Marking Moments, Setting Stones

Joshua 4: 1 – 7

(Pray – invite people online to grab a stone in their house?)

Also queue them to be prepared to offer some thoughts in the chat later in the service.)

 

This morning you have heard a small part of a big story about the Israelites as they entered into the promised land.

 

The Israelites, freed from slavery in Egypt, had followed Moses through 40 years of wilderness time and it would make sense that Moses would lead them all the way to the ultimate destination.

 

But during their wanderings, while trying to get water for the desperate Israelites, Moses had struck a rock with his staff rather than speaking to the rock as he had been instructed.

 

This short-tempered rock-striking was understood as a deep disrespect to God, especially when it happened in front of the whole people of Israel. Therefore, God prevented Moses from entering the Promised Land with the Israelites.

 

Can you imagine Moses’ disappointment?

 

Instead, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land.

 

Before they crossed the river into the land that they had been promised, the land that took 40 years of wandering to arrive at, Joshua commanded them to select stones from the riverbed and set them in a pile at their crossing point. Reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea as they escaped Egypt, the waters stopped ahead of their crossing so that they would travel across the river on dry land.

The instructions were for 12 men to select 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, from the riverbed.

 

The stones would be placed together in a pile at the river when the crossing was complete.

 

Just to be clear – these were probably big stones – a pile of 12 of them would have a presence.

 

The pile of stones would become an altar of remembrance.

 

They were setting these stones to remember their journey. It was a journey that had included times of great hardship. And a journey that had included times of God’s amazing presence. It had included disappointments and miracles, grumbling and rejoicing. Joshua wanted to be sure to mark the place of their crossing so that they would remember all of this, the good and the bad, the hard and the amazing, all that God had done in their lives.

 

They were also setting stones to remember that they were arriving at something new. Unknown. Different.

 

They were at a threshold between what had been in the past and what would be in the future.

 

They were at a threshold between a wilderness that had challenged, confounded and shaped them and a land that, while promised to them by God, still held obstacles and unknowns.

 

They were in between.

And like Abraham and Jacob before them, they piled up some rocks to mark the holiness of the in between.

 

Perhaps they were relieved for their journey to be over. Perhaps they were struck by the way they had grown closer as a people during the difficult time in the wilderness. Perhaps they wanted to rush into what was next, certain that anything had to be better than 40 years in the wilderness. Or maybe they were a little fearful of what was before them because how could they know what would happen?

 

And they marked all of that.

 

Have you stood at the edge of one life episode and another, knowing that you were leaving something behind and entering into something new?

 

Perhaps a graduation? A move? The loss of somebody beloved? A job change?

 

I believe that this kind of stone setting is the work that we get to do today – we’re marking a shift in our shared life. Reflecting on what we have shared to this point. Giving thanks for the moments of growth and learning and provision. Grieving the losses, the missteps. Seeing how we have been changed. At the same time, anticipating something different and new. Perhaps longing for clarity. Seeing the promise of renewal…and not quite knowing what all that entails.

 

For a season, I will be away from Faith. For a season, you will lead together in different ways, you will worship in different ways.

 

During this time, we will all experience some disruptions, some different ways of doing things, maybe even some disorientation or wilderness time. We will encounter new things. We will submit to new leadership.

 

We don’t really know what is ahead of us.

 

And in reality, we probably have different perspectives about what has been behind us.

 

But here today, we stand at a threshold, a space between what has been and what will be.

 

Let’s mark this time today by taking a few moments to reflect on what has been…

 

I invite you to spend a few moments calling to mind a part of our shared life here at Faith – it can be a “way back” memory or a more recent memory. After a couple of moments of silence I will invite you to share as you feel moved to do so something you want to remember from our shared past.

 

(Facilitate this sharing)

 

Now let’s pause and imagine what might be ahead of us.  What do we want to hope for? To seek in this season? After a couple of moments of silence, I will once again invite you to share as you feel called – this time something that you anticipate in this next season.

 

(Facilitate this sharing)

 

Beloved, the LORD has brought us here. Through times of struggle and times of celebration, through times of disorientation and times of startling clarity. Here we are. And God’s guidance and presence with us continues.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.