Go Down, CUMC

Singing Our Faith: Go Down, CUMC

 Scripture: Exodus 5:1–6:8 (CEB)

This week in our Singing Our Faith worship series, Central UMC welcomed guest preacher Rev. Lemuel Pearsall, Jr. to reflect on the story of Moses, Pharaoh, and God’s unshakable promises. Standing before Pharaoh, Moses demanded freedom for God’s people, only to see their burdens grow heavier — bricks without straw, beatings without mercy, despair without relief. Pharaoh’s arrogance, the Israelites’ frustration, and even Moses’ own doubt all reveal how unbelief takes root in the face of suffering.

Yet God’s response is steadfast: I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. I will take you as my people. I will be your God. Seven promises of covenant love, each later fulfilled in Christ. Rev. Pearsall reminded us that faith is not the absence of questions, but where we bring them. Like Moses, we are invited to groan in the right direction — to lay our pain, doubt, and longing before God, who is faithful even when we are not.

The legacy of the spiritual “Go Down, Moses” echoes this truth: God stands with the oppressed, delivers the enslaved, and calls us to confront the Pharaohs of our own time. Our hope is not in our strength, but in the God who has already said yes and amen through Christ Jesus.

🌀 Reflection Questions:

1. How does the legacy of the Spiritual “Go Down Moses” deepen our understanding of God’s solidarity with the oppressed?
2. What does it mean for us, like Moses, to confront the “Pharaohs” in our lives and communities today?