I can't say I've met anyone who particularly enjoys the feeling of vulnerability, weakness, shame, or imperfection. And few things shine a brighter light on our discomfort with those feelings than being asked to perform a task for which we feel inadequate. Enter: Moses.

Moses, known to all of us who follow the faith as THE premier prophet of the People of God. But his story doesn't start that way. Nobody resisted their call from God nearly as much as he did. With a shady past, a criminal rap sheet, and a speech impediment that served his quiet shepherding lifestyle well, Moses did all but REFUSE God's commission to go to Pharaoh to demand the release of the Hebrew people who were being enslaved. For chapter after chapter, Moses argues with God: "Please send someone else, I can't do this." Which is when God ups the ante. Not only am I calling you to this, Moses, but I'm putting you in : "In the role of God".

What does THAT mean? It's not what you might think. When we understand the character of God, and God's chosen method of relating to creation, this commissioning actually provides incredible comfort, assuages Moses' fears about his own inadequacy for the task at hand. What does that invitation mean for us today? In the church? In our families? Our workplaces? In the world? How can we lean into our calling as ambassadors for Christ not in spite of our inadequacies and vulnerability, but precisely BECAUSE of them?

Let's jump in

This message was lead by The Reverend Jacquelyn Foxall at Knox Presbyterian Church in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Sunday September 28th, 2025

Associated Scripture: Exodus 3:1-15; 4:10-17