Part 2 of a Sea Crossing Story is to want a return to Egypt Reading – Exodus 14: 10-18 (NIV) 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after 11 them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by 12 bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never 14 see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move 16 on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the 17 Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his 18 chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." Did you hear the complaint there? In fear, it would be better to be slaves than to die here. To lunge for the past is to yearn for a slavery based on a fear. One of the seeming attractions of Church life is it offers a return to a comfortable past in contrast to a difficult future. of a Sea Crossing Story is to want a return to Egypt

Part 2 of a Sea Crossing Story is to want a return to Egypt Reading – Exodus 14: 10-18 (NIV) 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after 11 them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by 12 bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never 14 see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move 16 on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the 17 Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his 18 chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." Did you hear the complaint there? In fear, it would be better to be slaves than to die here. To lunge for the past is to yearn for a slavery based on a fear. One of the seeming attractions of Church life is it offers a return to a comfortable past in contrast to a difficult future.

I spoke to someone recently who said to me "Oh, I miss my Church, I really want to get back to my Church" except I rarely remember that person being in Church when it was open. But we all have a fantasy of Church life, which we are not going to back to, our future lies ahead. In a community that is probably more diverse, smaller possibly, deeply committed to faith, to Christ, to each other,I hope. Or more recently a political party posted a tweet which said The Clocks go back this weekend. I'm setting mine to 1940 when this country had some guts. And a picture of two Spitfires flying over the white cliffs of dover.

To 1940 when there was no national health service, To 1940 when there was a blitz, To 1940 when there was rationing, To 1940 when children were evacuated from their families, To 1940 when women were expected to end their education at 14 and go into service

All of this is to go back to a slavery which is based on fear. A yearning to be held in a constricted routine. Rather than freedom which is never certain And this applies to our Churches, to our country, to the way we live in our friendships and our families.

Where do you yearn for the past? Are you really yearning for a slavery which is certain. Or in our family lives do we yearn for a past that if we were there now, would still hold us in, pen us in, not be liberation.

Part of being cornered is to cry out, to cry out for a time when it was all better than this. And this is a ludicrous fantasy. I have no desire to turn Church life to the 1950s, even if the Churches were packed, because those Churches too had to imagine a good future. God summons us into a liberate future, not to fantasise about an imagined past.