"Called to More: A Land We Won't Fully See" (October 25, 2026 Sermon)

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Called to More: A Land We Won’t Fully See

Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing·October 25, 2026·Guilford Park Presbyterian Church

22nd Sunday after Pentecost (Year A)

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired, and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him, and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Oh, friends, I want to begin this sermon with a simple word of gratitude. Today, for some reason more than others, I am reminded that we are all part of a great village, a great neighborhood, and that together we are the body of Christ. And so I want to say thank you. Thank you for all the faithful work you have done and are doing. Thank you for everything, from pouring water in the fonts to Rona putting in the 81 cents at the Food Lion yesterday.

To those of you who are able and have stepped up to the plate to submit your pledges for next year as we invest in a future we cannot yet see: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. As I mentioned last week, 100% of our session, myself included, has submitted our pledges for next year. And to those of you who have, thank you.

Those of you who are giving your money, your time, your talents, your compassion; your gift of cooking; your gift of sitting with someone who is hurting; your gift of standing up for somebody who is feeling vulnerable, weak, or scared. All of those gifts come together to make up the tapestry of Guilford Park Presbyterian Church.

And I’m sorry. I’m getting a little bit emotional. As I said, I’m feeling a little bit under the weather. But I’m standing before a people God has called me to minister to and with. And today I simply want to say thank you. I am grateful for every single one of you as we come together to invest, as I said, and as Kim said with the young ones today, in a future we can’t quite see.

From the Top of Mount Nebo

And that brings us to today’s text from Deuteronomy. It had been a minute, y’all. It had been 40 years. Forty years of wandering. Moses had seen it all, or so he thought, until God took him up to the top of Mount Nebo. Moses was 120 years old. Can you imagine that? A hundred and twenty years old. And God shows him all this land and says, “This is the promised land, where I have promised to take my people, and you have led them here.” And then God says to Moses, “You’re not going to see it.”

And Moses doesn’t say anything in this passage. Notice that. Moses doesn’t say a thing. That really frustrates me because I want to know what Moses thought in this moment. Did Moses talk back to God and go, “Hey, wait a second here — no, no, no, no, no”? Was he angry? Was he grateful? Was he bittersweet? Did he know he had fulfilled his chapter? I don’t know. We don’t know.

But what we do know is that Moses had fulfilled the chapter of his life that God had called him to serve. Then God passes the baton to the next generation — to Joshua, in this case.

Which is actually why I wore this stole today. This stole was given to me eight years ago by the people of my former congregation, and it shows Sarah and Abraham — not from the book of Exodus or Deuteronomy, but from Genesis — looking up at the path God had ordained for them. At the top, you see the stars: all the descendants God promised Abraham and Sarah, or Abram and Sarai. But they’re not in today’s story, are they? They had already passed. And so we have Moses, and then Joshua.

And I think that is truly beautiful. It’s a good reminder for all of us that you and I are part of a story that didn’t start with us. We’re all part of the story of neighborliness, which will not end with us. And yet we have been entrusted with this good treasure that we are guarding together.

And so I don’t think Moses failed. I think Moses finished his part. And then God provides Joshua for the next generation of leaders.

God Has Not Run Out of Joshuas

And so I want to lift that up today, because we’re in a season of transition as a congregation. And God has not run out of Joshuas. Everybody, say that with me: God has not run out of Joshuas! And I’m not just talking about me, Kim, or any other staff member. I’m talking about all of us, y’all. We’re all Joshuas. Each and every one of us has been called to this moment to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.

And so if we’re in this liminal space, where we see the land God has promised us but are like Moses, not quite there yet, we have our marching orders in today’s passage from Matthew 22. I know y’all have heard me use the word “neighbor” once or twice over the past four years. So maybe you’re sick and tired of this passage. But it’s a good passage to be sick and tired of, because we all need to hear it.

In the meantime, we’re going to keep on loving our neighbor. We’re going to keep on pitching in to feed our neighbor. We’re going to keep on sitting with those who are hurting. We’re going to keep on making beautiful music in this space, music that is good for the soul in these crazy times in which we live.

And so, friends, we’re looking at that promised land. We’re not quite there yet. Maybe you feel more like Moses. Maybe you feel more like Joshua. Maybe you feel caught in between. Wherever you are on that spectrum, remember that our marching orders are simple, not necessarily easy, but simple.

The Way of Jesus

And so I wanted to leave you all with a quote I came across this week from a pastor in New York City named Dan Sadlier. It came up on my social media feed this week, and I thought I’d share it with you all in closing. He says:

“Christianity can be confusing.” Yes, it can. “But the way of Jesus was pretty clear. Move toward the poor. Empower the woman. Create space at the table. Throw parties. Widen the family boundaries. Poke holes in oppressive systems. Don’t retaliate with violence. Forgive your enemy. Don’t store up wealth. Be present with people. Heal. Announce. Push back the darkness. The kingdom of God is near.”

So, friends, Moses saw that land from a distance, and we may too. But the kingdom of God is near. So let us continue to act like it together.

In the name of God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, may all of us, God’s beloved children, say: Amen.

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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.