So, today’s Hebrew testament reading begins right before the final plague that was brought upon the Egyptians: the killing of the firstborn. God instructs Moses and Aaron (Moses’s brother) on how God will kill the firstborn whose families aren’t displaying the blood of the slaughtered lamb, how they should eat the lamb, and how they shall mark the month – even before Pharaoh tells them to leave Egypt. He tells them that, “This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you,” which is interesting to me that this is the Hebrew bible reading that shows up for this Sunday, because it’s the springtime holiday, Passover, which commemorates the exodus from Egypt BUT, this passage about the “beginning of months” more or less coincides with the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah (which begins next Friday), the holiday that we sometimes call the Jewish New Year.
Rosh Hashanah is translated as “head of the year.” This is a time (ideally) of serious introspection, personal growth, and spiritual rebirth. The Season of Repentance, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, encourages Jews to seek forgiveness from those they have wronged over the past year and reflect on what the new year might bring. Rosh Hashanah actually commemorates the creation of the world. So, it’s interesting that there are two new years, in a way: the creation of the world and the exodus from Egypt that resulted in a home for the Hebrews to live and create their own lifestyle and religion.
There are a few other thoughts that I’ve drawn from today’s Hebrew bible reading:
1. First, and most importantly, this is a “beginning of months” for North Hadley Congregational Church, as well, as we embark on our transition to a new spiritual leader for our community. We’ll come back to this point very soon.
2. Second, I would not use this recipe to cook lamb. Ever. No matter who told me to cook it that way. Well, maybe if I were leaving Egypt and God gave me the recipe personally. But, really, leaving the head, legs and all the inner organs intact? Yech. Eeew.
3. Third, that whole girding your loins thing. Has anyone else wondered exactly what it meant? Well, I’m going to tell you. Don’t worry, it’s G-rated. Girding your loins refers to pulling up your tunic and, essentially, turning it into a pair of shorts. This allows the man or woman to become more productive in manual labor (or war) (or exiting from your land of enslavement). In reference to this passage, you are eating on the run. Out of Egypt. So, all those shots in the movie “The Ten Commandments” that you see of the Hebrews exiting Egypt are incorrect. Everyone’s loins should be girded; they should’ve been wearing makeshift shorts.
So, back to my first point: while we are carrying on the everyday activities of this church – worshiping God, upkeeping the premises, fulfilling mission – we are also working toward a shift in our community as we search for, find, and eventually work with a new pastor.
Just as it is for Jews honoring Rosh Hashanah, for us, it is also a time of serious introspection, personal growth and spiritual rebirth, as we grow as individuals within our community. It’s a time to look at our beliefs, to consider why we hold these beliefs, and deciding if these beliefs are helping or hindering us. For instance, what was your thought or feeling when you heard me say that last sentence about re-examining our beliefs and why we hold them? Did you have one? What was the thought behind that thought or feeling?
I hope that we can have time to discuss this process as a congregation, either one on one, or as a group, formally or informally.
The reading from Matthew also discusses these ideas in regard to sinning against each other. It talks about going back to the one who sinned against you, or you sinned against and explaining how you feel about what was said or done and making amends. Making amends is a major theme in the gospels and it has all sorts of applications to many different situations. This is an important time in our church community: Matthew says, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Whatever thoughts or beliefs we hold right now, we may still have when we choose a new pastor. It’s up to each of us individually and as a community to decide whether or not our thoughts and beliefs support the decision of the Pastor Search Committee. And if necessary, can we replace those old thoughts with new thoughts.
I know I talk a lot about my Brooklyn church. It was the church that I chose as an adult and one that I was most involved with until now. At the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, I was the co-chair of the Pastor Search Committee for the replacement of the pastor who was retiring after 25 years of service to the church. He was beloved. And black, as was 40% of our congregation. It was important to the entire congregation that our new pastor be black and hold many of the customs of the black church. Our committee met weekly, read dossiers daily, and began and ended each committee meeting in prayer for a year-and-a-half. We felt led by the Holy Spirit. When we finally presented a candidate, he wasn’t black. We made special efforts to find a new, black pastor, but those we interviewed we didn’t feel were good fits for the church. Well, when the time came to vote for our candidate, based on his experience, conversations with the congregants, and his sermon, there wasn’t a large enough percentage of the vote to support bringing him on as our pastor. Did I mention that there was a behind-the-curtain movement led by leaders of the church to vote against him? Yeah, that happened. It took a lot of conversations with individuals for me to forgive them, and for them to forgive me.
My point: church activities like finding a new pastor that everyone will like and learn from take on a whole life of their own, and it can become difficult to keep God in the process. Even in church. For instance, we as a search committee were so anxious to present a candidate that we ultimately ignored the fact that the congregation overwhelmingly wanted a black pastor. And our not presenting a black candidate could be interpreted as racist, not taking seriously enough this foremost request of the congregation. And the church’s leadership’s actions as a result of their disappointment in our candidate also failed to include the fact that if there’s any place where we can practice openness, trust, active listening, empathy, and compassion it’s within our church community. It’s kind of why we're here.
So, if you have a thought, share it. If you disagree with someone, start a conversation with someone who can help you understand. If you feel disheartened, gather with community. This is the work. This is when we have to “gird our loins” and work towards a transition built on love and fellowship. We are a church at the crossroads of Service, Worship, Fellowship, and Prayer. These are the four tools that we can use to continue this community by staying open to each other, to God’s will, and to change. In this new period of growth, let’s explore what growth means to us as individuals and as a community.