Meditation on Exodus 3:1–15
Pastor Karen Crawford
First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY
Sept. 3, 2023
It’s beautiful weather for Labor Day weekend! It feels like fall has come, but still with so many flowers in bloom—rose of Sharon and crepe myrtle!
I was taking a walk yesterday afternoon, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, when I saw a flash of emerald green fly by me and land in a tree above me.
The bright green bird looked down at me curiously. “Oh, hello,” I said. It didn’t fly away. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that someone’s pet bird had escaped its cage. But I have heard about the Long Island parrots, sometimes called Monk parakeets or Quaker parrots. I have just never seen one in my neighborhood!
I kept looking up at it. And it kept looking down at me. It had my attention and at that moment, though I had plenty of worries on my mind before I saw a parakeet on Great Oak Road, I wasn’t thinking about anything else except this unusual bird and wondering about the journey it may have traveled before it stopped in Saint James.
These tropical birds originated in South America but have been seen in New York since the late 1960s. The story goes that our parakeet community started at JFK airport. A crate of parakeets headed for local pet shops broke and set all the birds free in the process. Journalist Richard Nardo writes of the Monk Parakeets, “They’re tough, resourceful, and build massive communal nests similar to the apartments a lot of New Yorkers reside in, making them a perfect fit for the region.
“True to the neighborhood politics of most NYC groups, parakeets are community-oriented and have their own vocal dialects to communicate with each other (fuhgeddaboudit!). Also in true New York fashion, they show their friendship by grooming each other just like we like to hang out at our local barber shops and nail salons. When conflict does arise, they share the NY tough mentality, settling disagreements by meeting the problem head on.
“(Monk Parakeets) tend to build their homes (of sticks) around elevated electrical equipment, such as lights or transformers, to help provide heat in the cold New York winters…. It’s that level of resourcefulness and ingenuity that makes me think that the parakeets will be right at home in our neck of the woods,” Nardo writes. “It also makes me think that we’ll see more and more parakeet flocks popping up around the world. After all, if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere!” [1]
My sighting of the emerald-green parakeet landing in a tree right in front of me and curiously looking down at me was pretty special—not exactly burning bush special, but it got my attention and took me out of my own head for a bit and looking around at what the Lord may be saying to me.
For God speaks to us in ways we can hear, see, and understand. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, God has spoken to us through the prophets and now speaks to us through God’s Son, who came to us as one of us. The Lord also speaks to us through Creation. John Calvin in Reformation days quoted the Psalms, such as 90:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.”
That day that the angel of the Lord spoke to Moses through flames on a bush—he was just minding his own business, going about his daily life, when God accommodated Godself to him. God spoke in a way that Moses could hear, see, and understand. “I must turn aside,” he says of the flames he sees on Mount Horeb, “and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”
Who knows what Moses is thinking about before he sees the burning bush? What mundane problem is occupying his thoughts? And who knows if God had been trying to get his attention with other mysterious signs—and Moses just never noticed?
He is comfortable in this second chapter of his life. Married to Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, priest of Midian, he has two sons and spends a lot of time in the desert wilderness area south of Judah, shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep. This is a far cry from his cushy existence in the Egyptian palace. He abruptly left his former life after being raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter, discovering his Jewish ancestry, and his impulsive killing of an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. He thought no one was watching when he buried him in the sand. His secret got out. He ran away to escape certain punishment.
When God saw that Moses had noticed the burning bush, he called his name two times. This is how God always calls the prophets. It’s always two times. “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am,” said he, without hesitation, as if he talked to burning bushes all the time. But then God tells him that he need not come any closer before removing his sandals. He is standing on holy ground. Now, he is afraid.
The Lord identifies himself as the God of “your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He doesn’t say, “your God.” Moses isn’t especially religious at this point in his life, though he knows enough to hide his face. When I think about the years that he has spent building a new life with the priest’s daughter, shepherding sheep, and caring for his family, I think of how God must have been preparing him to lead God’s people through the wilderness all along, just as those years living in the palace prepared him to come face to face with the pharaoh.
When God tells him of the Lord’s concern for the suffering of God’s people, and that Moses must rescue them, Moses had never heard from the Lord before! This is the first time God spoke. The reluctant prophet has two questions. There will be more!! The first is, “Who am I to do this?” and the second? “Who are you to ask me?”
This story never fails to intrigue and inspire me. You would think that his impulsive killing of an Egyptian would disqualify him from being the Lord’s prophet and rescuing the Israelites. Somehow, our Gracious God thinks Moses is exactly the one needed for the job—though he will struggle with this calling and with the Israelites throughout the wilderness journey.
I am also inspired by Moses’ age—80, according to Acts chapter 7—when he first hears God’s voice in the wilderness. He isn’t in a synagogue. He is out on the job, doing what he normally does, providing for his family’s needs. He isn’t listening for God’s voice and looking for God to challenge him and change his heart and life. But God speaks, challenges, and changes him anyway.
And I am inspired by Moses’ special needs. He has a speech impediment and is fearful of public speaking. The one thing a prophet needs is a voice! I AM WHO I AM is prepared to use Moses’ stuttering words and only relents and permits his older brother, Aaron, to speak for him when Moses insists that he needs help. We all feel that way, sometimes. Things get hard and we think, “Lord, we can’t do this by ourselves.” That’s why we are a Church of Jesus Christ. We help each other carry the burden of the call. I couldn’t possibly be your pastor without your help! And I am so grateful for your encouragement, every step of this wilderness faith journey together.
The Lord isn’t looking for people without flaws. God is looking for someone who has a heart to serve and care for God’s people. Is God looking for you? I think so! Only you know for sure. Are you hearing God’s voice? Are you looking for a mysterious sign?
Are you ready to be surprised in your daily living and be challenged and changed by the Lord? Are you thinking of all the reasons why God can’t possibly use you? Maybe your age. Maybe a health problem or the many responsibilities you already have. You’re too busy! Maybe you’ve made some mistakes. Or you don’t consider yourself to be religious, smart enough, strong enough—fill in the blank enough. Maybe you just started coming to worship after being away a long time and need first to be touched, healed, and strengthened by God.
You are in the right place! You’ve come at the right time. We are in this together. I will help you find God’s will for your life. And I know you will pray for me, too.
In a few moments, we will all come to the table of I AM WHO I AM. Everyone is invited to the table of the Lord. Your past doesn’t matter. Only the future—the road before us. In a few moments, I will say, come just as you are and partake. Our Living Lord will meet us here, empower and unite us to be Christ’s Body for the world. We can’t be the people God wants us to be without God’s nourishing our souls.
Today is the day the Spirit will, once again, speak to us of God’s love and purpose for us. The Lord has been preparing us for our various callings for many years! Everything that has happened up until today has made us more ready to say, “Here I am,” when God calls our name–two times! It’s always two times!
May we have our eyes and ears opened to see and hear from God—whether it be an actual voice of a friend or family member, a burning bush that isn’t consumed, a green bird on a branch above us or something else more astounding. May we all be healed and strengthened, and filled with joy, confidence, and peace. May we come to realize that wherever we are, the loving Spirit of the Lord is with us. We are always standing on holy ground!
Let us pray.
Holy One, we hear you calling us, but we are doubtful like Moses. We aren’t good enough, Lord. We’re busy. We’re not the right age or personality. We have made mistakes. Plenty of reasons why today we just aren’t available to say, “Here I am” when you call us by name. Twice! We know you only laugh when we ask those same questions Moses did. You never condemn us for our anxieties. You are so patient. You love us still. Who are we that you call us? And who are you to call us? Embrace us, now, with your Spirit, I AM WHO I AM. Speak to us, challenge us, change us, heal and strengthen us, Lord, on this wilderness faith journey. Give us confidence and peace to deny ourselves and take up our crosses, following our Savior. In His name we pray. Amen.
[1] Richard Nardo, March 25, 2022 at https://www.ntvli.com/ntvblog/2022/3/25/the-monk-parakeet-a-new-york-success-story
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