God's goodness and presence

Good morning sisters and brothers,
This morning is Dominic Gammariello's memorial service at Laurelton at 10:30 am; please continue to keep Dom's family in your prayers. Today's reading is a strange one. Moses craves a greater assurance of God's love and presence. God loves and values Moses, so God does just what he asks. Moses gets to see God in some physical way while God protects him from seeing more than he can manage.

Many of us crave a deeper sense of God's love but won't see what Moses saw. When we feel far from God or worried about anything, we can look at the cross. There we clearly see all God's goodness and God's amazing love for us. Seeing that image of God's goodness we know we have nothing to fear because we are not alone.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 33:12-23

12Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”



17The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 21And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”