn't stick with you, let's hear this again. So, I'm going to start at verse two. The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert.

[33:16] The Israelites said to them, Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There, we could sit by pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread.

[33:30] Instead, you brought us into this desert to starve the whole assembly to death. Okay. I want you all to remember the story.

[33:45] 400 years of slave labor. Six weeks of walking through the desert. And after having been out here for six weeks, it has gotten so uncomfortable that the idea of going back to Egypt is now sounding attractive.

[34:12] Now, all of us, I'm willing to bet, in our own lives, in our own journeys, if we've ever had to make a deep change, a real hard change, then you know what a back to Egypt moment is like.

[34:29] Because you hit something in that change period where it's like, I didn't think this was going to work like this. And all of a sudden, where you were starts looking a whole lot more comfortable.

[34:45] Now, let's remember, where you were was bad. it clearly was not the answer. It clearly was not where you were supposed to be.

[34:56] And yet, the change part is so hard that all of a sudden going back to all that bad is not seeming so bad anymore.

[35:11] That's the human journey. We've all been there. our own story has that flavor to it. It may not match those specific details, but we know that story.

[35:26] And the question is, how do we not keep falling back into that trap? Because that's what we've got to talk about today. Because when God is at work in your life, if God is saying it's time for you to do something different.

[35:45] It's time for you to think different. It's time for you to understand how I am at work in you. Then, you can't keep going back to Egypt.

[36:00] In other words, butterflies don't want to be caterpillars again. So how do we do that? Because we run into this problem and you see it happen in the story of the nation, right?

[36:16] The first thing that happens to us, and you heard me allude to this, is that if we know that there is a change, if we know that there is a destination, if we know that there is a promised land, because that's what was going on here, right?

[36:36] They were oppressed in the nation of Israel. And if you remember the story, it's like, we are headed to the land that was promised to our ancestors. The promised land.

[36:50] We are on our way from Egypt to Canaan. God's promise is about to be made real in our lives. Who doesn't want that?

[37:02] Right? So, everybody's going to sign up for that when you realize that's the goal. But, the problem is with a trip like this, or with a journey like this, is we often have a time horizon.

[37:20] We get some idea of how long this is supposed to take. Now, I want you to hear this and hear this well. God didn't say how long it was going to take. You read the story, that's not in there.

[37:34] God never said how long it was going to take. He just said, get your stuff, come on, I'm going to take you there. But, in our heads, we start thinking about how long it's supposed to take.

[37:48] And, when it starts to take longer than we think it was supposed to take, all of a sudden, as we heard in the story, people start, and the word they'll think you hear is cute, right?

[38:05] Grumbling. That the whole nation started grumbling against Moses and Aaron. Now, see, this translation, the one that I was reading, which is called the Common English Bible, it puts it where it belongs.

[38:20] People were complaining. Because that's another word for it. Straight up complaining. Now, don't get me wrong, there's a reason for this. We're in the middle of the desert and everybody's hungry.

[38:32] We can understand that. We can make space for that. But, if you are on the path to your promised land, and you know God is at work, how much complaining do you feel entitled to?

[38:52] We get it. But I want you to think about your own journey. Because our issue becomes that our timing isn't God's time.

[39:05] We always want God to move faster than we think God should move. move. We want that kind of change. Now, it's not that God can't do that.

[39:23] It's just that's not what's happening in this particular season. And the funny thing about that is if you flip it around, if God does that kind of change, most of us aren't ready for that either.

[39:37] that if God changes things on a dime, we go, wait a minute, God, I wasn't ready for that. But, our timing is rarely God's timing.

[39:55] And so, our expectations change. So, what do we do? We start to resist. We start to push. We're like, God, this can't be right. You said we were headed to the promised land.

[40:05] You didn't say it was going to take this long. And we grumbled. But here's the thing. If you hear the story, what happens next is God understands.

[40:21] God intervenes. And the people haven't prayed yet or said anything. God says on his own volition, I will feed you. I will feed you. Now, you think that would be the good news part.

[40:37] We're hungry. God's going to feed us. But, what happens next is even more telling about the human condition, right? Because, God says, alright, here's what I'm going to do.

[40:50] I'm going to rain bread on you. You will eat meat before sundown. And you will have food every day.

[41:02] This should be the good news part. But, let's see what actually happens. Okay? So, if you're following along with me, we're starting at verse 9.

[41:15] Then Moses and Aaron, Moses said to Aaron, say to the whole Israelite community, come near to the Lord because he's heard your complaints. Complaints. He's heard your complaints.

[41:27] As Aaron spoke to the whole Israelite community, they turned to look toward the desert. and just then, the glorious presence of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses, I've heard the complaints of the Israelites.

[41:40] Tell them, at twilight, you will eat meat. And in the morning, you will have your fill of bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord, your God.

[41:51] in the evening, a flock of quail flew down and covered the camp. And in the morning, there was a layer of dew all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there on the desert surface were thin flakes, as thin as frost on the ground.

[42:11] When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, what is it? They didn't know what it was. Moses said to them, this is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

[42:27] Now, one of the interesting things about this challenge that we have as people, especially people who believe in God, is that we tend to put so much expectation on what God is going to do.

[42:44] That when we offer up a prayer, when we send our desires up, we think that they're going to come back in the package that we asked for.

[42:56] But God doesn't always do that. Right? And the thing is, is if you follow the journey of the nation, they should know this already.

[43:08] Because they prayed to be free. They got free. But they weren't counting on ten plagues. They prayed not to have to worry about the kingdom of Egypt following them.

[43:19] But they weren't expecting to have to go through the Red Sea and see God fight their battles for them and actually take out the only superpower on earth at the time. And they have seen God do this.

[43:33] And that's true for us too. We've seen God work. We know that God doesn't always fit into the box that is our brains. God does things outside that box. And yet, if we send to prepare for bread, most of us are thinking it's going to look a certain way.

[43:56] Now, that's not unreasonable. Don't get me wrong. That's not like crazy talk. But then, all of a sudden, there's this stuff on the ground. And people are like, what is that?

[44:15] But here's the real point, right? When God responds to your prayer and God's prayer doesn't look like, God's response doesn't look like what you think it's supposed to look like, will that keep you from receiving God's gift?

[44:31] If you pray for food and get food, but the food isn't what you thought you were going to get, will you not eat? Because that's where a lot of us get stuck, right?

[44:49] That's that change thing. You get stuck in the change and you say, God, I need your help. And God helps you. But the help didn't look like what you thought the help was going to look like.

[45:04] And you're like, God, this can't be the help. I was looking for a different kind of help. But if the help comes in a package that wasn't what you were expecting, does that cause you to go, you know what?

[45:16] Egypt doesn't look so bad anymore. And it's not that God didn't hear you.

[45:28] And it's not that God didn't respond. It just wasn't what you were looking for. And in your mind, you'd rather go back to Egypt. It gets worse.

[45:45] Because now, God has provided. And the people get out there, but God says, here's what I need you to do. God sends some instructions with the help.

[46:02] Here's how it's supposed to work. And the problem is, the minute God does that, there's just something about how we're wired that says, you know what?

[46:18] Let me try something else. we saw that in the garden. We see it all throughout the human condition.

[46:32] That there's always someone, there's always that little voice in our head that knows better than God. God said, do this.

[46:46] and we're like, that can't be right. Or God didn't really mean that, did he? Surely, God knows that if we're going to be walking through the desert, there's nothing wrong with having a little piece of this in my pocket from when I get hungry on the way, right?

[47:08] God certainly wouldn't object to that. or, well, you know, I'm a big guy.

[47:21] I'm going to eat more than an omer of this. And there's plenty. So God can't possibly be worried if I take a little bit more. I mean, there's a couple small folk over there, they got their share, so there's a little left.

[47:35] God certainly won't object if I take a little more than what I'm supposed to, right? Well, y'all heard what happened in the story. Those who took more than an omer, when they took it into their homes and they didn't eat it, started to get this smell to it, maggots sprung up in it.

[47:58] Then, when it was time for the Sabbath, God said, make sure you take enough for two days, because tomorrow's the Sabbath. And then there was somebody this, that few who said, well, you know, we'll get what we need for today.

[48:18] I'm sure God will take care of it. And they went out on what would have been Saturday morning, and there wasn't any.

[48:31] There's always somebody who knows better than God. and we wonder why it doesn't work. And we wonder why change is hard.

[48:45] We wonder why we get stuck. But, friends, here's what we need to really sit with for a while. The problem that we seem to get stuck in is we can hear God calling us, and we can know that God is taking us to exactly where God wants us to go.

[49:09] And the problem is we've got to go through something. This isn't the answer. We end up invariably having to go through something.

[49:22] So you heard me say at the beginning of this message, do butterflies spend their time wishing they were caterpillars again? The converse of that question is can a caterpillar appreciate how different things are going to be when they're a butterfly?

[49:39] Because if you're in your current moment, and God is saying to you, I've got a promise I'm going to keep. I need you to come with me. But God says, here's how we're going to get there.

[49:53] And how we're going to get there is going to take a minute. How we're going to get there is going to take some work. We're going to have to go through a process first.

[50:06] And you're just going to have to trust me. That's where we start to break down, right?

[50:19] Because that's ultimately what this story shows us. about us. Because when we're out in the middle of the desert, and God is at work on us, and God says, I will feed you.

[50:37] But you have to trust me. And the food doesn't look like we thought it was going to look. And we still don't know how far away we are from the destination.

[50:50] And we still don't know what it looks like it's going to get there. But we have to get up every morning and trust that God is going to take us where we're supposed to go, and the food's going to be there. We just have to surrender to that.

[51:06] change. And that's when change is hard. Because it's a whole lot easier if I can put my faith in these two hands.

[51:20] It's a whole lot easier if I can just work harder. It's a whole lot easier if I can just go over there and do what I need to do. It's a whole lot harder if I can say, I'm going to make this look like this.

[51:34] But it's a whole lot harder to say, I'm going to trust the Lord. And have to really trust the Lord.

[51:47] Not pretend to trust God, but to really trust God. And when it starts to feel that way, all of a sudden, oh, if we had just stayed in Egypt.

[52:16] But that's the hard part, isn't it? Can we stay faithful when it's hard? Because we are in a hard moment.

[52:28] we are in a hard time. And everybody knows in some way this is a hard time.

[52:43] What we have been through in this particular city, what we have been through as a nation, his heart. God, the challenge for us is to figure out what God might be doing to you.

[52:59] How might God be at work in, on, through, and around you right now? Maybe God is calling you to say your Egypt has to be left behind.

[53:16] maybe there's just something about your life. Maybe there's something that you're holding on to that God says that is not where you belong.

[53:27] Your promised land is over here. But you have to follow and trust me. And the process of letting go of whatever needs to be let go is really, really hard.

[53:41] it's hard for all of us because many of us would prefer to at least stay with the devil we know.

[53:56] See, that's the thing about Egypt in our minds, right? At least we know Egypt. We know what it looks like. We know what it feels like. It's not an unknown.

[54:08] It's not a question mark. And it doesn't require that much faith because you know how it works. But you don't know the promised land.

[54:21] And when you have to rely solely on God and you have to stand solely in faith and it's not under your control, all of a sudden the devil you know feels a whole lot better than that.

[54:38] And the question is can you resist that in your nature? Can you choose God instead of that comfort?

[54:54] Because that's how you get to the promised land. To trust. To believe. To keep going day after day even when it feels like this is taking a whole lot longer than it's supposed to.

[55:11] That I'm tired of eating manna. And I have no idea where we're going and what it's going to look like when we get there. Can you choose faith instead of Egypt?

[55:29] can you leave that behind? Because whatever your Egypt may be right now, maybe it's some old fashioned notions about what white supremacy is supposed to look like.

[55:49] Maybe it's some old fashioned notions about what safety looks like in the world. Maybe it's these ideas that say I was comfortable in this particular space but this doesn't just seem to be working the same way anymore.

[56:02] And maybe God has put you into your own little chrysalis so that you can start to evolve. That's hard.

[56:22] And no matter how hard it is, no matter how challenging it is, the thing you want to remember church, is that remember how the story ends.

[56:36] Because the people have to trust. But God comes through. God does not disappoint.

[56:51] And you not only know that from this story, but you know it from all the stories. You not only know it from all these stories, you know it from your own story.

[57:04] God does not disappoint. It may not have looked like you thought it was going to look. But God did not fail. And God did not disappoint.

[57:16] know it to be and if you know that to be true, and even if that time in the desert, even if that time in the cocoon was hard, you came out on the other side.

[57:34] So I ask you again, church, do butterflies spend their time wishing they were caterpillars again. Or, no matter where you are right now, no matter how God might be calling you, can you trust that there is something on the other side of what God is calling you to that is better than now?

[58:03] Leave behind what must be left behind, and follow him to your promised land. Amen and amen.

[58:18] Loving and gracious God, we are grateful that you are who you are, that you continue to call us forward, that you continue to work on us, that you continue to say that there is more.

[58:34] So Lord, no matter how hard it is for us, we are so grateful for your grace, for a love that does not give up on us when we are so ready to turn around and run back because it gets hard.

[58:50] Let us continue to hold on. Let us continue to have faith. Let us continue to work forward even when it's hard because you have shown us, you have shown us time and time again that you do not fail, that you do not abandon us and that if we stay faithful even when it's hard we will reach the promise.

[59:22] Amen. on this journey toward the holy land and God may we feel the living presence of Christ may we dwell in the silence rise in the song and may we live in the word of God.

[60:09] We come to be in prayer and to be fed at the table. We have come to worship. Amen. God and God who blessed water and invited us to enter into the family of God through its healing flow.

[60:31] Who saw in the broken bread the possibilities of being made whole. Who called us to share bread with others so all might be fed.

[60:41] who placed the chalice in our midst and said this is the symbol of serving others, of loving deeply, of being poured out.

[60:53] It is the wind of compassion, the cup of hope. love. We believe God calls us to welcome all into the redeeming community of love and gives us the bread and cup as signs of the risen Christ present with us now as friend, guide, and comforter.

[61:14] We believe the mystery of God is seen in the common elements of our lives. Thanks be to God. Amen. The Lord be with you.

[61:25] And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

[61:37] Lord, it is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you. And so with all your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join in your unending hymn.

[61:54] Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

[62:07] Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

[62:30] On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he ate supper with his friends, and he took a simple loaf of bread, and looking at his friends with love, he gave thanks for the bread, broke it, and he gave it to them, saying, take and eat.

[62:46] This represents my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Help us to humbly receive this gift of bread, that we may be healed and nourished in your spirit, Lord.

[63:02] Likewise, after the supper, when he had given them the bread, he also took the cup. And looking at them with love, he gave thanks. He gave thanks for the cup, he blessed it, and gave it to them, and said, drink from this, all of you.

[63:18] It represents the blood of my new covenant. It is the covenant of hope and forgiveness. Each time you drink of this cup, do it in remembrance of me.

[63:29] Lord, we come as sinners to receive this blessing, yet you have lavished your love and forgiveness on us. Help us to humbly receive this gracious gift and to go and live our lives as transformed by love.

[63:46] And so, in remembrance of all your gifts and your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice. In union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

[64:07] Pour out your Holy Spirit on all of us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ so that we might be the body of Christ in the world.

[64:20] And through him and with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, may all honor and glory be yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

[64:30] And of children of the risen Christ, now say the prayer he's taught us. Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

[64:42] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

[64:56] And deliver us from temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

[65:07] Amen. The table of the Lord is ready. There's a place for all of God's children here. Come. Come and receive the bread and the cup.

[65:20] Take and eat, remembering that Christ offered himself for you. Do this with thanksgiving and joy. All is ready. All is ready. Come join us up front, please.

[66:10] Thank you. Thank you.

[66:45] Thank you.

[67:15] Thank you.

[67:45] Thank you. Please come and eat. There will be gluten-free to the left and regular up front. So please come. All to Jesus I surrender.

[68:16] All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust in His presence daily live.

[68:36] I surrender all. I surrender all.

[68:48] All to Thee my blessed Savior I surrender all.

[69:02] All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I surrender. Only at His feet I bow.

[69:18] All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. Take me Jesus.

[69:30] Take me now. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all.

[69:42] All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all.

[69:58] All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender all. Take me Savior holy God.

[70:14] Let me feel the Holy Spirit Truly know that Thou art mine I surrender all I surrender all All to Thee, my blessed Savior I surrender all All to Jesus I surrender Lord, I give myself to Thee Fill me with Thy love and power

[71:16] Let the blessing fall on me I surrender all I surrender all All to Thee, my blessed Savior I surrender all Even when it's hard May we find ourselves surrendering Leaving behind what doesn't serve us

[72:17] Moving forward with perseverance And actively trusting in God's timing And His goodness I'm going to invite you to stand As we sing our closing song The goodness of God I love you, Lord Oh, Your mercy never fails me All my days I've been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up Until I lay my head I will sing Of the goodness of God

[73:19] All my life All my life All my life You have been faithful All my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I have made I will sing I will sing I will sing Of the goodness of God I love Your voice You have led me through the fire In the darkest night You are close like no other I've known you I've known you as a father I've known you as a father I've known you as a friend I have lived in the goodness of God

[74:26] All my life You have been faithful All my life You have been faithful All my life So, so good With every breath that I have made I will sing Of the goodness of God Your goodness is running after It's running after me Your goodness is running after It's running after me With my life laid down I'll turn around I'll give you everything Your goodness is running after

[75:28] It's running after me Your goodness is running after It's running after me Your goodness is running after It's running after me My life may die I surrender now I give you everything Your goodness is running after It's running after me All my life you have been faithful All my life you have been so, so loved

[76:29] With every breath that I am made for I will sing of the goodness of God I will sing of the goodness of God We know how hard change can be We know how good God can be So even when the change is hard We trust in the goodness of our God To continue taking us where God hopes we will go And now in the name of God

[77:30] Our creator and king In the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord and our Savior And in the name of the Holy Spirit Our counselor and our sustainer May God bless us now As we leave the limits of God And all God's children Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen guitar solo guitar solo guitar solo

[79:16] All my life can have been so so good Every breath can I end up guitar solo I will sing the goodness of God I will sing the goodness of God ...

[79:46] ... ... ... ... ...