Community Strong

Exodus 17:1-17

Rev. Dr. Donna Giver-Johnston

May 27, 2018

In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a British bacteriologist, escaped the London smog to take a family vacation in Suffolk. When he got back to his lab, he discovered he had forgotten to sterilize his petri dishes. They were covered with bacteria. A few even had mold. As he was cleaning up, Fleming noticed that there was a bacteria-free ring around the mold colonies. He had just discovered penicillin, the makings of an antibiotic that would go on to save millions of lives. This is one of the most famous examples in history of a happy accident.

But what about happy accidents that are not so famous but known to us? I have heard many stories of happy accidents in this community of faith.

There’s the woman who didn’t want to go to a party, but reluctantly went and ended up meeting a man who would become her husband.
There’s the man who couldn’t get to his church because of a snow storm so he came here, and found a spiritual home for him and his family and never left.
And there are many more happy accidents, when something unexpected or unintended yielded a surprise blessing.

This week I had a happy accident. The Scripture reading for today was supposed to be Exodus 17:1-7. But when I was typing it into the bulletin, I accidently typed Exodus 17:1-17. The first 7 verses are about Moses striking the rock to bring out water. I thought, ok, I can preach about how God’s power (through Moses) took care of God’s people when they needed it most. Out of a rock, God can bring water. I have preached on this text many times. It’s about calling us to trust, to have faith in God to provide. It’s a good message.

But, then I read the next 10 verses, and I realized this was something new. I had never preached on these verses before, and I not sure if I remember ever reading them. It’s a passage about God taking care of the Israelites, not just in giving them water, but protecting them in war. But, in between leading them into battle and giving them victory, there are a few key verses that were a surprise:

So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek.

Moses (with God’s help) could not prevail on his own. Every time he put up his hand, Israel prevailed. Every time he put down his hand, the enemy prevailed. And so Aaron and Hur put a stone under him to give him support, and then they stood on either side of him and held up his hands. With their help, Moses kept up his hands, so that the enemy was defeated and God’s people prevailed.

This was a happy accident--I was not supposed to read these verses and yet in them, I found a gem, a message that I think we need to hear today. This is a story about the power of community. Alone, we are weak, but together we are strong.

I saw this Scripture passage embodied in the life of our community this past week. It was a heavy week. Two dear people, pillars of our church, died and we had their funerals--one on Monday for John Ferguson and one of Wednesday for Sandy Stauffer. Between the emotions and the logistics, we could never have gotten through the week alone. We worked together and together we were strong. We held up one another.

Mary Witul and the Deacons and Diana Petruska and Fellowship donated food and money and time and energy to put on a beautiful reception to allow family and friends to enjoy time together, to share stories about Sandy, to allow the healing to begin.
Jean Henderson helped me lead Sandy’s funeral service, providing comforting words of a prayer and a strong arm to lean on.
Tim Miller moved chairs and tables up and down and all around; and Leslie Miller cleaned up after each service.
Tim Heavner put in extra time away from his teaching to play at each funeral and to direct the choirs. Choir members came mid-week to sing and ring bells in honor of Sandy.
Tracey Mundorf printed bulletins, greeted people, and helped coordinate the Wooden Ladder preschool pick-ups and drops-offs, and the roofers.
Steve Fockler helped with ushering, along with Amy Reed and Elaine Brunner.
Steve Mellon took time off his job to be here to do the sound, record the funeral service, and live stream so that people who were not here could see it.

I could go on and on and on….

Just like the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child,

Likewise, It takes a community to be the church

It takes a community to do the ministry of Jesus Christ

It takes a community to share the love of God

It takes a community to defeat the enemies in our world today--evil, fear, greed, grief, dishonesty, despair... we can’t do it alone.

It takes a community to change the world for good

Alone: A Poem by Maya Angelou

Lying, thinking Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody, But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can’t use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They’ve got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I’ll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
‘Cause nobody, But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

It takes a community to hold up our tired arms, to lift us up when we are down.

This community of faith has been through many hard times. And yet, we have endured. This is no accident.Through thick and thin, this congregation has stayed together. How?

By standing firm on the foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, and held up by the love of one another. Together we are strong, community strong!

Thanks be to God!