The Ten Commandments (Ten Friends Of The Covenant)
Drama
Holy Moses
A Family-Focused Lenten Series
Object:
Midweek Lent 5 Drama
Characters
Voice Of God (offstage)
Moses
Carnival Barker
Ten Friends
Props
Bell
Placard (xxx@#$$XXX)
Large numerals worn by Friends
"Mount Sinai" sign
Setting
Mount Sinai area
(music)
Scene 1
Moses: Good evening, friends. I am Moses, from the house of Levi. I am pleased to be back with you in this "Holy Moses" Lenten pageant. Come with me. Observe a marvelous incident in the wilderness. We had escaped from Egypt by the mighty hand of God. We wandered in the wilderness (looks shocked) would you believe for forty long, hot years? In that time of wandering, God was preparing us for what was to come. And part of what was to come is now. We are at Mount Sinai. It is time to renew the covenant. The Lord speaks to us:
Voice Of God: I am going to come to you, Moses, in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after (Exodus 19:9).
Moses: (answers) Trust me ever after? Okay -- but that's pretty awesome. (to the audience) Well, I told the Lord's message to the people of Israel and then the Lord spoke to me again:
Voice Of God: Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and prepare for the third day, because on the third day, I, the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people (cf Exodus 19:10-11).
Moses: Oh my! When I heard that I said, "Offta me, offta my!"
Voice Of God: (interrupts) You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, "Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it ... when the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain" (Exodus 19:12-13).
Moses: So when the Lord finished speaking to me I went down from the mountain to the people. I consecrated the people and they washed their clothes. And I said to the people, "Prepare for the third day...."
On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And I was scared too, out of my lovin' mind, but I went up Mount Sinai. And the Lord, almighty and holy, spoke these Ten Commandments:
(Bell toll or chime between each commandment -- one bell toll for commandment one, two tolls for two, and so on.)
Friend 1: I am Commandment Number One! Uno! I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments (cf Exodus 20:2-6).
Barker: (runs out from the side stage) And what meaneth that? Pray tell? (exaggerates comic actions)
Friend 1: Why hello, Barker, this is what it meaneth: (dramatically) We are to fear, love, and trust God above everything else! And the promise hidden in that command is that God promises to be our God forever.
(Bell tolls or chimes two times.)
Friend 2: I am Commandment Number Two! Dos! You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. (shows placard = xxx@#$$XXX)
Barker: (does acrobatics) And what command from de Lord meaneth that? (tapes mouth shut)
Friend 2: (speaks in a high falsetto voice) We are to fear and love God so that we do not use his name superstitiously, or use it to curse, swear, lie, or deceive, but call upon him (Barker pulls off tape on mouth and recites with Friend 2) in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving!
(Bell tolls or chimes three times.)
Friend 3: I am Commandment Number Tres -- that's three for you folks who are limited to English. See -- three, three. (holds up symbols representing three, points to three people, three fingers, three hymnals, and the like) Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God ... for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day ... (cf Exodus 20:8-11).
Barker: (mockingly) And what does the good Doctor Martin Luttter (use accent) say about that?
Friend 3: Listen to this, Barker: We are to fear and love God so that we do not neglect his Word and the preaching of it, but regard it as holy, holy, holy, and gladly -- that's happily -- hear and learn it. In other words "keep in touch" so we can hear the hidden promise of the gospel.
Moses: So the Lord gave the first table of the law, the first three commandments teaching love to God -- love to God's person, love to God's name, love to God's holy day. Then came the second table of the Law -- love to neighbor. Try these on for size:
(Bell tolls or chimes four times.)
Friend 4: Ta dah! I am Commandment Number Four. Listen up, all you children, and children's children. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12). (looks at Barker) And that means you, too!
Barker: Huh? Me, too? Okay. (automatically recites Luther's meaning in a high-toned British accent) We are to fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and others in authority, but respect, obey, love, and serve them.
Friend 4: Right on, Barker, right on!
(Bell tolls or chimes five times.)
Friend 5: (chants) And I am Commandment Number Five.
I want all to stay alive.
You shall not kill
By a stab or poisonous pill
Nor choke, nor shoot, nor hit
or force anyone into the pit.
(speaks) And that means:
Barker: (mischievously; also chants) We are to fear and love God so that, so that, so that ...
Friend 5: Yes, Mr. Barker, go on.
Barker: ... so that we do not hurt our neighbor in any way, but help him in all his physical needs. (bows)
Friend 5: Very fine, Barker, very fine.
(Bell tolls or chimes six times.)
Friend 6: (sings like opera) And as Commandment Number Six says, chiseled in stone, "You shall not commit adultery."
(Bell tolls or chimes seven times.)
Friend 7: And Commandment Number Seven, "You shall not steal." Does anybody know what these mean? (looks around and ignores the Barker who jumps up with glee and recites the two meanings)
Barker: (high-pitched voice) We are to fear and love God so that in matters of sex, our words and conduct are pure and honorable, and husband and wife love (pronounced like Oprah Winfrey does) and respect each other. (in a low, bass voice) We are to fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or property, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his property and means of making a living.
Friends 6: That is most certainly true. Good job, Barker. You're pretty smart despite what everybody is saying about you. Ha.
(Bell tolls or chimes eight times.)
Friend 8: I am Commandment Number Eight. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16) and ... (quickly recites Luther's meaning before the Barker who is all ready to do it)
Barker: Uuhhhh ...
Friend 8: We are to fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, or lie about our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain his actions in the kindest way.
(Barker pouts, then changes his/her attitude and gives Friend 8 a hug.)
(Bell tolls or chimes nine, then ten times.)
Friends 9 and 10: (said together) We are Commandments Nine and Ten. We are the Covet couple.
Barker: Covet couple?
Friends 9 and 10: Yep, the Covet couple. Don't do it. Don't covet your neighbor's things, inanimate or living but ...
Barker: (interrupts) We are to fear, fear, fear and love the Lord God so we do not even desire to get our neighbor's possession or try to coax or tempt away our neighbor's wife or workers but encourage them to remain loyal.
Friends 9 and 10: You've got it! Now have we got it?
Moses: I hope so. Now, in conclusion, what did God on Mount Sinai say of all these commandments? Listen to this: God threatens to punish all disobedience but in Christ, God sets our futures on a new footing -- the promise hidden in the commands. When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance (Exodus 20:18). I said, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin" (cf Exodus 20:20).
(All bow.)
(music)
Midweek Lent 5 Sermon
Ten Friends Driving Us To The Promise
There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
-- Romans 8:1
One day last spring, something memorable happened at Carlton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Thirty-one students in the same class turned in identical research papers. It was determined that the students had all accessed the same internet website.
If only one student had done it, the ruse might not have caught the professor's attention. But here's what else opened the instructor's eyes; the research paper topic was "ethics."
This unethical ethics "research" caper suggests an opportunity. If young people are lacking in moral fiber, where will they get it?1
Is there a need for rediscovery of moral footings and a renewed understanding of right and wrong?
When the pope visited Denver for a youth gathering, thousands came. Two young adults sharing a tent in the campsite area said to a reporter that this was the highlight of their spiritual life.
When the reporter asked if they thought the pope would approve of their co-habiting together without the benefit of marriage they replied, "Oh, probably not, but that's his opinion."
Does the pope function and sail on a sea of opinion or is there a higher set of moral guidelines and rules?
Clearly we are sailing on a sea of relativism.
A pastor's daughter recently said, "Well, Dad, what's right for you is right for you but what's right for me is right for me."
Someone says that the best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to spend time arguing about the crookedness but just to put a straight stick alongside it.
You go to a basketball game and soon discover there are no rules. Some dribble, some do not. Fouls are not considered. It's a free for all, its chaos and not a game.
When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he received ten friends for Israel's life and journey together. The ten friends taught love of God and love of neighbor.
The first role of these ten friends was to bring order out of chaos. They would assist the people to hear the Word of God and act accordingly.
These ten friends are never out of date. Some of the other levitical, holiness code laws have only contextual application. However, the ten friends Moses received amidst the thunder and lightning on Sinai have universal relevance.
Jim Nestingen writes, "Though the language of the Commandments is seriously dated ... it's reality is as current as morning coffee."2
The second role of the Ten Commandments is to require our keeping them. Soon we discover that when our relationship to God is dependant upon human action these friends begin to accuse us.
Professsor Jim Limburg once gave a chapel talk at Augustana College.
His topic was "Moses Makes Me Nervous." He began by reminding the worshipers that Michelangelo's reproduced Moses statue on the Augustana Campus was looking right into Limburg's office window.
Moses makes me nervous, when I am expected to keep the Ten Commandments and my life is judged according to them.
The commandments are demands and when the demands are not met perfectly they clearly show us our sin. They humble us. Break us down. They point out our guilt.
The difference between the Law and the gospel is this: Ask who is responsible to fulfill them. The Law (Ten Commandments) says you are. The gospel says Christ.
Luther once wrote: "The law says, 'do this,' and it is never done. Grace says, 'believe this,' and everything is already done."3
We have come full circle. Unable to believe the promise of the First Commandment, we find ourselves driven out into the world where the Ten Commandments, for all of their reasonableness, turn into indictments. And so we are driven right back to the Promise again, there to obtain the courage and strength -- the fear, love, and trust -- to live as God's Children."4
The third role of the Ten Commandments is to drive us to a Savior. Since obeying the commandments cannot save us, we need a Savior. They drive us to the promise.
They drive us to the gospel in which Christ does it all. Christ has the last word. For the time being, we have to deal with commandments. But there comes a time when the commandments have to end. For as good, life-giving, true and right as they are, finally the commandments double back on themselves, filling us with accusations and denunciations until we cry out in desperation.
Christ is the end of the law. He is the one who can finally say: "Your sin is forgiven. The commandments have finished their work with you."
Every time we quote, memorize, and refer to the Ten Commandments, we thank God for ten honest friends but who are ultimately exchanged for the one friend who is friend of all -- Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
____________
1. "How about giving integrity?" editorial by Michael Scherer, Metro Lutheran, 12/3/02 (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Metro Lutheran).
2. James Nestingen, The Hidden Promise, A Study of the Ten Commandments (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Fortress, 1994).
3. Martin Luther, Luther's Works, vol. 31, tr. Harold J. Grimm (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1960), p. 56.
4. Ibid.
Midweek Lent 5 Manna Minute
Quails For Supper
Object: blankets made by the church workers
Good evening. Shalom. That's my Hebrew greeting. Peace. I'm Moses, back with you again for this Manna Minute. Glad to be with you. (a little chatter about Lenten worship, weather, or local happenings) Now I want to invite you to come forward again like last week.
(traveling music)
To continue the story, we were in the wilderness and the Israelites started to complain again. Complain, complain, complain. Do you ever complain at your house?
These Hebrews were experts at complaining. Here is their complaint: "Manna, Manna, Manna, ugh. We want some meat to eat not just bread." The manna they were eating was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. I liked it.
Nonetheless, I spoke to the Lord, and our gracious Lord, who always provides when we get in a pickle, answered with a promise: "At sunset, a flock of quails will migrate to your camp. Catch them and you'll have plenty of meat. Six days you shall gather the manna and quail, but there will be none available on the sabbath. So the day before gather enough for two days."
Again, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, I, Moses, am here to tell you God provided again. And I have a question: How can God use us to provide bread and meat for the poor and hungry and naked and suffering in developing countries around the world?
Here's one way: (display blankets made for those in need)
Wow! Thank you for you loving generosity. Please be seated.
(traveling music)
Characters
Voice Of God (offstage)
Moses
Carnival Barker
Ten Friends
Props
Bell
Placard (xxx@#$$XXX)
Large numerals worn by Friends
"Mount Sinai" sign
Setting
Mount Sinai area
(music)
Scene 1
Moses: Good evening, friends. I am Moses, from the house of Levi. I am pleased to be back with you in this "Holy Moses" Lenten pageant. Come with me. Observe a marvelous incident in the wilderness. We had escaped from Egypt by the mighty hand of God. We wandered in the wilderness (looks shocked) would you believe for forty long, hot years? In that time of wandering, God was preparing us for what was to come. And part of what was to come is now. We are at Mount Sinai. It is time to renew the covenant. The Lord speaks to us:
Voice Of God: I am going to come to you, Moses, in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after (Exodus 19:9).
Moses: (answers) Trust me ever after? Okay -- but that's pretty awesome. (to the audience) Well, I told the Lord's message to the people of Israel and then the Lord spoke to me again:
Voice Of God: Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and prepare for the third day, because on the third day, I, the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people (cf Exodus 19:10-11).
Moses: Oh my! When I heard that I said, "Offta me, offta my!"
Voice Of God: (interrupts) You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, "Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it ... when the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain" (Exodus 19:12-13).
Moses: So when the Lord finished speaking to me I went down from the mountain to the people. I consecrated the people and they washed their clothes. And I said to the people, "Prepare for the third day...."
On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And I was scared too, out of my lovin' mind, but I went up Mount Sinai. And the Lord, almighty and holy, spoke these Ten Commandments:
(Bell toll or chime between each commandment -- one bell toll for commandment one, two tolls for two, and so on.)
Friend 1: I am Commandment Number One! Uno! I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments (cf Exodus 20:2-6).
Barker: (runs out from the side stage) And what meaneth that? Pray tell? (exaggerates comic actions)
Friend 1: Why hello, Barker, this is what it meaneth: (dramatically) We are to fear, love, and trust God above everything else! And the promise hidden in that command is that God promises to be our God forever.
(Bell tolls or chimes two times.)
Friend 2: I am Commandment Number Two! Dos! You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. (shows placard = xxx@#$$XXX)
Barker: (does acrobatics) And what command from de Lord meaneth that? (tapes mouth shut)
Friend 2: (speaks in a high falsetto voice) We are to fear and love God so that we do not use his name superstitiously, or use it to curse, swear, lie, or deceive, but call upon him (Barker pulls off tape on mouth and recites with Friend 2) in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving!
(Bell tolls or chimes three times.)
Friend 3: I am Commandment Number Tres -- that's three for you folks who are limited to English. See -- three, three. (holds up symbols representing three, points to three people, three fingers, three hymnals, and the like) Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God ... for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day ... (cf Exodus 20:8-11).
Barker: (mockingly) And what does the good Doctor Martin Luttter (use accent) say about that?
Friend 3: Listen to this, Barker: We are to fear and love God so that we do not neglect his Word and the preaching of it, but regard it as holy, holy, holy, and gladly -- that's happily -- hear and learn it. In other words "keep in touch" so we can hear the hidden promise of the gospel.
Moses: So the Lord gave the first table of the law, the first three commandments teaching love to God -- love to God's person, love to God's name, love to God's holy day. Then came the second table of the Law -- love to neighbor. Try these on for size:
(Bell tolls or chimes four times.)
Friend 4: Ta dah! I am Commandment Number Four. Listen up, all you children, and children's children. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12). (looks at Barker) And that means you, too!
Barker: Huh? Me, too? Okay. (automatically recites Luther's meaning in a high-toned British accent) We are to fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and others in authority, but respect, obey, love, and serve them.
Friend 4: Right on, Barker, right on!
(Bell tolls or chimes five times.)
Friend 5: (chants) And I am Commandment Number Five.
I want all to stay alive.
You shall not kill
By a stab or poisonous pill
Nor choke, nor shoot, nor hit
or force anyone into the pit.
(speaks) And that means:
Barker: (mischievously; also chants) We are to fear and love God so that, so that, so that ...
Friend 5: Yes, Mr. Barker, go on.
Barker: ... so that we do not hurt our neighbor in any way, but help him in all his physical needs. (bows)
Friend 5: Very fine, Barker, very fine.
(Bell tolls or chimes six times.)
Friend 6: (sings like opera) And as Commandment Number Six says, chiseled in stone, "You shall not commit adultery."
(Bell tolls or chimes seven times.)
Friend 7: And Commandment Number Seven, "You shall not steal." Does anybody know what these mean? (looks around and ignores the Barker who jumps up with glee and recites the two meanings)
Barker: (high-pitched voice) We are to fear and love God so that in matters of sex, our words and conduct are pure and honorable, and husband and wife love (pronounced like Oprah Winfrey does) and respect each other. (in a low, bass voice) We are to fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or property, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his property and means of making a living.
Friends 6: That is most certainly true. Good job, Barker. You're pretty smart despite what everybody is saying about you. Ha.
(Bell tolls or chimes eight times.)
Friend 8: I am Commandment Number Eight. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16) and ... (quickly recites Luther's meaning before the Barker who is all ready to do it)
Barker: Uuhhhh ...
Friend 8: We are to fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, or lie about our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain his actions in the kindest way.
(Barker pouts, then changes his/her attitude and gives Friend 8 a hug.)
(Bell tolls or chimes nine, then ten times.)
Friends 9 and 10: (said together) We are Commandments Nine and Ten. We are the Covet couple.
Barker: Covet couple?
Friends 9 and 10: Yep, the Covet couple. Don't do it. Don't covet your neighbor's things, inanimate or living but ...
Barker: (interrupts) We are to fear, fear, fear and love the Lord God so we do not even desire to get our neighbor's possession or try to coax or tempt away our neighbor's wife or workers but encourage them to remain loyal.
Friends 9 and 10: You've got it! Now have we got it?
Moses: I hope so. Now, in conclusion, what did God on Mount Sinai say of all these commandments? Listen to this: God threatens to punish all disobedience but in Christ, God sets our futures on a new footing -- the promise hidden in the commands. When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance (Exodus 20:18). I said, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin" (cf Exodus 20:20).
(All bow.)
(music)
Midweek Lent 5 Sermon
Ten Friends Driving Us To The Promise
There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
-- Romans 8:1
One day last spring, something memorable happened at Carlton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Thirty-one students in the same class turned in identical research papers. It was determined that the students had all accessed the same internet website.
If only one student had done it, the ruse might not have caught the professor's attention. But here's what else opened the instructor's eyes; the research paper topic was "ethics."
This unethical ethics "research" caper suggests an opportunity. If young people are lacking in moral fiber, where will they get it?1
Is there a need for rediscovery of moral footings and a renewed understanding of right and wrong?
When the pope visited Denver for a youth gathering, thousands came. Two young adults sharing a tent in the campsite area said to a reporter that this was the highlight of their spiritual life.
When the reporter asked if they thought the pope would approve of their co-habiting together without the benefit of marriage they replied, "Oh, probably not, but that's his opinion."
Does the pope function and sail on a sea of opinion or is there a higher set of moral guidelines and rules?
Clearly we are sailing on a sea of relativism.
A pastor's daughter recently said, "Well, Dad, what's right for you is right for you but what's right for me is right for me."
Someone says that the best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to spend time arguing about the crookedness but just to put a straight stick alongside it.
You go to a basketball game and soon discover there are no rules. Some dribble, some do not. Fouls are not considered. It's a free for all, its chaos and not a game.
When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he received ten friends for Israel's life and journey together. The ten friends taught love of God and love of neighbor.
The first role of these ten friends was to bring order out of chaos. They would assist the people to hear the Word of God and act accordingly.
These ten friends are never out of date. Some of the other levitical, holiness code laws have only contextual application. However, the ten friends Moses received amidst the thunder and lightning on Sinai have universal relevance.
Jim Nestingen writes, "Though the language of the Commandments is seriously dated ... it's reality is as current as morning coffee."2
The second role of the Ten Commandments is to require our keeping them. Soon we discover that when our relationship to God is dependant upon human action these friends begin to accuse us.
Professsor Jim Limburg once gave a chapel talk at Augustana College.
His topic was "Moses Makes Me Nervous." He began by reminding the worshipers that Michelangelo's reproduced Moses statue on the Augustana Campus was looking right into Limburg's office window.
Moses makes me nervous, when I am expected to keep the Ten Commandments and my life is judged according to them.
The commandments are demands and when the demands are not met perfectly they clearly show us our sin. They humble us. Break us down. They point out our guilt.
The difference between the Law and the gospel is this: Ask who is responsible to fulfill them. The Law (Ten Commandments) says you are. The gospel says Christ.
Luther once wrote: "The law says, 'do this,' and it is never done. Grace says, 'believe this,' and everything is already done."3
We have come full circle. Unable to believe the promise of the First Commandment, we find ourselves driven out into the world where the Ten Commandments, for all of their reasonableness, turn into indictments. And so we are driven right back to the Promise again, there to obtain the courage and strength -- the fear, love, and trust -- to live as God's Children."4
The third role of the Ten Commandments is to drive us to a Savior. Since obeying the commandments cannot save us, we need a Savior. They drive us to the promise.
They drive us to the gospel in which Christ does it all. Christ has the last word. For the time being, we have to deal with commandments. But there comes a time when the commandments have to end. For as good, life-giving, true and right as they are, finally the commandments double back on themselves, filling us with accusations and denunciations until we cry out in desperation.
Christ is the end of the law. He is the one who can finally say: "Your sin is forgiven. The commandments have finished their work with you."
Every time we quote, memorize, and refer to the Ten Commandments, we thank God for ten honest friends but who are ultimately exchanged for the one friend who is friend of all -- Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
____________
1. "How about giving integrity?" editorial by Michael Scherer, Metro Lutheran, 12/3/02 (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Metro Lutheran).
2. James Nestingen, The Hidden Promise, A Study of the Ten Commandments (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Fortress, 1994).
3. Martin Luther, Luther's Works, vol. 31, tr. Harold J. Grimm (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1960), p. 56.
4. Ibid.
Midweek Lent 5 Manna Minute
Quails For Supper
Object: blankets made by the church workers
Good evening. Shalom. That's my Hebrew greeting. Peace. I'm Moses, back with you again for this Manna Minute. Glad to be with you. (a little chatter about Lenten worship, weather, or local happenings) Now I want to invite you to come forward again like last week.
(traveling music)
To continue the story, we were in the wilderness and the Israelites started to complain again. Complain, complain, complain. Do you ever complain at your house?
These Hebrews were experts at complaining. Here is their complaint: "Manna, Manna, Manna, ugh. We want some meat to eat not just bread." The manna they were eating was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. I liked it.
Nonetheless, I spoke to the Lord, and our gracious Lord, who always provides when we get in a pickle, answered with a promise: "At sunset, a flock of quails will migrate to your camp. Catch them and you'll have plenty of meat. Six days you shall gather the manna and quail, but there will be none available on the sabbath. So the day before gather enough for two days."
Again, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, I, Moses, am here to tell you God provided again. And I have a question: How can God use us to provide bread and meat for the poor and hungry and naked and suffering in developing countries around the world?
Here's one way: (display blankets made for those in need)
Wow! Thank you for you loving generosity. Please be seated.
(traveling music)
