 So just a couple of notes before we begin. First of all, thank you for staying, right? Like, you had a choice. And so thank you for being here. Although Damaris, wherever she may have gone, when she said right before worship began, if you wouldn't mind just taking out your evaluation forms. I got to admit that there was like this little, like, that happened inside of me. But thank you so much. I had a mentor when I first started out at my church and ministry who said, the moment that you stop being nervous when you stand up to preach before people is the moment that you should probably stop preaching. So I would invite you all just to pray with me for a moment. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Help us to be still and know that you are God and that you are here present with us. Settle in us all that seems unsettled still and us all that is raging on in our minds and in our hearts so that we might better open ourselves up to you. Mind, heart, and soul. To hear the word that you are speaking to us this afternoon. Amen. So we've asked this a couple of different ways already this weekend, but I would ask you again, how many of you can associate with Moses in this story? Really God, me? I'm the one, really? Are you sure you didn't dial one of those numbers off when you made that call? Because I'm not so sure here. I can certainly associate with Moses in this story. I had a number of those moments. First between my sophomore and junior year of college when I felt this niggling call perhaps to seminary and to the ministry. I had planned on sports casting the Super Bowl friends this was something a little bit different. Then as I got on a plane to go and live as a missionary in the Dominican Republic out of seminary. And then, and especially then, when I landed back in the United States and I found the church where I have now served for 10 years as their associate pastor. When I entered into that church I had a grand total of about seven months of church experience all from my internship at Wapping Community Church. I had about seven months of on the ground church experience and we were in a time of transition and so all I could think was really I am here to do what now? What do you think I'm capable of? And so I remember the first baptism that I had where I was baptizing a toddler and he tried to jump out of my arms and I almost lost him. And then I had that wedding. You know, the wedding where I think the bridal party was about the size of all of you here gathered together and no wedding coordinator because why would I need one of those? I mean, I don't know what that was all about. So it turned into kind of a three-ring circus. We did get them married, so there you go. And then I had my first funeral and my first funeral I now have lovingly come to dub the roast of Homer Cusick because they said that they were gonna do a eulogy. But what they meant was they were gonna call an MC up and they were gonna get four of his really good friends to tell a whole bunch of jokes and stories about who Homer had been. And the MC ended that eulogy right before I stood up to give my pastoral reflections by saying, oh, and by the way, Homer is probably rolling over in his grave right now to know that there is a female preacher officiating his service. And there you have it, right? So I spent this entire time going, really? Me? Like, how is it possible that you have called me, God, to lead in this place? But I will tell you 10 years later, I realize all of the mistakes and all of the fumbles and all of those blessed Holy Spirit moment opportunities have taught me so much about being human and about pastoring and about leading and especially about the work of our Holy Spirit that comes and works in and among and through us. I wonder what Moses thought on the other side of the story that Kristen just read for us as he was gazing out at the promised land that stood before him. And as he was looking back at all of these people whom he had led masterfully, I suppose, out in the wilderness. And I wonder what he thought about his ministry at that point because clearly he had some doubts in the beginning. But I wonder if he realized all that he had learned about himself and about our God and about the way that our God calls people into ministry all the time. You see, I think we learned three really important things from Moses' leadership. The first of which is that the foundation of any of our leadership in the church, of course, should always be our relationship with God. And Moses, it didn't matter how he felt, whether he was angry or whether he was confused or whether he was happy or worried or related, Moses always brought his whole self, his real self, to God. I don't know how many times you've read this story but reading it over and over again in these last few weeks, I was reminded about how many times Moses just stopped and went to God and said, all right, God, like let's talk about this. What is going down here? And had a real honest to God, honest to God conversation with God. Moses talked to God all the time. I think sometimes with our crazy to-do lists and all the things that compete for our time and our demands, that can sometimes be the one thing that we go, oh, well, maybe that 15 minutes of devotion that I had set aside, I can kind of wait until later. Of all, God will understand. And yet Moses had it right. Keep on talking, keep on talking and keep on listening for God's guidance, the foundation of our leadership. Second, once Moses got over those initial little issues with self-doubt and his attempts to back out of this entire ministry, Moses actually went all in instead. He went all in and he grew into the leader that God called him to be. He used his gifts. That gift of curiosity was perhaps the first one where God said, oh, hang on, this guy actually wants to know what's going on here in this burning bush. And so started talking to him. He uses gifts of curiosity and shepherding and listening. How many times did Moses have to listen to people complain out in the wilderness and to share those complaints and those thoughts with God? So curiosity, shepherding, listening, wisdom, his vision, his faith, to become one of the first and foremost leaders and prophets in Israel's history. And third, I think Moses was really good at calling people off the bench, friends. He couldn't have done this alone. It would have been impossible. So I would imagine that Moses was not one of those guys who said, oh, no, no, you called me God, so I've got this under control. Instead, he had to call other people to be about the work of ministry with him. Whether you would call them small group leaders or associate pastors or, I don't know, minor judges, anything, he had to call all of these people up in order to lead folks out of bondage in Egypt and to the promised land and then to establish and uphold the law once they were there. This year in our review cycle at our church, we were having conversations and the word delegate came up a couple of times. And one of my PRC members looked at me and said, Jen, I wanna talk to you a little bit about that later. So he pulled me aside and he said, okay, so I get it delegation, said I get it, but that word, there's just something that kinda gives me the shivers. So because when I think about the word delegate, I think about you taking the crud off of your to-do list and putting it on mine instead. He said, but I think of the word empower. Said, and when you look at the gifts and skills that you see in me and you say to me, Bob, these are the things that we need for this time in our ministry and our church and I want you to partner with me in this. Said, that is opportunity. Moses was able to empower people to be in ministry with him. And friends, we need these kinds of leaders in the body of Christ. Leaders steeped in faith and willing to use gifts and service and leaders who invite others into ministry. Because when we look at our communities and our world, we realize that there are still a whole boatload of people out there who are enslaved and oppressed, who are living in bondage even today to so many situations of hurt and injustice. And God needs these kinds of leaders to bring about healing and change, to do the insane and yet rewarding work of bringing the kingdom here to earth now. And my friends, you who are sitting in these seats in this auditorium this very afternoon, you are these leaders. You have been chosen by God. And I don't know if I'm allowed to do this or not, but I wanna thank you on behalf of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ for saying yes to the call to ministry because all of those amazing ministries that you are partaking in our gifts and blessing. I think the question, the real question for today is not who me, but who else? Both on a personal level and on a communal level. Because I think when God calls and you get that niggling feeling, whatever it is for you, mine is always this really weird feeling I get in my stomach somewhere that makes me think, oh no, this is really God and I really have to respond right now. When God calls, we can say who me or we could say who else but me with these particular gifts and skills with this particular context, who else but me to answer this call? But I think there's another level of who else and that level is who else can be in this with me? Who else can I call into the ministry to which God is calling me? Who else can I empower to help fulfill the purpose to which God is calling me? It's all about interdependence, right Kent? Friends, we have heard it said this weekend that God continues to call every day ordinary and yet amazing and extraordinary people like you and me even today. God is calling us. God is calling our churches. God is calling the church to leadership for such a time as this, a time ripe for change and healing. So my friends, may we be willing to answer that call and to lead with confidence in our worship and our faith formation and our committee and outreach work in our risk-taking and change-making ministries called, empowered, guided and blessed by our amazing God. Who else? Amen. Okay, ready? That's good.