A Word from Pastor Lisa: Together We Simplify
Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’” 17 The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
– Exodus 16:15b-21 (NRSV)
Tuesday night was the fall equinox, the moment when the light and dark are equal. I had the privilege of praying at the annual Homeless Memorial Vigil hosted by the Shalom Community Center. We gathered around the courthouse with masks on our faces and candles in our hands as Sylvia McNair sang “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” The 39 names of those who died were read one-by-one as yard signs honoring them were carried forward and placed in the ground. We remembered more people this year than in recent memory, said Director Forrest Gilmore, revealing one more way that 2020 has been impossibly difficult for those on the margins of Bloomington.
What struck me most about this sacred space was the wide variety of people. There were friends and relatives of those who had died, many of whom are unhoused themselves. They wailed and hugged each other for support. There were also IU professors, city and county government workers, and staff from the Shalom Center. As candlelight reflected on our faces, we were a tangled mess of pain and hope. It was stunningly beautiful.
It was also a stunning reminder of how differently many of us in Bloomington live. Forrest Gilmore said we were gathering for a memorial service and a protest vigil to decry the disparity and poverty in our community. His comment prompted me to reflect on the work we’re called to do as a congregation. In my sermon a few weeks ago, I suggested the work of our church is to become a manna redistribution society. I was referring specifically to the scene in Exodus when Moses tells the people to gather an omer per person of God’s manna each day, just as much as each needs. Of course, they do not listen to him. They collect more than they need, and it breeds worms and becomes foul. In other words, hoarding stinks! In contrast, when we each live simply with what we need, there is plenty of manna to go around. We become part of God’s dream for the world – a place where every has enough to live.
The first step to becoming a manna redistribution society is to live more simply. This isn’t about taking the advice of Marie Kondo to our closets and tossing everything that doesn’t spark joy. This is about not acquiring in the first place. This is about identifying our wants vs. our needs. Methodist Founder John Wesley wrote in The Danger of Riches: “Whoever has sufficient food to eat, and raiment to put on, with a place to lay his [or her] head, and something over, is rich.” Most of us at First Methodist are rich. We have exceedingly more manna than we need to live each day. What is sufficient for us?
This pandemic, with of all its hardship and heartache, is teaching us what is most important to us – bread on the table and time to connect with those we love. We’ve become more grateful for the small things and the essentials. Instead of grabbing for the extras, we can be more generous to those around us, especially people in need.
First Methodist has a beautiful history of generosity. In 2019, we gave $68,000 beyond our annual budget toward mission and service organizations. So far this year we’ve given $8900 specifically to the COVID-relief fund with the United Way of Monroe County. Our emergency assistance fund has helped numerous people with rent, utilities, and other needs.
There’s always more we can do. I hope you’ll spend time in prayer and reflection with your household. What does it mean for you to live more simply? How will you redistribute your extra manna so we can embody God’s dream for Bloomington? Let’s strive for the year that no names are read again at the Homeless Memorial Vigil.