Rev. George Miller
October 5, 2025
Exodus 16:1-18
Last night was our 2nd Annual
Polka Worship, with a focus on Martin Luther.
He would have enjoyed our time together.
For all his seriousness, Luther liked
simple blessings and God’s provision, once stating-
“God does not give us only what is
necessary, but also what is delightful and joyful. (God) gives us wine to gladden the heart, oil
to make the face shine, bread to give strength.
Thus we see the overflowing goodness of God.”
My recent vacation in Minneapolis was the
overflowing goodness of God. Visiting
friends. Preaching at Grace Temple. Seeing the sun rise over the city. Relaxed meals with fresh fruit in the morning
and a martini at night.
I desired to bring that sense of vacation calm back to St. Louis.
On Wednesday the alarm sounds and there
are the day-to-day things to do- feed cats, put away dishes.
Such tasks can feel like a chore, but if
done with intention, they’re like a ritual.
A sense of order to ground the mundane of the day into the holy, trusting
that even in the dustpan, God is there.
While doing laundry, an idea arrived. Instead of hauling the items from the washer
into the dryer in one big clump, why not go piece by piece?
Noble idea, but by the 3rd
item, boredom settled in. To make it like
a game, I counted how many items were in the wash. 31 pieces, from socks to t-shirts to towels.
This was just 1 load. There are people in which 31 of anything
would be a lot.
It felt like an unbearable chore; yet a
chore because I was fortunate enough to have this much.
The irony of having too much- looking at a
full closet, saying “I have nothing to
wear,” then looking at a full hamper and saying “Not more laundry!”
Can anyone can relate? Having to wash dishes, but those dishes meant
you got to eat. Having to shovel the
driveway, but that means you have a car.
The writer of Proverbs 30 says to God
“Give me neither poverty or extreme wealth; give me what I need.”(Proverbs
30:7-8)
The idea of scarcity and abundance is very
much a part of the Bible.
Abraham and Sarah face a famine that
forces them into Egypt. Jacob only has a
stone to sleep on in the desert.
On his death bed, he says to his son, may
the Almighty “bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep
that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” (Genesis
49:25)
Blessings of heaven, blessing of the
earth, blessings of the family.
Martin Luther understood this. He was a man of faith who enjoyed a laugh, a
song, and a stein of beer.
He understood the tension of God’s gifts
and human needs.
He saw “daily bread,” to include that
which is needed to support the body- shoes, shelter, nutrition, a healthy family, honest leaders, honorable
friends.
He warned against having so much that one
turns to hoarding, cruel greed, exploitation.
He worried that too much can pull someone
away from God just as too little can cause one to not believe in God.
When preaching on Ecclesiastes, Luther
said “It is God’s good pleasure that we enjoy what (God) has created. Therefore, we should use God’s gifts with
thanksgiving, not with greed, but with gladness.”
Meeting gifts with gladness; finding ways
to embrace God’s abundance so that everyone can have their blessed daily bread
too.
We see this in today’s scripture. The people are on the journey of a lifetime. From the Nile Delta, across the Red Sea, to
the springs, the Israelites face a new reality.
After 2 months and 15 days, they are
tired. Their feet hurt; their joints
ache; they are hungry. Their bellies are
making that rumbly sound. So, they
rumble to Moses.
As Luther noted, when food is scarce, it
creates a faith crisis. They feel tempted
to go back to the not-so-good old days. Though
they were slaves, they had food; now things seem scant.
So God produces a plan, one with lessons
of participation, trust, and rest.
In the morning there’s bread for everyone. But God’s not going simply hand it to
them. God is going to empower them.
They are to go out, gather what they need,
doing the necessary work to attain their daily bread.
Then there is the trust part- don’t hoard
the bread; believe there will be more.
Then there is the rest part. On day 6, gather twice as much and trust that
it will last them until Sunday.
Think of it- this former group of enslaved
people are told it is OK to rest, and they can sleep in and still be fed
without fearing punishment.
It’s beautiful. God will provide; you participate in the
blessing.
God will give, but trust that it is enough. Use what you receive appropriately so no one
goes without and nothing goes to waste.
God wants you to rest, so take time to
breathe, chillax, enjoy.
God is presenting a rhythm, a daily
ritual, a way to find the holy with them, beside them, around them.
The people experienced God in the parting
of the Red Sea; now they experience God in the mundane everyday of “Mom- what’s
for breakfast?” “Dad- what’s for
dinner?”
This is God saying “I will meet you where
you are and give you what you need.”
We see this in Jesus. Think of all the ways Christ, the incarnate
“I AM” is able to meet people where they are and give them what they require.
Like in John 6. Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee. People follow him up a mountain. He sits.
He sees the masses. He tells the
disciples to have them sit down.
When the children and adults sit in the abundant
grass, Jesus takes 5 barley loaves, gives thanks, and gives it to those ready
to receive.
There was enough bread as the people could
want, and when the meal is finished, Jesus says “Gather up the left-overs so
nothing goes to waste.” There is an
abundance of 12 baskets.
We see a need, and participation from the people. We see rest and trust as they sit in the lush
grass. We see supply as folk get what is
needed and there’s enough for all.
In the stories of our ancestors and ministry
of Jesus, we experience the eternal questions-
When things are uncertain, will you trust
God and when things are in abundance, will you still trust?
Today we witness the ways of heaven here
on earth, how God’s desire is for everyone to have enough, and our call to both
work and rest, receive and trust.
These are the ways we experience Christ
and transform lives; ways to honor our
heritage and to ensure a future.
Ways we see God in the miraculous and the
mundane, the personal and the communal.
And, as Martin Luther would say “To see
the overflowing goodness of God.”
Amen.
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