August 27, 2023

WORDS OF GREETING AND NOMOFOMO

Amanda Miller Garber

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WELCOMING STATEMENT

RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.

*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.

Time for prayer, sharing, and connection

REFLECTION AND CONVERSATION:

(Groups of 4-5)

Start by introducing yourselves, making sure everyone in your group is introduced.

Share about the following questions. (If you’d rather not share, that’s fine. Please don’t feel pressure.  Just say “pass.”) Please ensure that everyone in the group has a chance to share.

As this summer season draws to a close and you transition to a new season and new life rhythms …

• What are you thankful for? 

• What feels heavy or overwhelming?

• What do you need? How might the people in this group offer support or encouragement?

Prayer

Theological ExploraTION:

(Small groups)

Read the scripture together (it’s long). Then, explore the questions below, making space for all voices and trying to ensure that everyone who wants to share gets a chance. (Remember - it’s fine to sit and listen if that’s what feels best in the moment!)

EXODUS 1:8-2:10

8Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites. 14and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16“When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” 17But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

1Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

• Did anything about this passage surprise you? If so, what?

• Shiphra and Puah, two women in fairly low standing within society, are named characters in this story while the Pharaoh, considered by Egyptians to be god on earth, is never named. Why do you think that is?

• What might we learn from Shiphra and Puah’s actions and God’s response to them that we can use for our lives today?

• Does it surprise you at all that an Egyptian woman, Pharaoh’s daughter at that, plays a key role in saving a Hebrew boy (who ends up being Moses)? What might we learn from her actions about using our places of power?

• Anyone else notice that all the heroes in this story are women? Do you think this insight has any special significance? Does it change how you view the story?

(For full group reflection)

• What observations or reflections were shared that made you curious or left you thinking “tell me more?”

• What observations or reflections challenged you or made you uncomfortable?

• Was anything shared that made you want to say “heck yes - that makes a lot of sense” or “AMEN!”

FINAL BLESSING

Adam King

Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort…
Discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
Discomfort, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger…
Anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
Anger, so that you will work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears…
Tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation and war,
Tears, so that you will reach out to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
And, may God bless you with foolishness…
Foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
Foolishness, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen.

REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!