Dear Moses,
This is Sarah, down here in the desert. I want to tell you what is going on down here since you went up on the mountain.
Some people are upset because we do not see you face to face and you seem to be worshipping God without us. It’s as though you have turned away from us.
How I long for the days when you sacrificed a peace offering of oxen to the Lord. You read the book of the covenant, sprinkled us with the blood, and we promised that we would be obedient to all that the Lord had said.
But since you left, our worship services have changed. Now our worship includes bawdy songs that are not of our own tradition, and even some dances. The priests tell silly jokes, and no one seems to understand the concept of holy sacrifice anymore. It’s all about celebration now and seems more like one of those Nile beach parties! Last week they took up a collection of gold jewelry and said they were going to make a golden calf. I didn’t want to give, but people were looking to see who donated, so I felt pressured to give my small earrings.
I have asked my husband to take me up the mountain, even below the cloud, so we could worship God near you, even from behind you. But with the price of camel fodder in the desert these days, he refuses to schlep up the mountain. No other services are available within what my husband calls reasonable camel-driving distance either.
How I can attend the current worship and still be faithful?
I hope that while you’re up there the Lord is giving you official rules on how we should worship. People down here seem to be making it up as they go along. Honestly, I don’t know if they would change even if they had the rules written in stone.
Please come back down soon. I fear the golden calf is almost finished.
Respectfully yours,
Sarah in the Desert