Prayer: When we think it is all too hard, remind us you are the LORD our God and you tell us to not be afraid. Amen
Reading: Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9, 12-20 (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 were only Ten Commandments given here. Just ten. How hard could it be? Yet, by the time God was done speaking the words (along with thunder, lightning, trumpets and a smoking mountain) the people were afraid, trembling and keeping their distance. They begged Moses to do the talking to them instead of God. Better yet, Moses, you go talk to God and come back to tell us what he said. And they backed up even further. And if they thought the Ten Commandments were a lot to expect, Moses came back with many, many more laws to follow. In the end there were 3 books of laws to follow. That's hard. Why Ten Commandments and so many laws? God was trying to keep them from sinning. What caught my eye was Moses saying, "Do not be afraid." (v. 20) We hear those words so often in the Bible. Comforting words. Encouraging words. Loving words. Words Jesus our Lord also said. Do not be afraid. How hard could it be? --Ruth Gates
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