MANNA - WHAT IS IT

MANNA - WHAT IS IT



ONE CHRISTMAS
WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE YOUNG
TIME WERE TOUGH
MONEY WAS SCARCE
SO I TOOK A SECOND JOB
TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY
SO THAT THE CHILDREN
WOULD HAVE PRESENTS

CHRISTMAS CAME
AND OUR TRADITION WAS
THAT WE SAT IN A RING
AND EACH CHILD ONE AT A TIME
WOULD UNWRAP ONE PRESENT
WE WOULD KEEP GOING AROUND THE RING
UNTIL ALL THE PRESENTS WERE OPEN
WHEN WE WERE DONE
THERE WAS A MOUND OF GIFTS
IN FRONT OF EACH CHILD

IT WAS THEN THAT ONE OF MY CHILDREN
SAID TO ME
IS THIS ALL I GET DAD

I FELT HURT
I FELT ANGRY
I FELT SHAME
THAT I COULDN'T HAVE DONE BETTER
I FELT CRUSHED
BY WHAT I FELT
WAS MY CHILD'S INGRATITUDE

WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH INGRATITUDE

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNGRATEFUL TO US
IF WE ARE HONEST WITH OURSELVES
WE HAVE BEEN UNGRATEFUL TO OTHERS
PARENT TO CHILD
CHILD TO PARENT
FRIEND TO FRIEND
MAN TO GOD

MAN TO GOD INGRATITUDE
IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF PREACHING
ON THAT PART OF THE STORY OF THE EXODUS
WHERE THE ISRAELITES GRUMBLED AT HARD TIMES


THE ISRAELITES HAD BEEN RELEASED
FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT
PHARAOH'S ARMY
SENT TO RECAPTURE THEM
HAD BEEN DESTROYED
THEY HAD ESCAPED
TO THE WILDERNESS
OF SINAI
THEY HAD PASSED THROUGH A DIVIDED SEA
TO A BARREN LAND
AND THEY WERE HUNGRY

SO THEY COMPLAINED TO GOD
THROUGH MOSES AND AARON
WERE THERE NOT ENOUGH GRAVEYARDS IN EGYPT
THAT WE HAD TO COME OUT HERE TO DIE
IN EGYPT WE HAD MEAT
AND OUR FILL OF BREAD
DID YOU BRING US HERE TO DIE OF HUNGER
THIS THEY SAID TO GOD THE FATHER
THROUGH MOSES AND AARON
THEY SAID
IS THAT ALL THERE IS DAD
IS THAT ALL THERE IS FATHER

WE MIGHT EXPECT A GOD
TO REACT ANGRILY
TO SUCH INGRATITUDE

BUT GOD THE FATHER SAYS TO US
BECAUSE HIS LOVE FOR US
IS GREATER THAN OUR INGRATITUDE TO HIM

GOD THE FATHER SAYS

I HAVE HEARD YOUR COMPLAINING
AND THEREFORE
AT TWILIGHT
YOU SHALL EAT MEAT
AND IN THE MORNING
YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR FILL OF BREAD

SO IN THE EVENING OF THAT DAY
QUAIL CAME
WERE CAUGHT AND EATEN
AND IN THE MORNING
A SUBSTANCE LIKE CORNFLAKES
APPEARED ON THE BUSHES

WHEN THE ISRAELITES SAW IT
THEY ASKED
WHAT IS IT
IN HEBREW
MANNA
AND MOSES REPLIED
IT IS THE BREAD
THAT THE LORD
HAS GIVEN YOU TO EAT

TO ME
THE MORAL OF THE STORY
IS NOT SO MUCH
THE ISRAELITES INGRATITUDE
BUT THAT GOD HEARD THEIR COMPLAINING
AND LISTENED

THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER
WHERE WE ARE IN GRATITUDE
OR INGRATITUDE TO GOD
NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE
HE IS LISTENING
AND ANSWERING OUR NEEDS

I DON'T WANT TO BE POLLYANNA
IN THAT STATEMENT
GOD'S LOVE FOR US
DOES NOT MEAN
THAT EVERY DAY WILL BE SUNNY
OR FREE OF PAIN
HE WILL NOT GIVE
THE ONE LEGGED MAN ANOTHER LEG
BUT HELP THE ONE LEGGED MAN TO LIVE
WITH HIS ONE LEGGEDNESS
FOR GOD ANSWERS OUR NEEDS
NOT OUR WANTS
AND SOMETIMES GOD WEEPS
WHEN EVIL OVERCOMES
HIS LOVE FOR US

WHEN WE
OR THE WORLD
SAY MANNA MANNA
WHAT IS THIS
WE WOULD RATHER LIVE WELL FED IN EGYPT
THAN HUNGRY IN THE DESERT

GIVE US BACK OUR SLAVERY
BECAUSE FREEDOM IS TOO HARD
BECAUSE EVEN
WHEN WE ARE GIVEN
EVERYTHING WE NEED
WE ARE LIKE ADAM IN THE GARDEN
WHO SAYS
IS THIS ALL I GET
AND THEN EATS THE FRUIT

AND IN AWFUL AWARENESS
SHOUTS OUT
MANNA MANNA
WHAT IS IT
AND KNOWS
THAT IT IS SIN

AND CRIES OUT
I HAVE LOST GOD
BECAUSE OF MY INGRATITUDE

BUT GOD HEARS US
IN OUR DEEPEST MOMENT
AND FEEDS US
AS HE DOES IN HOLY COMMUNION

WE CRY MANNA WHAT IS IT
AND GOD REPLIES
SIGNS AND PROOFS OF MY LOVE
FOR JESUS SAYS
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
IF YOU COME TO ME
YOU WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY
IF YOU BELIEVE IN ME
YOU WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY

WE CRY MANNA WHAT IS IT
AND JESUS SAYS
I HAVE COME LIKE WHEAT
THAT IS BROKEN AND GROUND DOWN
BY YOUR SINS
BY YOUR INGRATITUDE
AND I SAY
THAT I AM BREAD
AND I LIVE IN THAT BREAD
TAKE
EAT
AND REMEMBER ME

AND JESUS SAYS
I HAVE COME LIKE GRAPES
BROKEN AND CRUSHED
BY YOUR INGRATITUDE
AND I SAY
THAT I AM WINE
AND I LIVE IN THAT WINE
TAKE
DRINK
AND REMEMBER ME

AND THIS GIFT
AMONG ALL THE GIFTS THAT GOD GIVES US
IS THE GREATEST GIFT
THIS GIFT OF BREAD AND WINE
THIS GIFT OF BODY AND BLOOD
THIS GIFT OF GOD HIMSELF

LET US BE GRATEFUL
AND SAY AMEN
LET US SAY AMEN
AND THANK YOU