The Rev. Noah Van Niel

The Chapel of the Cross

October 18^th, 2020

Proper 24 (A)—Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22

Moses is mad. He’s annoyed; frustrated; exasperated. And not without good reason. He oversaw his people’s great escape from Pharaoh, only to have their rejoicing quickly turn to complaining. “We’re hungry!” so he works with God to get them bread. “We’re thirsty!” so he works with God to get them water. Then he leaves them alone for a little while to go up the mountain and figure out with God how they’re all supposed to live together, and when he comes back down, with the ten commandments, what does he see? A golden calf. A huge bacchanal. The first two commandments already broken. So, Moses smashes the tablets in a rage. Moses isn’t the only one who’s upset though. God’s angry too. This golden calf business is about enough for Him. He says, “Okay, that’s it. I’m done with these people. Get them out of here.” And that really sets Moses off. “Whoa, hold on a second!” he says. “You’re leaving me with this mess? You want me to take them to the promised land by myself? You’re not even saying you’ll come with us anymore? What about all that talk about ‘I know you by name’ and ‘you have found favor in my sight’? Did that not mean anything? This is your people!” “Okay, okay,” God says, “I will come with you.” But Moses is still on about it. “Because, if you’re not going to come, we might as well not even go. Because if you don’t go with us, then what do we have? Nothing. We’re just like everybody else. Not chosen, not favored, not anything.” “You’re right,” God says. “I’ll do what you ask.” But Moses is still heated. You can almost see his cheeks getting red with rage. “No. Enough of these words and promises. Show me, don’t tell me. I want to see your glory. I want to see the whole thing. I want to see you.”

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The Rev. Noah Van Niel

The Chapel of the Cross

September 27^th, 2020

Proper 21 (A—Track 1): Exodus 17:1-7; Ps 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32

            The year was 2011. I was 3 years out of the most prestigious college in the world, and I had just landed my first full-time job as…a dog walker. Don’t worry that wasn’t all I was doing. I was also picking up shifts as the towel boy at a hotel fitness center. And sometimes I would babysit for the son of a family friend. This was, needless to say, not the plan. After college, I had moved to Philadelphia to study at one of the best opera training schools in the country. But after three years, I was miserable. It just wasn’t right. I loved to sing but I did not, I was discovering, love being an opera singer. I informed the school I would not be returning for my fourth year. However, my wife, Melinda had one year left in her MBA program, so we were locked into Philly even though I was cut adrift from my main reason for being there. When asked what I was going to do instead of singing, I couldn’t give a good answer, because I didn’t know. I had no idea what other path I should be on, or, frankly, whether another path even existed.  I had to find work, I knew that. But even with my degree, that proved somewhat difficult, since spending three years studying voice does not exactly bolster one’s professional resume. So, I ended up spending a year towel-folding, babysitting, and most of the time, walking dogs.  

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