Homily, Better than Lemon Drops and Gum Drops
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20A, 2023
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
Tequesta, FL
The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF
Today’s Lectionary Readings:
Exodus 16:2-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
Philippians 1:21-30
Matthew 20:1-16
In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I want to try something different this morning. Every Wednesday this room is filled with children and their families for school chapel. And every Wednesday I have the opportunity to preach a children’s homily about a passage of Scripture they’re learning in their classrooms.
And as much as I love preaching to adults, there’s something about the playful simplicity of preaching to children that allows you to hear the message of Scripture in a unique way. And it just so happens that this past week we were looking at the same passage of Scripture as we hear in our first reading today.
And so this morning, I want to invite you to step into some of that playful simplicity with me as we hear again this text. Could you do that with me? Could you step out of your comfort zone for a moment and use your imagination?
As I read this text, there’s a silly song that comes to mind. And we sang this song on Wednesday. Have you heard this song?
If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain that would be.
Standing outside with my mouth open wide, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain that would be.
Use your imagination with me. Can you imagine if that really happened? Can you imagine how awesome that would be if…
If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes, oh what a snow that would be.
Standing outside with my mouth open wide, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes, oh what a snow that would be.
It’s a silly song, isn’t it? But a fun one. And one I think that will help us hear this passage in a new way.
So let’s close our eyes for a moment, and imagine something else. Close your eyes and Imagine you are in the desert. You can feel the heat on your face.
There is nothing but sand and cacti to see for miles around.
Can you imagine that?
You are one of the Israelites. And you were being mistreated by Pharaoh.
But then a man named Moses, led by God, rescued you.
And you left the land of Egypt through the red sea.
Pharaoh’s army chased after you,
but Moses stretched out his hand and the whole sea spread apart
and you walked across it on dry land.
Can you imagine that?
But that was many days ago.
And you realized you didn’t pack enough food.
And you’re starting to get hungry.
You can feel your tummy rumbling.
And you’re starting to get grumpy.
Can you imagine that?
And as you’re standing there in the desert,
You look up to the sky and see the clouds,
And you remember how God has taken care of you,
And so you put your hands together, and you pray.
God bring us food!
Can you imagine that?
And then suddenly those clouds open up,
And falling from the sky are little bits of bread.
So you open your mouth and reach out your hands,
And say ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
And with your hungry belly,
It tastes so good!
It tastes as good as lemon drops and gum drops.
It tastes as good as candy bars and milkshakes.
It tastes as good as bubble gum and ice cream.
Can you imagine that?
And so you put your hands together again, and you pray.
Thank you God for taking care of me.
Great is thy faithfulness.
Now coming back to this space, sitting here in this church,
I have a question for you.
How has God provided for you this morning?
In what ways is God sustaining you?
In what ways is God taking care of your needs?
Take a moment and become aware of that.
And then may your prayer be:
Thank you God for taking care of me.
Thank you God for taking care of me.
Great is thy faithfulness.
Great is thy faithfulness. Amen.
Thoughts on Faith 