SERMON | That's a Honeybun!
Title: That's a Honeybun!
Scripture: Exodus 16:2-4, 31-32 (NRSV)
16:2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.
31 The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
What
(1) How are you doing? Check in with your home group or call someone up and let them know what's going on with you.
(2) Dawn jokes about a picture of paradise including honeybuns that fall from the sky. What does paradise look like in your imagination?
(3) What do you think it was like to be an Israelite wandering in the wilderness for 3 months?
So What
(4) Manna is what feeds us spiritually. Dawn describes a few kinds of manna: communal worship, a baby coo, getting outside. What is manna for you?
(5) Why does it matter that manna direct you toward God?
Now What
(6) Now that you know what your manna is, where are you going to put it so you can see?
(7) What story will you tell when an unassuming stranger sees what is manna for you and asks you about it?
Prayer: God, you send manna for us today. May we get up in the morning and collect it. May it be our spiritual fuel for the day. May we not get confused about what is manna and what is a really great hobby. May we always return our thanks to you for providing not what we want, but very much what we need. Amen.
Quote: "For the person who has been cheated on, manna may be the cup of coffee shared in a breakfast nook. Not quite forgiveness, but a willingness to enter the day together." — Rev. Dawn Hyde