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Exodus Bible Study:  Tuesday, May 19th at 9:15am:  Tuesday Morning Bible Study.  Read and discuss Exodus 3.  Join via Zoom at:  https://zoom.us/j/605651857

Mark Bible Study:  Friday, May 22th at 2:00pm:   This week we will read and discuss Mark 7.  Join via Zoom at:  https://zoom.us/j/360499365
Devotion for Monday, May 18th

Burning Bushes
 
Several years ago, our church youth made a "burning bush" out of popsicle sticks and hot glue.   It was to be part of our youth Sunday School room.  On its ends youth could leave questions written on paper.  Together, we would take the questions and ask, study, and wonder about how God would answer them.

Moses - who has settled in, thank you very much, to his life as a shepherd - is confronted by the burning bush in Exodus 3.   God speaks.  In the midst of Moses' doubts, God speaks.   To Moses, who does not recognize that he is on Holy Ground and has to ask exactly who this God is, God speaks.  To Moses, who thinks he has neither courage nor voice, God speaks.

It is a powerful moment in our scripture.  It is a life changing, indeed world changing moment.

The bush burns.  It is not consumed.  God speaks.

Friends, in our Sunday School classes with you, God did not speak in quite that way.  But working with youth, I have been amazed time and time again just how clearly God can and does speak through them.  Through the questions that they do not know not to ask, the barriers that they do not know not to push against, and the ways that things are that they do not know to be resigned to.  They ask the questions, push against the barriers, and won't give up on the idea that the way things are not the way things could be.

And in doing so, they may very well speak with God.

We, their elders, would like our burning bushes to be neatly kept in pots.  We want their speaking to be scheduled, interpreted, and tempered.

That is not, to put it mildly, how they see things.  Chances are, it is not how God sees things either.

I am again and again thankful for the chances that I have had to work with our youth.  In them and with them, time and again, I have found myself standing on holy ground, listening to the words of God.

Thanks be to God for them!

Emile
Friends, below is the burning bush scene from The Prince of Egypt, a 1998 theatrically released animated film.  Consider watching the clip and reflecting upon how it portrays the story of Exodus 3 (note: an advertisement will probably play before the clip).
Moses and the Burning Bush
1998 film: The Prince of Egypt
We will read and discuss Exodus 3 in the Tuesday Morning Bible Study, tomorrow at 9:15am on Zoom.
 

3Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ 4When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ 5Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ 6He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ 11But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ 12He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’

13 But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ 14God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ 15God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”:
This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations.
16Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” 18They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.” 19I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go. 21I will bring this people into such favour with the Egyptians that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed; 22each woman shall ask her neighbour and any woman living in the neighbour’s house for jewellery of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; and so you shall plunder the Egyptians.’

"This Is My Father's World" - Virtual Choir Project

Friends, we are starting another Virtual Choir project.  This one will be for worship in 2 weeks. 

You don't have to play the ukulele or be a member of our Chancel Choir to participate!  Just record yourself singing!  

How to participate:

1.  Watch this video of Sharon singing:
"This Is My Father's World" - Base Track
2.   Download this copy of the music for the song:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=10RJWi0mLCBrHdkUgLAXQlPGo8TpH7e4Q


3.  Make a recording of you singing this song in sync with Sharon. 

Sing any part!  (Sharon is singing harmony during portions of the recording)

To record in sync with Sharon, you will need two devices:
  1. One phone or tablet to listen to the song video as you play along
  2. and a second camera/phone/tablet to record the video of you singing.
(PLEASE wear headphones while recording.  This makes it much more likely that  you will be in sync and makes the editing process easier.)

4.  Then share the file with Emile by Google Drive, Drop Box or another file-sharing service.  (The video will be too large to text or e-mail.  If you need help, please ask!)  

The deadline to send me a video will be Thursday, May 21st at 5pm.   After that I will begin editing the video together - and it is difficult add a late video after I've begun work.

5.  Call or text Emile to make sure I got the video.  (Sometimes file transfers don't work the first time - especially if you've not sent a file to me before.  I REALLY don't want to accidentally leave out someone who recorded a song!)


Thank you all!  The more voices the better!
 
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Our mailing address is:
4501 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington, NC

Contact Us by Email:

Emile: emile@winterparkpres.org
Rachel:  rachel@winterparkpres.org
Aaron: aaron@winterparkpres.org
Sharon:  sharon@winterparkpres.org
Dorothy: dorothy@winterparkpres.org
Ruth: ruth@winterparkpres.org

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