Gods Call to Work.

Exodus 3:1-15 and Romans 12:9-21

September 3, 2017
Lindsey Hammond

For many of us, Labor Day marks the end of summer, a final chance to relax with family
and friends. For me, growing up in the South, Labor Day was also the last day my Mom
would let me wear white until Easter, and it signaled the beginning of the LSU football
season. Since Congress set this holiday back in 1894, Labor Day is also a time to
reflect on the dignity of labor and the current state of the workplace. Today we are
joining 115 interfaith congregations across the Chicagoland, coordinated by Arise
Chicago and the Chicago Federation of Labor, who are highlighting the connections
between faith and labor.

In the familiar Exodus story, God called Moses to rebel against the Pharaoh and deliver
the Israelites from Egypt out of their oppressive working conditions and forever linked
faith and labor as a way to end poverty and exploitation.

In the beginning chapters of Exodus, we learn that Moses was born a son of Israelites
but grew up in Egypt in the household of Pharaoh. One day Moses saw an Egyptian
beating one of his fellow Israelites; he killed him, and then fled from Egypt. Moses ends
up in Midian, marries, has a son, and tends sheep for his father-in-law.

About 40 years pass. Life is probably pretty good for Moses. Maybe Moses forgot or
tried to forget his previous life in Egypt and the oppression of the Israelites.

However, things were not good for the people of God, back in Egypt. They were
trapped in slavery and suffering. The people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and
cried out for help. Perhaps the Israelites wondered if there was anyone, listening to their
cry.

The text said God heard the groaning of the people, and remembered Gods covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Its significant, as Walter Brueggemann
notes, that the slaves, not God, are the ones who provided the initial impetus for the
exodus. They cried out from their hearts believing in a God who must care--and
therefore, a God who will respond, a God who will do something.

Meanwhile, Moses was minding his own business and tending a flock of sheep. He had
gone way, way out, beyond the wilderness, to the mountain of God, called Sinai. Out

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there on the Sinai Peninsula it was hot, and the air was thick. It was easy to see
mirages and other apparitions, so when Moses came suddenly upon an angel of the
Lord and bush on fire, he may not have trusted his own eyes. Perhaps that is why he
drew closer to inspect this astonishing thing more carefully -- a bush that burns but is
entirely unharmed.

Then God speaks and calls Moses by name, and Moses responds Here am I.
Speaking out of the burning bush, God tells Moses, I have seen the affliction of my
people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I have
known their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and to deliver them to a land flowing with milk and honey.

Now this could have been a lovely story or a reassuring moment in Moses faith life that
God had heard the cries of the people and was going to respond, but no, there is much
more in it for Moses. This is the story of his call from God to stand up and speak truth
to power, to overcome his self-doubt, so that others can flourish.

God tells Moses, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the
sons of Israel, out of Egypt.

For some reason, Moses is reluctant, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring
the Israelites out of Egypt? And Who are you (or at least who can I say sent me to do
this bold thing?) Exactly. Who would not have said the same thing?

Moses experiences a common human response to a call to be an instrument of social

change: he does not believe he is worthy or able to fulfill Gods call. Moses threw out all
the usual excuses we might all use: Im not a leader, I cant think on my feet, people
would doubt my words, Im not eloquent, and I speak too slowly.

This summons to return to the dangerous place in Egypt where his own identity is a risk
and where he must challenge the enormous imperial power of the status quo was also
scary.

Who am I? Moses asked.

God responds in simple words, I will be with you. Moses doesnt need to worry about
who he is (or isnt), or to fret about his inadequacies, the terrifying task ahead, or the
obstacles in his way. Ultimately, this call really isnt about who Moses is, it is about
Who is with Moses. This is God who will be present in faithful ways to make what is not
otherwise possible.

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And so Moses went.

The rest is history and also a good illustration of Gods vision for Gods people:
liberation from bondage, and freedom from oppression, including oppression in the
workplace.

God also signals that the handful of people at the top are not to hoard the fruits of labor
that were created by those at the bottom. To put another way, in the words of Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. God never intended for one group of people to live in
superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. Gods
desire is for everyone to have enough.

Even though Moses was reluctant to answer yes to Gods call; he did so with the
assurance of Gods help and constant presence. Today God continues to call us to
action, and continues to provide help and a constant presence to those who respond.

What if God calls us more often than we realize or want to admit? The call may, rarely,
come in the life-changing, awesome moment when we see an angel of God and a
burning bush. But Gods call might also (and maybe more often) come as a soft nudge,
a gnawing urge, a quiet whisper that maybe, just maybe, we could to do something
about a particular problem. The quiet, more frequent, but less dramatic calls are easy
to ignore. Is it God? Do I really need to? How can I fit more into my busy life? How
can I say yes? Does it help to remember that God will be with us, to see through, that
God expects us to find time for Gods priorities?

In the passage from Romans, Paul encourages us to get involved, to follow these gentle
urgings, Let love be genuine; hate what is good; love one another with mutual affection;
out do one another in showing honor.

In an unjust world with billions living in poverty, genuine love demands our involvement.
Loving our neighbors means standing with people on the margins who seek a better life
for themselves, the life that is Gods intention for them, whose voices are being drowned
out. We must call attention to those voices and use our collective power to amplify their
voices.

Delegates to the United Church of Christs General Synod 2017 recently voted in favor
of a resolution advocating for economic justice, including calling for churches to support
legislation that raises the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Said Rev. Marilyn Kendrix,
who was in attendance, Our extravagant welcome to all Gods people requires more of

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us than merely welcoming them to our sanctuaries on Sunday. It requires us to
welcome everyone to share in the blessings of God.

Less than 2 weeks ago, legislation that would have raised the minimum wage in Illinois
from the current $8.25 an hour up to $15 an hour by 2022 was vetoed by the Governor.
Analysis of the latest available data shows that, not just in the Chicago area but across
the state, single workers without children will soon need $15 an hour or more just to
cover the basics like food, shelter, and transportation and workers with families will
need even more.

2.3 million Illinois workers currently make less than $15 an hour. 2.3 million Illinois
workers! That is just over 40% of all Illinois workers, including 46% of women, 48% of
African Americans and 61% of Latinos.

Chicago's minimum wage, currently at $11 an hour, is rising to $13 by 2019, and Cook
County is one year behind it, though many suburbs have opted out.

Evanston almost opted out of raising the minimum wage. On June 30, the day before
the first Cook County wage increase would go into effect, the mayor scheduled a
financial emergency meeting. However, the community showed up in powerful
numbers voicing opposition. As a result, the Evanston City Council unanimously
declined to take action to block the minimum wage increase. This was faith in action.

Evanstons commitment to raising the minimum wage is good news, but workers around
the state still need a raise.

And many workers need an affordable home. A study from the Voorhees Center at UIC
last year indicated that a $13/hour minimum wage increase would help to relieve the
housing cost burden to hundreds of Evanston families. As our church is deeply
committed to addressing homelessness, we know that there is a clear connection
between living wages and affording housing.

According to the City of Evanston, at least 10% of our fellow neighbors are either
homeless or at risk of being homeless. Put another way, thats 1 in 10 people in
Evanston close to homelessness. Working to ensure that everyone has a home, means
that we are not just managing homelessness but moving forward to help solve the
issues creating and sustaining it.

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Full employment, a job for everyone that wants one, and housing are considered basic
human rights. These are fundamental things to ensure everyone has a chance to
contribute their gifts to society.

Just like the Israelites who cried out for help from their oppressive working conditions,
workers around our country are crying out for a living wage that will lift them out of
poverty. This Labor Day, lets resolve to join the struggles of millions of workers--
including migrant workers, fast food workers, domestic workers, health care workers
and more--for improved jobs and living wages.

The world today is a very troubling place for anyone concerned with justice. Can we
doubt that God is calling us to get involved?

The question, then, is whether well have the courage like Moses to listen and respond,
trusting that wherever we go, to Egypt, to Pharaoh, to City Hall, to Springfield, to march
in the streets, to the ends of the earth, we will never be alone.

I invite you to listen for that still small voice within us, as we seek to answer what role
each of us must play in creating a just economic system. All leaders have their
moments of self-doubt. But God requires us to move from doubt to determination, from
apathy to action. Let us seek to overcome evil with good.

Let us go forward from this place and walk with workers, knowing that God walks with
us. Lets get to work.