March 26, 2019: BaManna Bread

Prayer:  Providing Lord, may we be grateful for all you give us. Amen
 
Reading:  Joshua 5:  9-12  (Click to read text)
 
Stop and GROW:  After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers.

QUESTION 1:  What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text?
QUESTION 2:  What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story?
QUESTION 3:  What stories or memories does this text stir in me? 
QUESTION 4:  What is God up to in this text? 
 
Reflection:   There is an old Keith Green song, So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt, which pokes at the Israelites complaining about the manna in the wilderness..."in the morning it's manna hotcakes. We snack on manna all day.  And we sure had a winner for dinner last night - flaming manna souffle".  The song ends with the bemoaning list..."Oh, manna waffles, manna burgers, manna bagels, fillet of manna, manny patty...BaManna bread!"
 
Our text from Joshua today sounds like the end of the manna days finally.  They ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.  The manna ceased.  They no longer had manna.  Crops of the land of Canaan that year.   Were they glad for the change?  Probably.  Were they grateful for the manna before when there was nothing else to eat?  Hopefully.  Did they miss the manna?  Maybe.  At least maybe the BaManna Bread.
 
-- Ruth Gates