Rev. Jonathan Rumburg

“A Legacy of Faith”

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-Deuteronomy 34:12

Scripture Introduction

Today’s scripture reading begins in Exodus 2 verse 1, and we will go through Deuteronomy 34:12.  Which means, I know what many of you are thinking—“That’s four out of the five books of the Pentateuch.  I wish he would just include Genesis.”  And that is incredibly theologically dutiful of you to want such, but I think 142 pages of biblical text will suffice for today’s sermon.

Now of course I am not going to read 142 pages of the bible this morning.  I am actually going to read just a few verses from Exodus chapter 2, and then skip all the way ahead to Deuteronomy 34:1-12.  Exodus is the beginning, and Deuteronomy is the end of the life and ministry of Moses.

So we will hear his beginning and then his end, and we will simply let our minds, hearts, spirits, past Sunday School and Vacation Bible school lessons, and maybe even Cecil B. DeMille and Charleston Heston fill in the parts in between.

Introduction

We all know the story of Moses.  He was born to a Hebrew slave, saved by Pharaoh’s daughter, and raised as an Egyptian prince.  Then, because he saw the beating of a Hebrew slave, he kills the attacker, and flees to the hills.  Later we get the famous story of Moses and the burning bush where God calls Moses to lead God’s people out of slavery.  Moses goes to Pharaoh and says “Let my people go” to which Pharaoh scoffs until finally the tenth plague comes upon Egypt, and all the first born sons are killed, except for the Hebrews sons whose parents dutifully put sacrificial blood over the doorways of their homes so God would “Passover” that home and spare the first born.  That’s when finally Pharaoh gives in and releases the Hebrews.

From there the Israelites flee to the Red Sea, Moses parts it, they begin to cross, but Pharaoh changes his mind, sends soldiers to bring the Hebrews back, but the Red Sea un-parts, and the Hebrews are safe, and begin their trek to the Promised Land that is flowing with milk and honey—that of course will take the next forty years.

And during that forty year hike we see: Moses going up to Mount Sinai; getting shoved into a cleft of rock then seeing God’s backside; he receives the 10 Commandments; bread comes down from heaven; water flows from a rock: the people complain; there’s that whole golden calf debacle; more laws and commandments are given; God leads as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night—on and on and on for forty years, until finally God’s people get to the Jordan River where on the other side is the Promised Land.

Just one problem.  The land is already occupied.  So Moses sends in twelve spies—ten of whom report the inhabitants are giants and “we seemed like grasshoppers” to them.  But the other two spies— Joshua and Caleb—they say, “With God on our side, we got this.”

And from there it is a roller coaster ride through Deuteronomy—during which Joshua is blessed to be Moses successor—and we arrive at chapter 34 where the Israelites are about to cross over the Jordan, into the land of milk and honey.  All of them except Moses.

Moses is literally at the threshold of his life’s call and work—it’s all about to culminate in the promise fulfilled—the Promised Land is right there.  But Moses… will never step even a toe into it.  All Moses gets is the chance to look out and see a majestic, panoramic view of it all, just before he dies.  And that’s it for Moses.  Except for that little “transfiguration” conference mentioned in the Gospels, no one hears from him again.  His epic life story—a hundred and forty two biblical pages that encompass a life of one hundred and twenty years.  Moses had come so far, undertook and endured and persevered through so much…yet his life ends before his life’s work is done.

The story of Moses is unexpected, sad, and unfair, which means in so many ways it is a tragedy.  He comes so far, gets so close… then dies.  And rather unceremoniously at that.  No whirlwind like Elijah.  No poetic pageantry like Paul.  No martyrdom like Stephen.  No political upheaval like John.  Moses just dies…leaving no famous last words, not even a grave marker for future generations to light a candle at.  Instead of an inspiring story of achievement, accomplishment, and glory—we are left with, “But no one knows his burial place to this day.”

So what should we take from this story?  Well the ending of Moses’ story may seem unexpected, something else does happen—something just as unexpected.  And it is the lesson for us to hold onto as we strive to live a life that—like Moses—is faithful to God and God’s call.

Move 1

Imagine working for something your whole life—suffering for it, enduring for it, giving every fiber of your being to it—but then never seeing it come to completion.

Like a medieval stone-mason building a cathedral who dies before his work is completed.  Look at the incompleteness of a life’s work in such a way, and you can see tragedy.  But what if, instead of looking at a life that doesn’t see its life work come to fruition, the life was looked at as a life that was an investment—an investment that outlives the person.  Now that’s something different, right?

A life-investment that out-lives a person—even if the person never sees the goal achieved isn’t a tragedy—it’s a legacy.  And what is legacy… Writer and actor Linn Manuel Myranda, in his famous role as Alexander Hamilton, poetically, and accurately, defines legacy, saying, “It’s about planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.  I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me.  America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me, you let me make a difference, a place where even orphan immigrants can leave their fingerprints and rise up.”

Legacy is immortal.

*******

          Moses’ mother wanted to save her son’s life—and so she did.  God used Moses to save God’s people.  Moses was faithful to this call his entire life.

And though he himself never got to the Promised Land, his life, his inspiration, his faithfulness—his legacy— continued to lead others into the Promised Land, and into other “promised lands” as well.  Moses life—all of it—was an investment.  An investment that turned into legacy—a legacy still alive today.

Move 2

Bruce Feiler, in his book “America’s Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America”, writes about how Moses’ legacy became a foundational narrative for the American story, citing numerous examples:

Christopher Columbus compared himself to Moses when he sailed in 1492.  Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet “Common Sense”, compared King George to Pharaoh.  Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, in the summer of 1776, proposed that Moses be on the seal of the United States.  Harriet Tubman adopted Moses’ name on the Underground Railroad.  Abraham Lincoln was eulogized as Moses’ incarnation.  Martin Luther King Jr. likened himself to Moses, saying he may not get there with those he struggled beside—saying such on the eve of his assignation.

Feiler’s book shows that for hundreds of years, one figure stands out as the surprising symbol of America.

*******

          The ending of his life may seem tragic—but when we look at how God used Moses’ life, we see his unexpected, sad, unfair ending wasn’t tragic.  Moses’ life is a legacy because Moses lived a life of faithfulness.  And when a life of faithfulness is lived—it may at times appear to end in tragedy— that life, nevertheless, lives on as a legacy.

Move 3

Today is All Saints Sunday— the day we turn our focus to those great role models for faithful discipleship who now enjoy everlasting life with God.  And while today is a day to honor those who have gone on to glory, by remembering what they did as good and faithful servants, today is also an opportunity to consider our own lives, our own life calling, our own faithful service, and our own legacy.

Today implores us to ask the question:  Am I creating, cultivating, and investing in a legacy of faith?

*******

          Yes, today is about the past and what was.  But today should also be about tomorrow, and what can be when we are faithful to God and God’s call.  Moses and God’s people were always looking ahead to where God was taking them—even after Moses’ death, they kept looking ahead to where God was taking them, to what God was calling them to.  That has been the model of faithfulness for generations upon generations.  And that is what the Church must always be doing too.  We remember from where we have come, but we are always working toward where God is taking us.

And that is what we, First Christian Church of Stow, must do too.  Which is why we are having the Congregational Conclaves I’ve been promoting for over a month now.

Move 4

More than a few who have attended a least one of the conclaves has told me that a broader and deeper understanding of these Congregational Conclaves would be helpful because this truly is meant to be a whole church visioning process—not the visioning of just a few.

So, to be clear, a Congregational Conclave is “an assembly designed to have special authority and influence.”  These conclaves are our chance to assess the state of our church, along with the community and culture around us; while also providing each of us the opportunity to give voice and influence to our discernment about how God is calling First Christian Church of Stow, Ohio to faithfully move forward.  We are, quite literally in these meetings, discussing what our future legacy will be.

And we need everyone’s voice, because each of you—whether you have been here your whole life or only a short while—you are a piece of what our future legacy will be—what will be long after we are gone.

Conclusion

Next Sunday we are going to talk more about the future of the Church and the future of First Christian Church.  And in each conclave we will drill down into it all even more, and so I hope you will add your voice to this important and faithful work.

Because when we invest our lives, as Moses did, in being faithful to what God would have us be and do, then we can rest assured we are working to create a future for others that will live long past us, even if our names are one day forgotten.

Such an opportunity happens each year, each month, each week, each day, right here in our church.  The people we are, the things we do, the visions we strive to bring into reality, the ministries we support and are a part of—they all are building a legacy.  Just as we stand within the legacy of faithfulness that began over 180 years ago, future generations, because of us, will continue to grow, thrive, and be built.  For what we do with God lasts far beyond us.

No, we may never see our “promised land”, but the promise of the Kingdom of God is that our end is never the end, because faithfulness in God will always result in a legacy of faith.  And a legacy of faith goes on for generation, after generation, after generation.  Amen.

Pastoral Prayer, November 7, 2021

God of yesterday and tomorrow; Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end, on this All Saints Sunday, with draw closer to you because of those who have gone before us, but before it was their time to go home they first built upon a foundation of faith in you and the promises you assured would be fulfilled.

And we draw closer to you also because you are calling us to a future you have promised us—a future filled with hope; a future that call us to further the faithful work of those who have gone before us and keep building on the that foundation of faith.

And so for the legacy of all the saints, we give you thanks, O God.
Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals, weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses—wherever your name was lifted and adored we seek to add to their legacy.

We give you thanks for hands lifted in praise: manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil; strong hands and those gnarled with age—for they are hands of legacy, transformed and used as your hands in this world.

We thank you for hardworking saints; whether hard-hatted or steel-booted; head ragged or stain aproned; blue-collared or three-piece-suited—they left their legacy on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come.

We thank you God for the aged and the young, for the white, black, and brown, for the diversity that makes up your creation.  Brothers and sister in you, all are we.

We thank you for the Saints so close to us in our lives—whether long in years when they returned to you, or whether returned to you sooner than ever imagined—we know their legacy of faith is indelibly imprinted upon our souls, and that can never part from us.

Bless the memories of your Saints, God.  From their examples of faith, dedication, and love—from their legacy— equip us always to further and fulfill the work of your Kingdom, as they did, on earth as it is in heaven.  May that be the legacy we strive to give to others.

We ask for you to hear now the prayers we have to share in this time of holy silence.

All this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”