Welcome to our  10 am Sunday morning service at Clevedon. Join us in person or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxBzxjBb3xU8ra2NHwvD_9A(the service can also be viewed at any time afterwards.)

The reading and reflection can be founf below:

Exodus 32:1-14

1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord."

6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 7 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'" 9 The Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."

11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

A few weeks ago, I was driving into town. I took the off-ramp and was heading down that steep part of the motorway that leads to the bottom of Parnell. As I was going down, I saw someone waving at me. I thought, "That’s strange," as I didn’t recognise them, and it’s not the kind of place where you’d expect to see anyone.

Just before I waved back in a friendly sort of way, I realised the person waving at me was a police officer. Beside him was another officer holding a hand-held speed camera. Later, I discovered I was going 88 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.

It’s a funny mix of feelings, isn’t it, when you get caught out—disbelief, anger, embarrassment, guilt.

The officer asked if there was any reason why I was speeding down the hill. I could think of a few good reasons: we were running a bit late for dinner! it was a hill! and there was no one else on that open, clear stretch of road. 88 km/h didn’t seem excessive. 

(But I just nodded and acknowledged that I didn't have any reason that would provide a sufficiently satisfying answer to the officer) 

I came down from the mountain, and unlike Moses, I wasn’t bringing the law; I had broken it. And I paid the price—$30.

I have to admit that If the officer hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have thought twice about going 88. But if I had known he was there, I certainly would have slowed down.

Sometimes we can’t trust ourselves to obey the law, and sometimes it’s only the knowledge that we’ll be held accountable that makes us do the right thing.

But then we think about more serious things: the overfishing that’s plundered the Hauraki Gulf, with some resisting the idea of having cameras on board fishing boats, or the ignoring of international laws in many conflicts around the world. A sense that if you can get away with it – you do it.

That sense of what happens when there is no accountability. It’s a question that sits at the heart of our reading.

“When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make gods for us who will go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”

It’s an ancient yet very contemporary scenario. We might all agree that laws are about protection, safety, and order. But all laws depend on a shared acceptance of their legitimacy, authority, and enforceability.

Remember, Jesus tells us he fulfils the law, not by making more laws, but by insisting that loving God, ourselves and our neighbour is the way the law is fulfilled.

Moses was absent, up on the mountain communing with God, sorting out the Ten Commandments.

But he wasn’t there with the people. And in his absence, we hear what happened:

“So all the people took off their gold rings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold, formed it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf. And they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”

The worship of idols filled the space where trust in God had faltered.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely. They’ve quickly turned away from what I commanded them. They’ve made an image of a calf, and they’re worshipping it, saying, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”’”

Notice that phrase, “the land of Egypt”—it occurs five times in this passage. Clearly, it’s significant.

Biblical scholars tell us it raises three questions:

Moses, an ordinary man who went from herding sheep, encountered God in a burning bush, found the courage and vision to gather this community, and led them out of slavery. Our faith isn’t based on abstract ideas or simple values but on the real stories of real people—often ordinary people doing extraordinary things, inspired by God.

What separates us from the life we knew there? Sometimes we’re tempted to go back.

We hold Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at Clevedon each Thursday night. We recognise that some of us may have had problems with addiction. Some of us might have left violent home situations. But whatever has happened in our past, we are invited by God to move on. To move away from that world of slavery.

The old ways can feel familiar, even comforting. But once you’ve known freedom, love, and grace, you’re changed. Our faith isn’t stagnant; it’s about growth. As 1 Peter 2:1-3 says:

"Rid yourselves of all malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and slander. Like new-born infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that by it, you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

The journey away from slavery doesn’t stop. Every day, we celebrate our freedom, but we’re also called forward by God’s promise, even

though we haven’t fully arrived. The desert isn’t our permanent home, but it’s part of the journey.

Then we hear God’s response to the people:

"I have seen this people—how stiff-necked they are."

The Hebrew phrase keshe-orep means “stiff-necked,” like a horse that refuses to turn. Do you know anyone like that?

They’ve been led out of slavery by Moses and a pillar of fire, but because Moses isn’t there for a moment, they’re ready to build a golden calf, just like back in Egypt, and worship it.

Focusing on protecting our gold calves. Instead of looking around. See what God is doing. The communities, the places of need that we walk through drive through. Where are the places where God is calling us to be God’s people? Bringing Christ’s peace and love and justice. Those golden calves can be so attractive but they are just idols.

God then says to Moses:

"Leave me alone so that my wrath may burn against them, and I will make a great nation out of you."

Moses could have taken this opportunity—a fresh start with just the faithful. But he didn’t. Instead, he pleaded with God:

"O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?"

Moses urged God to turn away from wrath, and we read that God changed his mind about the disaster planned for the people.

So, in contrast to idol worship, we see Moses in deep conversation with God—a relationship based on trust and personal engagement. This God not only listens but remembers.

As we come to the end of the reading, we’re left with challenges and reassurances. There’s the desert, the questions, and the divine presence.

We may know the pain of absence and doubt, but we also have the choice to follow the cloud and fire through the desert that leads to  freedom.

Finally, we’re called to a relationship with God through Jesus, our good and loving shepherd. We can seek forgiveness, find God’s presence, and move forward with certainty. God promises us a future.

So today, let’s banish the golden calves and respond to Christ’s call to live and to walk as children of the living God.

Amen.