{"id":3004,"date":"2016-04-17T09:45:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T13:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gnhuu.org\/?p=3004"},"modified":"2016-05-06T09:56:37","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T13:56:37","slug":"sunday-april-17-2016-dancing-with-the-prophets-moses-and-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/2016\/04\/17\/sunday-april-17-2016-dancing-with-the-prophets-moses-and-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday, April 17, 2016, &#8220;Dancing with the Prophets: Moses and Freedom&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3004-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/gnhuu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/GNH-Apr-17-2016.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/gnhuu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/GNH-Apr-17-2016.mp3\">http:\/\/gnhuu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/GNH-Apr-17-2016.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p class=\"p2\">\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">In the annals of American history, Harriet Tubman looms large.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She was born into slavery and suffered beatings and injuries at the hands of<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>white oppressors.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In 1849, Harriet escaped and made her way North to freedom. She quickly returned South and helped guide to freedom her family and seventy other slaves.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She founded the Underground Railroad of safe houses for escaping slaves.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She helped John Brown recruit others for his raid on Harper\u2019s Ferry.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>During the Civil War, she worked as a Union spy &#8211; helping guide one military raid that freed over seven hundred slaves. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>After the war, Tubman was active in the women\u2019s suffrage movement.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>William Lloyd Garrison, a leading abolitionist of the time, gave her a nickname that stuck.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He called her \u201cMoses\u201d.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Like that great Prophet, Harriet Tubman was an activist who not only promoted freedom, she risked her life to achieve it for others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> In my series \u201cDancing with the Prophets\u201d, two of the prophets I&#8217;be<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>discussed, Jesus and Mohammad, are proven historical figures.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>While some of the claims about what they did, like various miracles, are not proven history, both men <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>were<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> real people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But the prophet we&#8217;ll consider today, Moses, is an unproven figure.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There exist <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>no<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> non-Biblical accounts of his life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Moses and The Passover accounts in the Old Testament are, therefore, not literal history but, instead, allegorical stories intended to inspire.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Even so, Moses has come to represent any person, like Harriet Tubman, who fights for freedom against forces of oppression.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>His character was a patron saint to millions of African slaves, and modern commentators see Moses as similar to more recent freedom fighters like George Washington.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He is an inspiring but fictitious Prophet &#8211; a religious, political and military character who fought for freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I spoke three weeks ago on Easter how Jesus represents the importance of personal and public renewal.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Last week we considered how the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, represents values of peace and non-violence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Today we&#8217;ll look at how Moses is a Jewish prophet who represents freedom.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And the Passover holiday, which begins this coming Friday, celebrates freedom and its many meanings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> For those who struggle with negative attitudes or inner flaws, Moses is a symbol of change and redemption.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>To people who suffer discrimination due to racism, religion, poverty, sexism or homophobia, Moses is a symbol for justice.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It&#8217;s in these ways that Moses and Passover honor hard won freedoms of the past and those that still must be won.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> The important lesson of Passover is how the story of Moses applies to us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What negative forces within ourselves work to enslave us?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Are we angry, fearful, haughty, addicted, depressed, unconfident, or unexamined people in need of freedom from those issues?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Is our culture, nation or world a violent and hateful place for refugees, blacks, Muslims, women, gays, or the poor?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Is a modern day Moses needed for them?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If so, is it <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>we<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> who are called to be Moses figures who fight for personal or social liberation?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> The beauty of Passover and its Seder celebration meals are in how they call people to remember, learn and ask questions.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The joy of gathering with friends and family to share a Seder meal on Passover is given added purpose by symbolic rituals and foods.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Each Seder food item, the egg, the bitter herb, the lamb, the matzah, the sweet apple mixture, and the wine have meaning and are intended to be consumed thoughtfully and in reflection.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>During a Seder, one does not simply eat good food and think good thoughts &#8211; as one might do at Thanksgiving.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Instead, Seders are a combination worship service, celebration meal, history lesson, prayer time, social justice reminder and call to action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> During this message, I\u2019ll guide us in celebrating and eating three foods that represent some of the freedoms the character Moses inspires.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The word \u2018Seder\u2019 means order.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A full length Seder, or ordered meal, will be offered here by MJ Pierson this Friday evening and I encourage anyone who has not participated in a Seder meal to sign up with her to reserve your place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I\u2019ve placed on our Chalice table a typical Seder plate &#8211; similar to one that will adorn thousands of Passover tables this Friday.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>On it is an egg symbolizing new life, a Spring vegetable symbolizing hope, a lamb bone symbolizing sacrifice needed to realize freedom, a bitter herb symbolizing the pain of injustice, an orange symbolizing human equality and, last but not least, matzah bread symbolizing the blessings of life. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Also on the table is a cup of red wine symbolizing forgiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> As most of you know, Passover celebrates the events of the Exodus Bible story.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is common at <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>every<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Seder meal to recount the allegorical story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> It describes how Moses, acting as leader of Jewish slaves, asked Egypt\u2019s Pharaoh to let his people go and allow them to return to their homeland.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Pharaoh refused.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Using power granted him by God,<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Moses increased pressure on Pharaoh by causing ten plagues &#8211; from an infestation of locusts, to the death of cattle, to turning the Nile River into blood, to finally causing the death of all first born sons.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But for that tenth and worst plague, God gave the Jews an escape by telling them to paint their doorposts with blood from a sacrificial lamb so that the Angel of death will <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b><i>pass over<\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">, and not kill, Jewish boys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Once it was realized many Egyptian boys were killed, Pharaoh relented and allowed Jews to leave. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Moses told his people to hurry and bring with them needed bread.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because of the rush, they could not give the bread dough time to rise and were forced, instead, to bake it unleavened and without yeast &#8211; exactly the same as modern matzah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> So the Jews fled, Pharaoh and his army pursued them to the Red Sea where Moses commanded the ocean to separate and provide a dry escape.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He used the same power to cause the ocean to drown pursuing Egyptians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Once they were saved, the Jews forgot all of God\u2019s miracles. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The story says they began to grumble and complain &#8211; better to be a slave and eat well than be free and live poorly, they said. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even though Moses and God hoped the Jews would unite as a pious people, they did not.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They rebelled against God\u2019s rules &#8211; the Ten Commandments.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They returned to a lifestyle of wine and partying instead of piety and obedience.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They began to worship multiple God\u2019s including a gold statue of a calf.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even Moses acted contrary to one of God\u2019s commands.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As punishment, both he and the Jews were ordered by God to wander in the desert for forty years.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Only a new and more pious generation could enter Israel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Later, from a mountain overlooking Palestine, Moses peered into the land of milk and honey &#8211; one he would never visit.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He died the next day and soon, his successor Joshua, led Jews into their new land.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Annually remembering this Passover story is a command written into the Jewish Torah.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Today, even liberal and Reform Jews honor that command.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The holiday symbolizes the historic Jewish ability to survive countless challenges and tragedies.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Significantly, the story has meaning for us too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Just as Jesus and Muhammad taught universal lessons for all people, so too does the fictional Moses.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>One lesson is embodied in the Seder meal consumption of what is called a Hillel sandwich &#8211; named after a famous rabbi.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Combined on a piece of matzah are two of the symbolic foods found on a Seder plate &#8211; a bitter herb or horseradish called <b><i>maror, <\/i><\/b>and a sweet mixture of apples, raisons and nuts called <b><i>charoset.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><\/b>We will soon sample these elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> The <b><i>maror<\/i><\/b> or bitter herb symbolizes the heartache of bondage and slavery.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Jews on Passover consume <b><i>maror<\/i><\/b> to remember not only their past slavery, but also the pain of other past oppressions &#8211; especially the Holocaust.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> On a personal level, Seder participants are asked to remember, when eating the bitter herb<b><i>, <\/i><\/b>the forms of bondage in their own lives. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What ways might one be enslaved by a personal flaw like anger, lack of forgiveness, fear, depression, addiction, greed, or prejudice?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Passover calls people to free themselves from any personal negativity.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Eating a symbolic food representing the pain of bondage &#8211; a bitter herb &#8211; is one way to do that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> The <b><i>charoset, <\/i><\/b>or apple mixture, is intended to symbolize sweetness of life and freedom.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>By escaping Egyptian bondage, Jews were set free.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There was joy in that and so Jews commemorate it by eating sweet food the ancients might have consumed. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In doing so, they celebrate ancient freedoms but also ones they might individually have won &#8211; freedom from bitterness or freedom from fear as two examples.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Complementing the <b><i>maror<\/i><\/b> and the <b><i>charoset, <\/i><\/b>is the matzah bread.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Matzah plays a central role in Seder meals for it represents all that is good in life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Whatever one believes God to be\u2026\u2026she, he, or it &#8211; <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b><i>is a force of love<\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>That force of love grants us food for nourishment, life to enjoy, companions for support, minds to think, and all of nature in which to enjoy and be inspired.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Matzah represents all good things that God provided the ancient Jews and all the blessings we now enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Like the Jews in the Exodus story, we can take for granted our blessings.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Bread has always symbolized life and goodness.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Placing bitter herbs and a sweet apple mix on matzah bread is a way to understand and remember the contradictions of life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s filled with pain but, ultimately, it\u2019s to be enjoyed and valued.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Love, family, friends, food, wine and our very existence are not to be taken for granted.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Seder meals remind participants to be grateful for all they have and Matzah is a symbol for that.<b><i> <\/i><\/b><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> To finish my message, I want us take a few moments to actually engage in a brief Seder moment of reflection, prayer and food.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Debbie and Bill Palmisano, our Seder meal attendants, will pass around trays of matzah pieces spread with horseradish and apple mix.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As Michael plays soft background music, please take a napkin and a piece of matzah spread with horseradish and apple mix.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Please hold it until all are served.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> Let us use this time to eat and reflect on the symbolic meaning of the food we hold\u2026\u2026\u2026in doing so, may we celebrate an early Passover, may we show unity with the spirit of Jews and all others who have suffered oppression&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.As you now eat, taste the bitterness of the horseradish and remember some of the past challenges in your life &#8211; how you have endured and overcome\u2026\u2026a health issue, a relationship breakup, the death of a loved one, an addiction, an attitude problem, racism, sexism, homophobia or anger directed your way&#8230;&#8230;Remember also the pains of our world &#8211; hunger, poverty, violence, disease.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Allow the hurt of suffering around the world to fill you with sorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> But with the bitterness of horseradish, you also taste the sweetness of apples and raisons.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Use that taste to fill you with hope\u2026\u2026.Despite the pains of life, we can still find goodness in our midst\u2026\u2026.the hope of kindness extended by others\u2026\u2026the love we feel from family\u2026..the examples of charity and service we see in this congregation and in many others\u2026\u2026the promise that from every negative experience something good will result\u2026..and the resolve we can feel to do something about the challenges in ourselves and the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> The Jewish Torah says that bad things in life are caused by negativity in us or in others.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But God, the Torah says, intends for <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>all<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> bad things to ultimately be turned to good\u2026\u2026..There is a dawn for every nighttime\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026a life in every death\u2026\u2026\u2026.a hope in every defeat\u2026\u2026..a Spring for every winter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> That\u2019s the purpose of mixing bitter with sweet in Seder food. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The joy described in the Passover story when Jews were set free can be remembered in eating this food. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But each of us also have stories of overcoming, in the past or present, for which Passover and the food we&#8217;ve consumed can represent new hope, new life, new freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> What we know here is that our spirituality is <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>not<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> a trivial exercise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>To examine our minds and our hearts, to ponder the great questions of life, to seek after a power greater than ourselves &#8211; these are essential tasks for everyone.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>By celebrating the Passover, Jews and non-Jews alike<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>undertake a spiritual exercise that reminds us to always be grateful, always humble, always aware of personal challenges to overcome\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.and always ready to act and speak in the cause of justice and freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I wish all of you much peace and joy&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> To close our brief Seder experience, I&#8217;ve asked Mel Levrant to recite for us, in Hebrew and English, two Jewish prayers of blessing.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I&#8217;ve also asked Mel to share with us his own thoughts about Seder meals and their meaning&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Susanne Bjorner<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the annals of American history, Harriet Tubman looms large.\u00a0 She was born into slavery and suffered beatings and injuries at the hands of\u00a0 white oppressors.\u00a0 In 1849, Harriet escaped and made her way North to freedom. She quickly returned South and helped guide to freedom her family and seventy other slaves.\u00a0 She founded the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3004"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3007,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3004\/revisions\/3007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}