Make Way for the Future… by Responding to God

Isaiah 6:1-13

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

During Stewardship Season, the sermon series looked to the future but we haven’t really talked about money or volunteering in the church much. We’ve hardly heard a call to increase our giving of time, talents, and treasure. Partly that’s because I don’t think giving should increase because the preacher or the weekly stewardship presentations beat us up to give more or frighten us with doomsday predictions. Instead, I believe stewardship flows from our commitment to God and our faith in Christ. So, these weeks we looked at who God is, at our relationship to God, to Jesus, and our congregation. The sermon series about making our way into the future focused on who we are as people claiming a commitment to God.

Today’s first scripture, Luke 5:1-11, tells about Simon’s amazing commitment to follow Jesus. He left everything. Imagine growing up on the water, living on a boat every day, going to sleep on land but hearing the sounds of the water through the night, for one’s whole life. Then, in a moment, he gives it all up to follow a teacher he just met, to walk dusty roads without any means of support or easy access to food. His commitment required a huge sacrifice. Simon’s was a true life altering conversion.

Now, from the 6th chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah, hear Isaiah’s conversion and call as you listen for the word of God. 

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.

And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

We love to stop right there, at the glorious explosion of the holy. What Rudolf Otto called the Mysterium Tremendum. But sadly, the passage does not end there.

And he said, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; until the Lord sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.

We love explosive holy stories. Every Bible story depicting God’s glory erupting is captivating. Isaiah’s call story is one of the best. God’s initiating contact in the Temple, glory filling the house, angels appearing shouting “holy, holy, holy!!,” the whole place trembling, practically bursting the seams of the holiest site on Earth. Isaiah is terrified because he sees the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, the great high God of the entire cosmos, in full divine regalia, complete with heavenly entourage. The place fills with fire and smoke, God’s terrible glory, in brilliant light, revealing the sinfulness of common humanity. Isaiah knows he is lost.

But the scene continues with God’s magnanimous cleansing. Grace breaks out in a sacramental action as a burning coal touches Isaiah’s mouth, cleansing, forgiving, and choosing him. When we see God wondering, “I need someone to carry out an important mission. Whom shall I send?” we love Isaiah’s willingness to raise his hand. “Here am I, send me.”

Most of us don’t have explosive glory stories, but lots of us did feel something holy and accepting when we first entered St. Andrew Church. And a sacred pull keeps us coming back, makes us want to stay for brunch, helps us feel part of the family. The sanctuary may not explode with glory, but we do feel drenched with grace. Holy acceptance erupts here every Sunday. We love places, ancient or modern, where God’s grace and holy presence explode hugely or quietly around us.

But glory isn’t the whole story. Even if we wish it were. In addition to the glory, we are given hard tasks. In other words, God expects us to respond. Now, most of us feel we could take on God’s call if God just wants us to tell someone they are loved by God. It might not be easy, but we could do it. But look at the message with which Isaiah is entrusted. God lets Isaiah know his people are thick-headed and something awful is coming. They are ignoring LORD Yahweh, but the consequences of their actions will not just pass on by. Isaiah is to tell them they are not paying attention to the truth which is right in front of them, and destruction is about to settle into the land. As if they were blind, deaf, and stupid, they refuse to figure out what is going on, so they cannot be healed. LORD Yahweh is allowing total destruction to result. For anyone this would be a practically impossible word to speak. Right?

But of course, responding to God’s call does not always mean we need to bring a word of a terrible future approaching, although there is something familiar in the prophesy Isaiah receives. But consider Peter’s call we heard in Luke 5. It didn’t result in something awful for others. Instead, everything familiar in his life was left behind. His call to follow Jesus meant a challenging new life on dry land.

Commitments to Jesus Christ did not stop requiring sacrifice when the first disciples died out. Still today, following Jesus means significant change in behavior and attitudes. A sermon preached a few years ago spelled out some of the difficulties of following Christ, and how many people in Jesus’ day and still today are offended by what Jesus expects from people if they commit to following him. The preacher bluntly noted, “If we are not offended by Christ today, is it because we are so blessedly Christ-like or because we have not grappled with the gospel?” [Ouch] Dietrich Bonhoeffer was even rougher: “When Christ calls [a person] he bids [them] come and die.” Bonhoeffer expected people to be willing to sacrifice everything to follow Jesus. Our call includes a willingness to respond.

So, how will you respond? As stewardship season draws to a close, you rightly ask yourself about your commitment to Jesus Christ and to this congregation. The congregation looks forward to the fiscal year beginning April 1, so now is a fitting time for each participant in the church family to decide: how are you committed to St. Andrew’s making a way into the future? You agree that following Christ in this society should cause people to change. But, if you take your call from God seriously, how do you know if you are doing what God wants? What different behaviors is God expecting?

In another sermon some time ago, I mentioned 5 Benchmarks one of our UCC sister congregations uses to talk about membership. You might find them a helpful guide, not as a list of requirements, but as benchmarks to show you a goal or what you might strive toward. They are basic ideas you are probably already familiar with, but they are good reminders.

First, pray for St. Andrew. Be specific. You might pray that St. Andrew continues to be open to God’s guidance; that the teachings of Jesus are followed; that visitors find spiritual nourishment and good fellowship; and that the entire congregation is filled by God’s love to spread all over Sarasota.

Second, come to worship as often as you can, preferably in person but online is good too. God deserves your praise and worship; you benefit from hearing the word in fellowship with others; and you’ll find yourself experiencing grace and joy each time.

Third, consider your giving. The biblical directive is 10%, but if you are not there yet, aim for 5% of your income as your annual pledge. To start, figure out what is 5% of your monthly income. Look at what you are currently giving and consider how to move toward 5%.

Fourth, participate in at least one mission or ministry project. Bring a dish for brunch occasionally, join the choir, volunteer to teach a Bible study, cook with the Project 180 chefs, sign up to staff the St. Andrew table at a Pride event, or help clean up the property when we call a workday. You’ll be enriched by your service.

Fifth, invite someone to worship with you. The congregation that uses these regularly says invite someone at least once a year. I think that is too easy to postpone, so I’d say try to invite someone once a month. Brand new month started yesterday. If you haven’t invited anyone to church in a while, you probably won’t be great the first time. That’s okay. Your job is to ask. Their job is to respond. People share information about new restaurants all the time, especially if the food is great. Try inviting someone to a place where the spiritual food and fellowship is terrific.[1]

So, there they are, benchmarks for answering God’s call. You might make some notes on the sheet so you can consider this week: How will you respond?

You should have received pledge information in the last week or so. If you haven’t, call the church office. Some people have already submitted their pledge online. Each of us will be invited to bring our pledges (or the card that says we pledged online) to dedicate next Sunday, February 9. Let each of us be in prayer for our own pledge and for St. Andrew’s making its way into the future.

[1] These benchmarks are used by permission from JupiterFirst United Church of Christ, Jupiter, Florida.