13 September 2020 is the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Our reading from Exodus this week is from Chapter 14, verses 19 to 31.

This is the story of Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, memorably portrayed in the 1950s Hollywood blockbuster, The Ten Commandments.

Rev. Geoff McKee explains how this event illustrates the transfer of the Israelites’ fear -from fear of the Egyptian army to fear of God. However, that fear was not to last.

Who would prove to be their greatest enemy? (And the greatest enemy through all times since then).

We have the four Lectionary readings for today set out below, beginning with the Exodus passage. There are also prayers, the audio sermon and a musical selection, chosen by Katherine Robertson.

Exodus 14:19-31 (New International Version)
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Psalm 114
1 When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.

5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.

Romans 14:1-12
The Weak and the Strong
14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Matthew 18:21-35
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Scripture Sentence

Bless the Lord, my soul. He pardons all my wrongdoing, and crowns me with love and compassion. Psalm 103: 1, 3-4

Opening Prayer

O God who is our strength, your love and power never fail. Thanks and praise to you, our safety and stronghold. We exalt you, O God, majestic in holiness, for there is none like you.

O God of freedom, you led your people of old with cloud by day and fire by night. You parted the sea with your breath, and saved your people from oppression. Free us, O God, in our own age, from indifference in the face of poverty, ignorance in the face of fact, disbelief in the face of evidence before our very eyes. Deliver us good Lord, that we may allow the earth to heal.

Lord of the living and Lord of the dead, we are conscious of our sin. We are weak in faith, quarrelsome in nature and there is no health in us. When we deny the science of climate change, enlighten us. When we continue to pollute our earth, convict us. When we exploit creation, chastise us. When we fail to cherish the earth, our fragile home, change us. When we fail to love the poor and oppressed, forgive us.

Give us time, O God, even at this late hour, to change, to turn away from destruction and back to you. May we receive your pardon, peace, and wisdom, that we may use our time well, and be filled with your grace and help to renew the earth.

Sermon

NOTE: The above audio is in mp3 format and is also downloadable, if you wish to listen at a time when you may not have a reliable internet connection. Other devices are available but, on a PC, for example, if you right-click on the 3 vertical dots at the right side of the audio player, the drop-down menu should offer the option to “Save as…”

Prayers of Intercession

O God, your unfailing love has been the source of our strength. It has led us through troubled waters and away from our enemies. In your infinite love, you have had pity on us and heard our cries. Because of your faithful love and mercy, we bring our concerns to you, O God.

For the universal church—that it would be an instrument of your love, forgiveness, and grace.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the global community—that we would learn to live for each other in peace and co-operation, and share collective responsibility.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our local community as it endeavours to bring support to the vulnerable in times of fear and uncertainty.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those who suffer in their minds, bodies, or souls—wrap your arms around them in love and help us, the church, be what they need.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the silent intentions we hold in our hearts.
[A time of silence is kept.]
God in your mercy, hear our prayers which we bring in the name of Jesus’ Christ, our Lord who taught us to pray……

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever.

Amen

Musical selection

The hymn “A mighty fortress is our God” is based on Psalm 46 and was written in 1529 by Martin Luther.

It became known as the battle hymn of the reformation. Bach harmonised it many times and used it in his Reformation symphony.

This hymn has inspired so many people over the centuries. In the lyrics, we can find great strength in God’s love and salvation. It is one of the best-loved German chorales.

I have a copy of my grandfather’s Evangelisches Kirchengesangbuch from 1898 and know this was a favourite of his, his parents and, today, it’s one of mine too.