Ah Facebook - Rev Julia Monaghan

This week the Queen visited Google to gain a greater understanding of how the World Wide Web worked. In honour of her Royal Googlness this week’s sermon is in the form of a Blog written by Moses late at night in his tent.
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Shalom. I am Moses, leader of the Israelites.
Temporary address Sinai but hoping to invest in improved real estate soon.
I am of mature years and a shepherd by trade though latterly I have developed an expertise in “The Law”, mediation work and nation building.
Hobbies include mountain climbing and improving my internet skills.
If you would like to be my internet friend please contact me on dessertrover@blueyonder.co.sinai.……..

Blog
October 18th -well past midnight; cold, tired but so much to reflect upon.

It has been a time of unrest in the camp. I totally underestimated the damaging effect of the years of bondage in Egypt, under mining the peoples confidence and ability to work together to make good decisions for the community.
Wondering in the desert has provided valuable time for detoxing from the punitive effects of slavery and dependence on an exploitative slave owner, towards independence and the choice of trusting in Yahweh, the 1 true God.
With resources scarce people have looked to their own self interest and there has been much infighting with regular disputes over the ownership of property and the converting of neighbours livestock. The grass always looks greener where the neighbour’s goats are grazing.
And then there has been unrest over the new form of Modern Worship that the younger generation have developed. They are calling the new movement the singing of Psalms. They often seem to take the form of songs of joy in a poetic form with much praising and giving thanks. They can be all be a bit repetitive and sometimes over emotional for my liking - but then such outward expressions of joy come from my sisters side of the family. Miriam has always been the one for singing and dancing with tambourines.
Of course the Marching Band hasn’t helped! Joshua, a good trumpet player, has attracted a large number of youngsters and it’s good to see how they can work co-operatively together but the elders have said that the noise they make when practicing makes the tents shake and disturbs the babies. Still, I’m reluctant to disband it. You never know how and when God can use a good Marching Band!
With all the conflict followed by the uncertainty over my return after a meeting with Yahweh, I can see why Aaron gave into the requests of the people and agreed to a community project. But really- to represent the almighty Yahweh the creator of heaven and earth, as a baby calf – what an insult – no wonder Yahweh’s righteous anger was invoked. It was particularly poignant when only weeks before Yahweh had made it clear that his total uniqueness meant that he, and only he, was worthy of worship.
I had never known Yahweh so angry and seemingly at the end of the line with his people. He called them “Stiff Necked,” with whom he could no longer walk because his purity would destroy them. The relationship of promise and companionship was broken and you could hear the community’s collective intake of breathe, as I smashed the tablets on which God had written his commandments and the people realised the enormity of what they had done.
And that’s how things remained until this morning; the relationship between Yahweh and the people broken; the people in mourning, feeling abandoned, knowing that they couldn’t go back to Egypt but too scared to go forward on their own and Yahweh, in the most justified divine huff that I had ever experienced.
Now as any self respecting mediator knows, the art of resolving dead lock is for everyone to give a little bit and hopefully to find some common ground on which to build a consensus.
My only trouble was that I seemingly had very little room to manoeuvre. The people kept messing up and even if I went back to them and elicited all sorts of promises to do better; to try harder; there would be no pulling the wool over Yahweh’s eyes. He knew whatever their good intensions, they would never be able to deliver so engaging with them would be like trying to build a house on sand.
But putting the pressure up; negotiating with Yahweh; getting Yahweh to soften, engage, change him mind when he didn’t have to, now that would take some courage. Community leadership who would want it! But really what option did I have, negotiating with sand and unreliability or engaging with a divine presence that I had known to be totally dependable and totally trustworthy in the past.
And so with a high degree of trepidation I approached Yahweh. I pointed out that I was simply not going to let him withdraw his presence because he had promised to be our nations God and that promise had been made in the full knowledge of the fallibility of the people. And besides, I said, he had called me to the task of leadership and promised to be my friend and companion and still looked upon me with benevolence. So I challenged Yahweh to “Come clean and explain himself.”
There was a prolonged moment of silence when the tension increased even more and I wondered if I had gone too far. Justice and compassion clashed in Yahweh’s heart. And then I experienced what could only be described as a divine laugh. The tension eased and Yahweh promised me rest once more…….
“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” He had chosen for compassion to prevail.
Taking confidence from this divine commitment that he would be present with the people once more I sought personal reassurance that I was still to be his agent in leading the people forward and if this were still to be the case he would reassure me with a tangible sign of his glory. If I were to lead this often disparate and divided community into the unknown I needed reassurance of my role.
And that was how I came to view the divine back of Yahweh as his goodness past by me and I lived to tell the tale.
This set me wondering how others find reassurance particularly in times of trouble or when there is a silence and uncertainty about walking in the purposes of God. Please join this Blog and share your thoughts………
Moses