the sermon kicks off our fall preaching series on visioning as a congregation. We have a parallel preaching series on stewardship, so depending on the week the focus will be on visioning or stewardship.
this Exodus text was also one of the lectionary texts for Sunday. When I was reflecting on vision and saw this text, it spoke to me. Although I have preached this text when the theme of the sermon was not on visioning, I think it worked for me.
“What Do you See?” Exodus 16: 2-15; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; September 20, 2026; Fall 2026 Vision and Stewardship; Richard B. Culp
Exodus 16: 2-15 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”[a] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
Introduction: As we move into the fall, most of our sermons will be in two categories:
some weeks, like this morning, we will reflect on how we vision together as St. Andrew
other weeks, like next week, we will reflect on our stewardship theme for the fall.
we also throw in world communion Sunday in a couple of weeks
and fall festival of faith at the end of October.
I suppose you will become really enlightened this fall,
or just confused about what the topic might be on an given Sunday!
This week, a look at vision as we reflect in what thenisrzeltites see in the wilderness and what we might see as we go through a visioning process here at St. Andrew.
Move 1: we begin by noting that Our visioning is not going to take us back in time.
a. That’s what the Israelites want to do.
1. It has been approximately six weeks since they have fled Egypt.
Six weeks since they left slavery and challenging, Egyptian taskmasters.
Six weeks since they have gotten away from Pharaoh and the Egyptian authorities that had tried to control them,
even the birth of Israelites.
Six weeks since they had crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness while Pharaoh’s pursuing army riding its chariots of death drowns in the water.
2. But six weeks of wandering in the wilderness has made the time in Egypt look good.
“If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Six weeks after being led by God from slavery to freedom, the Israelites are wishing they were back in Egypt.
all they can see is the past.
b. We know that kind of thinking.
1. We experience it in the life of the church.
If only we could go back to the 1950s when mainline churches seemed to grow and prosper as never before and never since.
Or, maybe if only we could go back to when John Marvin was the minister at St. Andrew
or Fred Cassell
or John McCoy
or Steve Plunkett
or when that Riches guy was first here
St. Andrew had it all figured out then.
or, maybe you want us to do what that the last church where you belonged did - it worked so well for them, that’s what St. Andrew needs to do.
or, maybe if we could just be more like,
And fill in the blank with whatever memory you have of the good times.
2. Like the Israelites, we look back and find comfort in what has happened
or long for the certainty of knowing exactly what the next moment had for us,
forgetting, of course, that back then in the moment we did not know what was in store for St Andrew,
but looking back,
we know with certainty what happened
and long to return to it,
even if it is something less than we desire.
There is a lot less vulnerability in living out what we have already done.
Replicating the past feels easier.
c. But when the Israelites are looking back and wishing they could return to Egypt and the world they knew,
they miss what God is doing in their midst in that moment
and if they actually return to Egypt,
they will miss out on the future to which God is leading.
God is still wth them.
even in their uncertainty
and despite their complaining,
God still has a future to share with them.
1. If all we do as we vision together is look back is look back,
and remember,
and wish we could go back,
or try to fashion a way forward that only perpetuates the successes of previous eras,
it ignores the truth we know - the world has changed and continues to change.
2. We do not share the same political climate in the world around us with the St. Andrew of the past;
We do not share the same world powers with the ST. Andrew of the past;
We do not share the same economic pressures and opportunities with the ST. Andrew of the past;
We do not share the same church leadership with the St. Andrew of the past;
3. But we we do share the same God!
The God who led the Israelites out of slavery, through the wilderness, and will lead the, into the Promise Land;
The God who has led St. Andrew in building projects in the past
and called this congregation to step forward to start Our Daily Bread,
or create the Treehouse,
or bring the Children’s Place to St. Andrew,
is the same God who calls us now to a new vision.
d. engaging in a visioning process means looking forward and putting our trust in the God who does indeed have a future for us.
1. The past matters
as we find power in knowing that God has led this congregation to new places in years past,
but we are not going back!
2. Like the Israelites who will move forward through their fear and uncertainty to live into the future God has for them,
we are called to move forward through our fear and uncertainty to live into the future God has for us us.
We might complain along the way!
We not quite get it right every moment.
But the God who provided for the Israelites in the wilderness,
will provide for us now as we envision what the future might be for St. Andrew.
Move 2: The challenge for us is not just to be willing to seek the vision,
but recognizing the vision God has for us.
a. Notice how the Israelites respond to the arrival in the morning of manna.
1. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”[a] For they did not know what it was.
2. The Israelites do not recognize the fine, flake-like things that covers the ground like the morning dew.
It does not look like Egyptian bread.
It does not look like anything they might expect to feed them each day.
3. The Israelites look at the manna
they see this miraculous morning gift from God
and they do not recognize it.
b. No doubt the vision we are seeking will not be exactly what we think it should look like at this moment.
1. that is why the Session has been wrestling with this question behind the scenes for several years.
that is why we have invited the congregation to be in prayer as we go through this visioning process
that is why we have prayers teams praying for this congregation and its leadership
that is why the Session is planning gatherings with the congregation in which they will share from their discernment
and invite the congregation to join them as we all look forward to the next step in the life of st. Andrew.
2. I hope we all hear the invitation to join in visioning as a call to engage in holy curiosity,
a chance to imagine and dream,
rather than hold the visioning process hostage to pre-fixed expectations.
3. We need all of St. Andrew in this process.
in Acts we heard Peter describe the new vision for the the people of God given that Christ has been raised from the dead.
In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
Men and women
young and old
even slaves will see the vision
everyone will be led by the Spirit into this new life.
4. Visioning at ST. Andrew is not the task of only the Session;
visioning at ST. Andrew is not the task of only the young families who are going to be around for awhile
visioning at St. Andrew is not the task of only those who have been here for many years who have such a wealth of knowledge about St. Andrew
visioning at St. Andrew is not for just the old
or just for the young
Visioning at St. Andrew is for all of us
together looking forward to see the future God has for us.
Conclusion: So we begin with the question we will keep asking ourselves: What do you see?
Acts 17: 10-15. But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews[a] and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17
‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
19
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
21
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
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