Not Worthy To Take The Call
I'm cleaning out the closet of unused sermons. This one is from February 7, the 5th Sunday of Epiphany. It was written in outline form and I've quickly put it into sentence-like things. Please excuse missing punctuation or incomplete thoughts. The texts are here.
This week’s lessons are about answering the call of God
In the play, and movie, Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, Tevye, says in prayer, “God, I know. I know. We are your chosen people. But, once in awhile, can't you choose someone else?" A common thought of people who are called by God is “Here I am Lord. Send someone else.” Many people are called. Many people hear the call. Not all are willing to answer that call. Because that call is terrifying.
The prophet Isaiah has a vision of God sitting on a throne. God is SO large that just the hem of God’s robe fills the Temple. The throne is surrounded by Seraphim. These are not the cute, cuddly baby angels we have come to think of, I don’t know why people have such pretty pictures of angels. Anytime they appear, their first words are “Do not be afraid.” Seraphim are flying serpents, also known as fiery serpents. They have six wings. In the presence, and in praise of the Lord, our God, they cover their faces with two wings and their feet with two wings. It is in response to these verses that I have adopted a practice during Communion. At the end of the preface (and so with all the choirs of heaven and earth … we join together to sing: ). Since I don’t have wings to hide my face, when we sing the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy) I bow in reverence.
But Isaiah realizes he is not fit to see what he has seen. He is not worthy of being in the presence of the Lord. He is ‘I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips’ [Isaiah 6.5] But a seraph places a burning coal on his tongue and he is made clean. And when God needs a messenger, Isaiah says, ‘Here am I; send me!’ [Isaiah 6.8]
Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry, just after he had been run out of his home town, goes to the lake of Gennesaret. There is such a crowd surrounding him, he gets in Simon Peter’s boat and teaches from there. After teaching, Jesus tells Simon to go out and put down his nets. Simon, despite being a professional, despite having been out all night decides to do as Jesus tells him. And he is rewarded by almost having his ship sunk. They catch SO many fish that the nets are beginning to tear and the load threatens to sink the ship. Peter is awestruck by this and recognizes the special nature of Jesus. He falls to his knees. He calls him ‘Lord’. He admits his sinful nature. He tells Jesus to go away. But when called, he ‘left everything and followed Jesus.’ [Luke 5.11]
Both Isaiah and Peter react the same way. They are awestruck by the power and majesty of God. Whether it is God the Father or God the Son, they admit and confess their sinful nature. They admit they are not worthy. But when they are called, they answer the call. Their responses are completely understandable and correct. We should be in awe and fear of God. We are not worthy. We are sinful creatures.
But we are the subjects of the Lord our God, and we should strive to always honor and obey, praise and serve God, We are not worthy. But we have been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made us worthy. This is what Paul is telling the Corinthian church. Paul give them one of the early proclamations of faith, the message he proclaimed to them.
‘That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.’ [1 Corinthians 15.3-4]
This proclamation, this sharing of the Good News, this Gospel is a call. It is a call to all baptized Christians, no matter how unworthy they feel they are. Paul says, ‘For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.’ [1 Corinthians 15.9] Paul hunted and persecuted and caused the death of members of the early Church. But the level of his unworthiness did not matter, because he was found worthy in the eyes of God. ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.’ [1 Corinthians 15.10]
God has accepted Paul, unfit as he was.
God has accepted Peter, the sinful man that he was.
God has accepted Isaiah, the unclean man that he was.
We stand before God and declare our selves guilty. Christ stands in our way and says, not so fast. God has use for us just as we are. As Paul writes, ‘I am what I am.’ [1 Corinthians 15.10]
It is there where God uses us. God uses us in the brokenness of our world, of our selves to help and serve those around us who are broken. God does not want us to try to save the world. That is God’s job. God wants us to be an example of God’s grace, mercy and love, and to share the message of mercy with those we encounter each and every day of our lives.
This week’s lessons are about answering the call of God
In the play, and movie, Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, Tevye, says in prayer, “God, I know. I know. We are your chosen people. But, once in awhile, can't you choose someone else?" A common thought of people who are called by God is “Here I am Lord. Send someone else.” Many people are called. Many people hear the call. Not all are willing to answer that call. Because that call is terrifying.
The prophet Isaiah has a vision of God sitting on a throne. God is SO large that just the hem of God’s robe fills the Temple. The throne is surrounded by Seraphim. These are not the cute, cuddly baby angels we have come to think of, I don’t know why people have such pretty pictures of angels. Anytime they appear, their first words are “Do not be afraid.” Seraphim are flying serpents, also known as fiery serpents. They have six wings. In the presence, and in praise of the Lord, our God, they cover their faces with two wings and their feet with two wings. It is in response to these verses that I have adopted a practice during Communion. At the end of the preface (and so with all the choirs of heaven and earth … we join together to sing: ). Since I don’t have wings to hide my face, when we sing the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy) I bow in reverence.
But Isaiah realizes he is not fit to see what he has seen. He is not worthy of being in the presence of the Lord. He is ‘I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips’ [Isaiah 6.5] But a seraph places a burning coal on his tongue and he is made clean. And when God needs a messenger, Isaiah says, ‘Here am I; send me!’ [Isaiah 6.8]
Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry, just after he had been run out of his home town, goes to the lake of Gennesaret. There is such a crowd surrounding him, he gets in Simon Peter’s boat and teaches from there. After teaching, Jesus tells Simon to go out and put down his nets. Simon, despite being a professional, despite having been out all night decides to do as Jesus tells him. And he is rewarded by almost having his ship sunk. They catch SO many fish that the nets are beginning to tear and the load threatens to sink the ship. Peter is awestruck by this and recognizes the special nature of Jesus. He falls to his knees. He calls him ‘Lord’. He admits his sinful nature. He tells Jesus to go away. But when called, he ‘left everything and followed Jesus.’ [Luke 5.11]
Both Isaiah and Peter react the same way. They are awestruck by the power and majesty of God. Whether it is God the Father or God the Son, they admit and confess their sinful nature. They admit they are not worthy. But when they are called, they answer the call. Their responses are completely understandable and correct. We should be in awe and fear of God. We are not worthy. We are sinful creatures.
But we are the subjects of the Lord our God, and we should strive to always honor and obey, praise and serve God, We are not worthy. But we have been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made us worthy. This is what Paul is telling the Corinthian church. Paul give them one of the early proclamations of faith, the message he proclaimed to them.
‘That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.’ [1 Corinthians 15.3-4]
This proclamation, this sharing of the Good News, this Gospel is a call. It is a call to all baptized Christians, no matter how unworthy they feel they are. Paul says, ‘For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.’ [1 Corinthians 15.9] Paul hunted and persecuted and caused the death of members of the early Church. But the level of his unworthiness did not matter, because he was found worthy in the eyes of God. ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.’ [1 Corinthians 15.10]
God has accepted Paul, unfit as he was.
God has accepted Peter, the sinful man that he was.
God has accepted Isaiah, the unclean man that he was.
We stand before God and declare our selves guilty. Christ stands in our way and says, not so fast. God has use for us just as we are. As Paul writes, ‘I am what I am.’ [1 Corinthians 15.10]
It is there where God uses us. God uses us in the brokenness of our world, of our selves to help and serve those around us who are broken. God does not want us to try to save the world. That is God’s job. God wants us to be an example of God’s grace, mercy and love, and to share the message of mercy with those we encounter each and every day of our lives.
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