Manna

MAN TO GOD INGRATITUDE

IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF PREACHING

ON THAT PART OF THE STORY OF THE EXODUS

WHERE THE ISRAELITES GRUMBLED AT HARD TIMES

THE ISRAELITES HAD BEEN RELEASED

FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT

PHARAOH'S ARMY

SENT TO RECAPTURE THEM

HAD BEEN DESTROYED

THEY HAD ESCAPED

TO THE WILDERNESS

OF SINAI

THEY HAD PASSED THROUGH A DIVIDED SEA

TO A BARREN LAND

AND THEY WERE HUNGRY

SO THEY COMPLAINED TO GOD

THROUGH MOSES AND AARON

WERE THERE NOT ENOUGH GRAVEYARDS IN EGYPT

THAT WE HAD TO COME OUT HERE TO DIE

IN EGYPT WE HAD MEAT

AND OUR FILL OF BREAD

DID YOU BRING US HERE TO DIE OF HUNGER

THIS THEY SAID TO GOD THE FATHER

THROUGH MOSES AND AARON

THEY SAID

IS THAT ALL THERE IS

IS THAT ALL THERE IS

FATHER

WE MIGHT EXPECT A GOD

TO REACT ANGRILY

TO SUCH INGRATITUDE

BUT GOD THE FATHER SAYS TO US

BECAUSE HIS LOVE FOR US

IS GREATER THAN OUR INGRATITUDE TO HIM

GOD THE FATHER SAYS

I HAVE HEARD YOUR COMPLAINING

AND THEREFORE

AT TWILIGHT

YOU SHALL EAT MEAT

AND IN THE MORNING

YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR FILL OF BREAD

SO IN THE EVENING OF THAT DAY

QUAIL CAME

WERE CAUGHT AND EATEN

AND IN THE MORNING

A SUBSTANCE LIKE CORNFLAKES

APPEARED ON THE BUSHES

WHEN THE ISRAELITES SAW IT

THEY ASKED

WHAT IS IT

IN HEBREW

MANNA

AND MOSES REPLIED

IT IS THE BREAD

THAT THE LORD

HAS GIVEN YOU TO EAT

TO ME

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

IS NOT SO MUCH

THE ISRAELITES INGRATITUDE

BUT THAT GOD HEARD THEIR COMPLAINING

AND LISTENED

THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER

WHERE WE ARE IN GRATITUDE

OR INGRATITUDE TO GOD

NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE

HE IS LISTENING

AND ANSWERING OUR NEEDS

I DON'T WANT TO BE POLLYANNA

IN THAT STATEMENT

GOD'S LOVE FOR US

DOES NOT MEAN

THAT EVERY DAY WILL BE SUNNY

OR FREE OF PAIN

HE WILL NOT GIVE

THE ONE LEGGED MAN ANOTHER LEG

BUT HELP THE ONE LEGGED MAN TO LIVE

WITH HIS ONE LEGGEDNESS

FOR GOD ANSWERS OUR NEEDS

NOT OUR WANTS

AND SOMETIMES GOD WEEPS

WHEN EVIL OVERCOMES

HIS LOVE FOR US

WHEN WE

OR THE WORLD

SAY MANNA MANNA

WHAT IS THIS

WE WOULD RATHER LIVE WELL FED IN EGYPT

THAN HUNGRY IN THE DESERT

GIVE US BACK OUR SLAVERY

BECAUSE FREEDOM IS TOO HARD

BECAUSE EVEN

WHEN WE ARE GIVEN

EVERYTHING WE NEED

WE ARE LIKE ADAM IN THE GARDEN

WHO SAYS

IS THIS ALL I GET

AND THEN EATS THE FRUIT

AND IN AWFUL AWARENESS

SHOUTS OUT

MANNA MANNA

WHAT IS IT

AND KNOWS

THAT IT IS SIN

AND CRIES OUT

I HAVE LOST GOD

BECAUSE OF MY INGRATITUDE

BUT GOD HEARS US

IN OUR DEEPEST MOMENT

AND FEEDS US

AS HE DOES IN HOLY COMMUNION

WE CRY MANNA WHAT IS IT

AND GOD REPLIES

SIGNS AND PROOFS OF MY LOVE

FOR JESUS SAYS

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

IF YOU COME TO ME

YOU WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY

IF YOU BELIEVE IN ME

YOU WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY

WE CRY MANNA WHAT IS IT

AND JESUS SAYS

I HAVE COME LIKE WHEAT

THAT IS BROKEN AND GROUND DOWN

BY YOUR SINS

BY YOUR INGRATITUDE

AND I SAY

THAT I AM BREAD

AND I LIVE IN THAT BREAD

TAKE

EAT

AND REMEMBER ME

AND JESUS SAYS

I HAVE COME LIKE GRAPES

BROKEN AND CRUSHED

BY YOUR INGRATITUDE

AND I SAY

THAT I AM WINE

AND I LIVE IN THAT WINE

TAKE

DRINK

AND REMEMBER ME

AND THIS GIFT

AMONG ALL THE GIFTS THAT GOD GIVES US

IS THE GREATEST GIFT

THIS GIFT OF BREAD AND WINE

THIS GIFT OF BODY AND BLOOD

THIS GIFT OF GOD HIMSELF

LET US BE GRATEFUL

AND SAY AMEN

LET US SAY AMEN

AND THANK YOU

FRANK A VOLLMER