Kayla Bonewell
Church of the Open Arms
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Exodus 16:2-15
August 2, 2009
(A Transcript)
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' "While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud. The LORD said to Moses, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' " That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Will you pray with me? God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our all hearts be acceptable and pleasing to you, Amen.
I don’t know about you but I heard a lot about complaining. I reflected this week about complaints that I myself have made. I thought about a letter that I wrote to an airline one time, when they didn’t refund me as they said that they would. I thought about letters that I’ve written to government officials, actually here in Oklahoma, (I won’t name names). My mom said this week that she is going to write a letter of complaint to the newscaster because when he shows the whole maps of the United States, and what the temperature is, he always stands on the left side, and covers up California, so she never knows what the temperature is where I am. If you’ve never written a letter of complaint, I want to let you know, that there is a template online, that will help you to write this letter. In fact, there are several templates; there is one for a general letter of complaint, one for goods that you have bought, a complaint about a service provided to you, and general tips for your complaint letter. The tips are pretty good, here they are.
The Israelites had been in Egypt for a very long time now. They didn’t start out there, they came there several generations before because it was a good place to go. There was no food anywhere else, and Egypt had food. So Joseph, one of the Israelites, came to Egypt and made friends with Pharaoh, and all of the rest were welcomed. They lived there, and had a wonderful life there. It was a good time. Until, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor.” So now the Israelites are in Egypt, and they are oppressed. They are slaves. Until one day, Moses hears God’s voice in a burning bush, and God says, “I have heard the complaining of my people, I have heard their cries, I want you to go and set them free.” Moses goes, talks to Pharaoh, with God’s help he performs these 10 magical plagues, until Pharaoh finally says, “Enough! I can’t take it anymore! Get your people out of here; I don’t want any of these plagues anymore.” So Moses and the people gather up all their things very quickly and go. Pharaoh looks around, “Where’s all my labor! Who’s gonna do all this work? I gotta get them back!” So Pharaoh takes his armies, hightails it, goes after them in hot pursuit, and there, at the Red Sea, the Israelites are finally free. Pharaoh and his armies drown, and the Israelites say, “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” How wonderful for them to find out that there was a God, named Yahweh, who cared enough about them, and heard their cries, and sent a leader named Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam, to claim them, and let them know that God had a plan, God had a promised land for them. God did not intend for them to live in oppression and slavery.
Where our story picks up today is 2 months after the sea drowning and after this dance with freedom. Now I don’t know about you, but when I have plans for going outside for a long period of time, camping, I like to do a little planning. I go to the grocery store, I get some hotdogs, some hotdog buns, some smores, I like to take some sunscreen, be prepared, a hat, an umbrella, bug spray, a sleeping bag, a tent, I’m sure you’ve all done this before. But the Israelites did not that that luxury. They were running for their lives, and did not have the supplies that they needed for a long journey. So here they are, 2 months, out in the desert, in the wilderness, and they do not have what they need to survive. They don’t have food; they have people, they have families, they have children that are starving! They get angry! What was the point?! “Why did you bring us out here to die? You could have left us back there in Egypt, at least our slave masters fed us! You gave us this leader Moses…What’s the plan? Where’s the food? We actually need this! This is a need of ours.” And they complain.
Here’s how I imagine their letter of complaint.
Address: The Wilderness.
Date: ?...about 2 months since we last heard from you.
Contact person: The God that Moses said freed us.
What is the letter regarding?: Our hunger.
Dear God,
For a while now, we have been told that you were a God who heard our cries of oppression in Egypt and had a majestic plan to send Moses to save us and bring us to a promised land.
We are disappointed because this plan seems to be currently failing, seeing as we are starving in the desert without food and in danger of dying.
To resolve the problem we would appreciate your help in whatever way possible. Enclosed is a copy of the things Moses said you intended to do for us.
Church of the Open Arms
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Exodus 16:2-15
August 2, 2009
(A Transcript)
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' "While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud. The LORD said to Moses, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' " That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Will you pray with me? God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our all hearts be acceptable and pleasing to you, Amen.
I don’t know about you but I heard a lot about complaining. I reflected this week about complaints that I myself have made. I thought about a letter that I wrote to an airline one time, when they didn’t refund me as they said that they would. I thought about letters that I’ve written to government officials, actually here in Oklahoma, (I won’t name names). My mom said this week that she is going to write a letter of complaint to the newscaster because when he shows the whole maps of the United States, and what the temperature is, he always stands on the left side, and covers up California, so she never knows what the temperature is where I am. If you’ve never written a letter of complaint, I want to let you know, that there is a template online, that will help you to write this letter. In fact, there are several templates; there is one for a general letter of complaint, one for goods that you have bought, a complaint about a service provided to you, and general tips for your complaint letter. The tips are pretty good, here they are.
- Try to make sure your letter is sent to the right person or department
- Try and keep your letter short
- Be polite as sarcasm or rudeness will not help your cause!
- Say what you want for your complaint to be resolved
- Give a reasonable timetable for action to be taken before you will consider other options
- Keep a copy of letters you write
The Israelites had been in Egypt for a very long time now. They didn’t start out there, they came there several generations before because it was a good place to go. There was no food anywhere else, and Egypt had food. So Joseph, one of the Israelites, came to Egypt and made friends with Pharaoh, and all of the rest were welcomed. They lived there, and had a wonderful life there. It was a good time. Until, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor.” So now the Israelites are in Egypt, and they are oppressed. They are slaves. Until one day, Moses hears God’s voice in a burning bush, and God says, “I have heard the complaining of my people, I have heard their cries, I want you to go and set them free.” Moses goes, talks to Pharaoh, with God’s help he performs these 10 magical plagues, until Pharaoh finally says, “Enough! I can’t take it anymore! Get your people out of here; I don’t want any of these plagues anymore.” So Moses and the people gather up all their things very quickly and go. Pharaoh looks around, “Where’s all my labor! Who’s gonna do all this work? I gotta get them back!” So Pharaoh takes his armies, hightails it, goes after them in hot pursuit, and there, at the Red Sea, the Israelites are finally free. Pharaoh and his armies drown, and the Israelites say, “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” How wonderful for them to find out that there was a God, named Yahweh, who cared enough about them, and heard their cries, and sent a leader named Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam, to claim them, and let them know that God had a plan, God had a promised land for them. God did not intend for them to live in oppression and slavery.
Where our story picks up today is 2 months after the sea drowning and after this dance with freedom. Now I don’t know about you, but when I have plans for going outside for a long period of time, camping, I like to do a little planning. I go to the grocery store, I get some hotdogs, some hotdog buns, some smores, I like to take some sunscreen, be prepared, a hat, an umbrella, bug spray, a sleeping bag, a tent, I’m sure you’ve all done this before. But the Israelites did not that that luxury. They were running for their lives, and did not have the supplies that they needed for a long journey. So here they are, 2 months, out in the desert, in the wilderness, and they do not have what they need to survive. They don’t have food; they have people, they have families, they have children that are starving! They get angry! What was the point?! “Why did you bring us out here to die? You could have left us back there in Egypt, at least our slave masters fed us! You gave us this leader Moses…What’s the plan? Where’s the food? We actually need this! This is a need of ours.” And they complain.
Here’s how I imagine their letter of complaint.
Address: The Wilderness.
Date: ?...about 2 months since we last heard from you.
Contact person: The God that Moses said freed us.
What is the letter regarding?: Our hunger.
Dear God,
For a while now, we have been told that you were a God who heard our cries of oppression in Egypt and had a majestic plan to send Moses to save us and bring us to a promised land.
We are disappointed because this plan seems to be currently failing, seeing as we are starving in the desert without food and in danger of dying.
To resolve the problem we would appreciate your help in whatever way possible. Enclosed is a copy of the things Moses said you intended to do for us.
I look forward to hearing from you and to a resolution of this problem. I will wait for a short time before seeking help from other gods who may be more inclined to do business with us. Please contact us at the above address or by a cloud or pillar of fire in the sky.
Yours sincerely,
The Israelites.
Usually I hear the word “complain” or a lot of us, when we hear the word complain, it had really negative connotations. People who complain all the time are really hard to deal with sometimes. But my question for us today is, Is it okay to complain to God?
For the last 11 months I’ve been working as a chaplain in a hospital. And what a chaplain does is address and assess the spiritual and emotional needs of patients. When a person goes into the hospital, a few of you have before, you know that a doctor and a team of care providers provide for the physical needs of the patient, but a chaplain, a social worker and other people, they provide for the spiritual and emotional needs, because we are a whole person, body mind and spirit. So when a chaplain, like myself, goes into the room, we meet with a patient, and we try to find out, do they have any spiritual or emotional needs today? Do they have a need for hope? Do they have a need to transcend whatever illness they have right now? Do they have a need for forgiveness, to forgive someone or to be forgiven? Do they have a need for continuity? A need to give up control or regain control? Do they have a need for validation, for support during loss? Do they have a need to be a thankful? A need for preparation for death and dying.
So, there’s a certain floor that I work on at the hospital, and when I come off those elevators doors, there’s one patient, I’ll call him Mr. Jones, and he is a complainer. I can hear him down the hall every single day. He has actually been at the hospital for 4 months. Before coming there, he was a homeless man. He was found down, drunk on the street, was brought to the hospital, and his physical need were taken care of many months ago, but because he complains so much, the case managers and social workers haven’t[ been able to find him a placement because no one will take him, and he’s not allowed to go back on the streets by hospital law, they have to find him a safe place to go. Well he complains, and then the nurses, they complain because they don’t want to be assigned to him that day. As I go visit the other patients on the floor, they complain to me about hearing him complaining. I can hear him at any moment, “Where’s my juice! I want some crackers! I’m cold, where’s my blanket! I want to go home…get me out of here.” When I go to visit Mr. Jones, he tells me about his life, about his wife of 40 years who passed away, his 4 children, he tells me about playing in the band in the Navy. What he always has me do, every visit, is to read the Bible to him. When we read together, he likes to hear the Psalms. The laments in the Book of Psalms give voice to the human experience of abandonment, suffering, fear, and danger. The laments call upon God to see, to arise, and to act. He also likes for me to read from him the Book of Job. Job, who rejects an attitude of resignation towards his suffering and unleashes a lengthy and detailed complaint against God’s treatment of the righteous and God’s management of the world. He likes to hear from the gospels, Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He feels that the hospital is the wilderness for him right now. And he knows that God is leading him, and has a plan for him, but right now he’s stuck. He’s stuck in the wilderness.
In reflecting this week, I discovered who are the most efficient and effective complainers around us. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think its babies. Babies let you know when they’re hungry, when they’re thirsty, when they’re wet, when they’re scared, and their needs are most often met.
I think there is a difference between trivial complaining, and being justly alarmed or dismayed because our needs are not being met. In what ways are you in the wilderness in your life, in what ways are you dependent on others for your needs? In what ways are you hungry and seeking nourishment that will sustain you.
Are you able to speak up, and voice what your needs are? What does it look like to tell you spouse exactly what you need? To tell you parents what your needs are. What does it look like to let your boss know what it is that you actually need? Your co-workers, your church? What does it look like to let your government know what you need? Your God?
Do we expect others to already know what it is that we need? Sometimes our needs are basic, like food, shelter. I’m so happy about the food pantry here at Open Arms. Sometimes our needs are for accessibility, and my heart had been warmed to hear about the new capital campaign of hospitality to provide accessibility to this space and this community, the parking lot and the elevator. Sometimes our needs are for spiritual or emotional sustainment. Maybe your needs are some of those I mentioned before: hope, support during a time of loss, self worth, belonging, forgiveness.
The good news..the Good News is that God hears our cries and what we need and provides. God provides for our needs. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread.” Nowhere in that scripture does God say anything about us complaining but provides for what we need.
What is it that has already been provided for you nourishment that we only have only to go and gather, like the manna, the quail. What does your manna and you quail look like? How are we able to hear the cries of those around us and to be God’s hands and God’s hearts, extended to our neighbors?
It’s in the name of the Creator, and the Sustainer, and the Redeemer, Amen.
Yours sincerely,
The Israelites.
Usually I hear the word “complain” or a lot of us, when we hear the word complain, it had really negative connotations. People who complain all the time are really hard to deal with sometimes. But my question for us today is, Is it okay to complain to God?
For the last 11 months I’ve been working as a chaplain in a hospital. And what a chaplain does is address and assess the spiritual and emotional needs of patients. When a person goes into the hospital, a few of you have before, you know that a doctor and a team of care providers provide for the physical needs of the patient, but a chaplain, a social worker and other people, they provide for the spiritual and emotional needs, because we are a whole person, body mind and spirit. So when a chaplain, like myself, goes into the room, we meet with a patient, and we try to find out, do they have any spiritual or emotional needs today? Do they have a need for hope? Do they have a need to transcend whatever illness they have right now? Do they have a need for forgiveness, to forgive someone or to be forgiven? Do they have a need for continuity? A need to give up control or regain control? Do they have a need for validation, for support during loss? Do they have a need to be a thankful? A need for preparation for death and dying.
So, there’s a certain floor that I work on at the hospital, and when I come off those elevators doors, there’s one patient, I’ll call him Mr. Jones, and he is a complainer. I can hear him down the hall every single day. He has actually been at the hospital for 4 months. Before coming there, he was a homeless man. He was found down, drunk on the street, was brought to the hospital, and his physical need were taken care of many months ago, but because he complains so much, the case managers and social workers haven’t[ been able to find him a placement because no one will take him, and he’s not allowed to go back on the streets by hospital law, they have to find him a safe place to go. Well he complains, and then the nurses, they complain because they don’t want to be assigned to him that day. As I go visit the other patients on the floor, they complain to me about hearing him complaining. I can hear him at any moment, “Where’s my juice! I want some crackers! I’m cold, where’s my blanket! I want to go home…get me out of here.” When I go to visit Mr. Jones, he tells me about his life, about his wife of 40 years who passed away, his 4 children, he tells me about playing in the band in the Navy. What he always has me do, every visit, is to read the Bible to him. When we read together, he likes to hear the Psalms. The laments in the Book of Psalms give voice to the human experience of abandonment, suffering, fear, and danger. The laments call upon God to see, to arise, and to act. He also likes for me to read from him the Book of Job. Job, who rejects an attitude of resignation towards his suffering and unleashes a lengthy and detailed complaint against God’s treatment of the righteous and God’s management of the world. He likes to hear from the gospels, Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He feels that the hospital is the wilderness for him right now. And he knows that God is leading him, and has a plan for him, but right now he’s stuck. He’s stuck in the wilderness.
In reflecting this week, I discovered who are the most efficient and effective complainers around us. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think its babies. Babies let you know when they’re hungry, when they’re thirsty, when they’re wet, when they’re scared, and their needs are most often met.
I think there is a difference between trivial complaining, and being justly alarmed or dismayed because our needs are not being met. In what ways are you in the wilderness in your life, in what ways are you dependent on others for your needs? In what ways are you hungry and seeking nourishment that will sustain you.
Are you able to speak up, and voice what your needs are? What does it look like to tell you spouse exactly what you need? To tell you parents what your needs are. What does it look like to let your boss know what it is that you actually need? Your co-workers, your church? What does it look like to let your government know what you need? Your God?
Do we expect others to already know what it is that we need? Sometimes our needs are basic, like food, shelter. I’m so happy about the food pantry here at Open Arms. Sometimes our needs are for accessibility, and my heart had been warmed to hear about the new capital campaign of hospitality to provide accessibility to this space and this community, the parking lot and the elevator. Sometimes our needs are for spiritual or emotional sustainment. Maybe your needs are some of those I mentioned before: hope, support during a time of loss, self worth, belonging, forgiveness.
The good news..the Good News is that God hears our cries and what we need and provides. God provides for our needs. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread.” Nowhere in that scripture does God say anything about us complaining but provides for what we need.
What is it that has already been provided for you nourishment that we only have only to go and gather, like the manna, the quail. What does your manna and you quail look like? How are we able to hear the cries of those around us and to be God’s hands and God’s hearts, extended to our neighbors?
It’s in the name of the Creator, and the Sustainer, and the Redeemer, Amen.
