Morning Musing: Exodus 13:20-22

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“They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I was once the drummer in a band called Fire by Night. The founder really wanted to have a band like the Christian jam band, Waterdeep, because he was such a big fan of them. I had never heard of them at that point (I grew to be a huge fan over the next couple of years), so it was tough for me to grasp his vision. Also, their drummer, Brandon, was much, much more talented than I was, so I was never going to be able to imitate his style very well. In any event, he cobbled together a few friends, and we gave it a go. I still remember sitting around trying to think up a name for the group. We threw around various ideas until someone (not me) said, “What about ‘Fire by Night’?” Everyone knew immediately that was the right name. I think we played exactly one show at someone’s house party and recorded an incomplete version of one song that I still sometimes find myself singing. I tell you all of that because the whole thing was inspired by this story. Let’s talk about what’s happening here, and why we have something even better today.

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Well Led

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For all of the nuts and bolts of getting being the church right we’ve talked about so far, many of them are dependent on what we are talking about this time. We can have all the big dreams and plans for the church in the world, but if there is not solid leadership in place, we aren’t going to be able to move smoothly or easily toward any of them. This week we are talking about church leadership. Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say and what one important implication of this is for our lives.

Well Led

Have you ever had the pleasure of strolling through a really well-tended garden? When I think about that, something like the Biltmore Estate immediately comes to mind for me. Those gardens are absolutely exquisite. There’s beauty everywhere you look. It is a place of peace and tranquility—even in the winter—and a nice escape from the world. The whole estate is like that, but the gardens up near the mansion are a particularly good place for it. Imagine, though, that you were walking through a forest and came upon a garden like that. Your first thought would not be anywhere in the universe of, “Wow! What a beautiful garden that grew up here like this out in the middle of nowhere all by itself.” No, you’re thinking something along the lines of, “Someone did beautiful work making this garden look like it does.” You might also be thinking, “Uh-oh! Whose land have I accidentally trespassed on? I hope they don’t have a big, vicious dog guarding it.” 

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Digging in Deeper: 1 Samuel 15:22

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“Then Samuel said: ‘Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Some stories are just classic. And, if we’re being honest, culturally speaking, most of those stories are owned by Disney. Some of the all-time classic children’s stories have been immortalized in a certain form by a Disney animated film. This doesn’t mean the Disney version is true to the original source material for the story. It often is not. But for several generations, Disney hired the best storytellers and animators and created a cultural narrative around their versions (especially the various princesses from the fairytales they brought to life…never the princes though…I wonder how different our culture would be if Disney had poured as much effort into telling boys to be princes as they have telling girls they are all princesses) that resulted in their versions becoming the ones everybody knows. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty were the original trio. Since then, many more have been added including the latest to get the live-action treatment and which recently launched on Disney+, The Little Mermaid. Let’s talk today about The Little Mermaid and why the real story is not the one you think it is.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 13:17-18

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“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, ‘The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.’ So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Think for a minute about the last time you stood at the precipice of a huge task. I remember the first time I sat down at my desk as the new pastor of a church for the first time. The scope of what lay before me was overwhelming. I hardly knew where to begin. Rather than trying to do everything, though, I started with just a few and got those rolling. Then, I moved on to the next things. To put that another way, I didn’t try to set the whole direction for the church at first, I just wrote a sermon. After that I began to broaden my focus. Trying to bite off more than we can chew is a recipe for choking. It’s better to take the things one step at a time. God understands this principle as well. That helps explain where our story goes next. Let’s talk about it this morning.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 13:8-10

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“On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Ronald Reagan is famous for making the observation that freedom is never more than a generation away from dying out. His point was that unless we actively inculcate the next generation with a love of American freedom (which is unique in the world), it will not last. It is not a state of affairs that arises naturally, and it will not be maintained without constant and abiding attention. Given recent surveys on the opinions of young people today about various foundational American ideals, I’d say his warning was prescient. Here in Exodus 13, God was in the process of giving the people of Israel their freedom. They were going on a journey to a new homeland where they would be able to live out their freedom to its fullest if they so chose. But He knew that freedom was a tenuous thing and not a natural one. So, one of the things He made clear they needed to do was to pass it on. Let’s talk about this third and most important emphasis of the first part of Exodus 13.

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