Worship at Home 30 August 2026 Ruth Lewis LP

Responding to the Reading.

You might remember the burning bush from Sunday School days or from the animated film the Prince of Egypt.

Who is Moses? Who  is this Moses, that he should go to Pharaoh to demand the Hebrews’ freedom? Who is this God, apparently silent for so long, who now hears the cry of his people in bondage? Who is this Pharaoh, that he should aspire to the power of the God of Israel?

“Who am I” can indicate basic forgetfulness, but it can also mean “What authority, experience or standing  do I have to do this task?  When Moses says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Moses wonders what qualifies—or dooms—him for such a dangerous quest.

Note, God does not answer Moses’s question. Or perhaps we could say that God does answer the question, but not with the kind of answer we or Moses would expect: “Who am I?” asks Moses. “I am with you,” answers God. Moses’s identity, authority, and existence all come from the persistence of God’s presence with him, through out his life even when a baby in a basket on the Nile.

Here at the burning bush, though, Moses’s identity and qualifications are boiled down to the only thing that ultimately matters: God is with him.

Then, after God has responded to Moses’s “Who am I” question, Moses has a “Who are you” question for God: “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  

God again gives a perplexing answer YHWH . Usually pronounced Yahweh. “I am who I am” It is not a naming word, it’s more a verb, not a noun. It is the Hebrew verb “to be”.

As for Pharaoh? His name is never known, only his title. He is another tyrant, representative of all tyrants, replaceable with any other. He will later ask his own questions: “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to him and let Israel go? . The rest of the Exodus story will be introducing Pharaoh to YHWH. When all is said and done, Pharaoh will know the God of Israel through God’s exercises of power in the plagues and, ultimately, in the drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the sea.

The flashy part of this week’s reading is, of course, the burning bush. But the burning bush is neither the heart nor the point of this text. Instead, just like God’s answer to Moses’s “Who am I” question, the burning bush calls Moses’s attention—and ours—to the revelation of the God of Israel, who remains the centre of this narrative.

Who is this Moses? The one whom God accompanies to accomplish God’s purposes. Who is this Pharaoh? A demagogue and tyrant whose power will never match that of the living God of Israel. And who is this God? The God of our ancestors in the faith; the one who was, is, and shall be; the one who is always with us. And, now, who are you? What is God saying to you?  

Hymn StF 158 Lord you sometimes speak in wonders 

Joy  single voice  

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Prayers for Others  

Lord God of Moses you have called us to serve you. You know exactly who weare. You have called us to heal and to love. Bless the work of your church in places of neglect and deprivation. WE pray for all ministers and congregations like ours who work in inner cities, all who work to heal our broken society.

Lord God of Moses we pray for all those  who are in chains of despair. Refugees and legally settled foreign workers frightened by street violence in a place they thought safe. For those who find themselves in desperate situations, like people dealing with the recent flash flood in Nepal. The broken hearted, and broken spirited.

For all who are anxious about their health or those of a loved one. For all who mourn. For those who grieve violent and senseless deaths in our town. We pray for those emergency response workers who pick up the pieces.

Lord God of Moses we thank you for the life of Dolly Parton who generously did so much both seen and unseen  to help others. She once said. “I always ask God to work through me and let me be a light of some kind and help in this world.” So may we.  

Lord God of Moses you call us now and in this space and moment. Lord, show us what we can do. Lead us to the words and actions, large and small which will bring your people to your promised peace . Be a felt presence with us , as you were to Moses. Amen  

Hymn StF  663 I the Lord of sea and sky  

Blessing:  

In stories and in stores and supermarkets, in sandy deserts , rocky roads and motorways, country lanes and suburban streets,  at holiday events, workplaces, and Sunday worship, in our homes, on our phones and screens  we encounter God. Let us be with the One who fills every moment with the sacred and do what we can to bring freedom, healing, hope and love to your world.