“You
Have A Call…Is It On Hold, Or Will You Answer It?”
Texts:
John 21:1-19; Acts 9:1-20
Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to
you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ah, smartphones…How many of you have one? I
sometimes feel like mine is purposely trying to make me feel…Well, “not” smart.
So many buttons, touch screens, apps…When they work, everything is great! When
they don’t…They complicate life *that* much more, don’t they? But, what is
still the main purpose of a smart“phone?” It’s a “phone.” Used to make and
receive calls.
Now, when people try to call me, I admit, I’m
not the most “accessible,” if you will. You may receive my voicemail message…Or
maybe my voicemail box is full! When someone calls us, are we too busy to
answer the call? Or do we see who’s calling, but we don’t want to be bothered
with it right now? Are we too tired? Do we hit the “ignore” button? Do we
simply let it go to voicemail? Does it depend on who’s calling? Or, no matter
the most inconvenient time or circumstance, do we answer it, like my mom always
does? :)
Guess what? Jesus is calling…You have a call…Is
it on hold, or will you answer it?
Today’s
Acts and John readings demonstrate Jesus calling…First, Saul (later known as
Paul), who is persecuting Christ followers, has this majestic encounter with
Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then Ananias is called to go to Saul, someone
who might murder him (“You want me to do
what, Lord? We must have a bad connection…”)…Then, the disciples and Peter,
who had denied him three times, which may be why Jesus asks him three times, “Simon
son of John, [sing] do you love me?” Who knows, maybe Jesus
sang it? :) This is the third time Jesus appears to them. And, what are they
doing? Are they out spreading the Good News of Christ risen? Nope…They have
gone back to the comforts of what they did before encountering Jesus the first
time they were called: they’re fishing.
Now, maybe our own call story isn’t as
amazing as Saul’s. Or we haven’t had Jesus physically in his bodily form come
to us for the third time, as he did with the disciples. But, do you want to
know something? We all have a story.
I know a story of a woman who, when she was
younger, she was very shy and quiet. She had fears and lacked confidence. She
was overweight. After graduating college and getting a “9-to-5” job, something
happened. Transformations started to occur. She lost weight, after years of struggling
with image and esteem. She became more outgoing, enjoying life and people more.
And that’s when “the tug” started. God,
you want me to do what? Outside sources said it, too: “You would be a great
pastor.” She ran from it, because she couldn’t do it. Public speaking was a BIG
wall for her. But, the call became more and more intense. You can only run from
God for so long. You can run, but you can’t hide. Finally, she decided to join
Toastmasters, saying, God, if this is
TRULY where you want me to go, I will take the steps to conquer this fear.
After she gave her first speech at Toastmasters, something amazing happened:
She actually enjoyed it and was good at it. God has a funny sense of humor
sometimes.
Jesus is calling…You have a call…Is it on
hold, or will you answer it?
A challenge for you today is to prayerfully
consider what is your story? Do you worry if you have a missed call? That
you’ve missed the call from Christ in your life? Well, as we can learn from
his encounter with the disciples, Jesus is continually calling us. Jesus doesn’t
give up on them nor on us, even when we give up on ourselves or each other. Not
even death could keep him away from them! As Christ rose to new life, he wants
the same for his disciples. He wants the same for us. Christ seeks them out.
At work, right before Easter, my manager
replaced the burned out light bulbs in our storeroom. The way the light shone
from it, it looked like a light coming down from heaven. With the time of year,
reminding me of The Ten Commandments,
Charleton Heston, Moses and the burning bush, I said, “God is in the storeroom.”
My manager said to me, “Now, Caroline, isn’t God everywhere?” Ha ha…Way to put
the seminarian in her place. :) I had no clever comeback, except for him to be
quiet. :) He’s right, though: God is everywhere. Christ seeks us out.
Would
we recognize Christ? Do we? The disciples didn’t at first (verse 4, “Jesus
stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus”)…Saul,
who was persecuting Christians, didn’t…He thought that he was doing “the right
thing,” but his zeal was misdirected and destructive. We all have been on wrong
paths that have hurt ourselves and others. Maybe it’s stubbornness, blinded by
ambitions or selfishness to meet our own needs, addictions, unforgiveness,
insecurity, jealousy, bitterness, biases…the list goes on.
Are we like the disciples, after
encountering Christ on Sunday morning, but then go back to the “same old, same
old” on Monday? Maybe by Sunday afternoon? Would others see us as people of “The
Way,” the people Saul persecuted? At that time, Christian faith was a way of
life. People left the safety of home and church to walk the road God had set.
Their faith was living and active. And, what is it that we are called to do? To
love and be loved. “They will know we are
Christians by our love.” That’s how people knew who the followers of Jesus
were: by the way they lived. Would
people say the same of us today?
We come here…For renewal, nourishment, and
encouragement. We encounter Christ in the Word preached, in the bread and wine
of Holy Communion, in community…Out in the world, in the faces of our
neighbors. And we are to be as Christ to them, even to those who persecute us. The
Lord came to Ananias in a vision, simply saying his name, and Ananias simply
replied, “Here I am, Lord.” Do we reply
like that? “Here I am, Lord.” And when the Lord tells us to “Get up and
go,” do we? Are we scared? No one
would fault Ananias for not wanting to go to Saul…This man murdered people like
Ananias, simply because of what he believed and how he lived! Or, do we feel
like our “get up and go” has “got up and went?” We don’t have the energy for
it…The beauty of it, though, is that God is the One doing the work. We are the
instrument, like the Lord calls Saul in Acts 9:15. All we have to do is show
up. Ananias does. Saul is not only restored but is transformed, becoming Paul,
a proclaimer of Christ instead of a persecutor. God may take us to the most
unexpected places with unexpected people. To work with our “enemies?” Yup.
Jesus
is calling…You have a call…Is it on hold, or will you answer it?
The story continues today…God working in and
through you and me. All of us. Christ was willing to engage and entrust the
ministry to someone like Peter, who denied Christ, or Saul, who persecuted
Christians. None of the darkness of our denial or failure to recognize Christ
can overcome the light. Christ still calls, feeds, and empowers, yes, even
doubters and deniers for the ministry. So, who’s ever doubted and/or denied?
Last week, Pastor Renita and I spoke about our experiences with doubt. I
had mentioned the following I was wrestling with during the week: “Am I really using the gifts that God has
given me? Does what I do really matter? Do I truly make a difference? Will
anyone know I was here? Am I replaceable?” Well, God has an amazing way of
affirming us when we need it. Typically on Saturdays, I work with
17-and-18-year-olds. On Monday, I had a note from one of them in my tip drawer
that said: “Caroline :) Just thought I would leave
you a note saying how much I really enjoy working with you. You’re always such
a happy, positive person and I look up to you! Keep smiling BIG!” I almost
cried. No one has said that to me before, that they look up to me.
Now, it’s not
about us, but when we need affirmation, God has a way of doing it. One way is
through us to each other. Today, maybe each day this week, offer affirmation to
someone. Give thanks to them and their gifts. The smallest act of kindness can
make such a BIG difference. :)
And, may you be
affirmed today. Don’t allow doubts and fears to keep you from your call. God
loves you and has a call for you. You were created with special gifts and
talents. Take some time with God, in prayer, to discern what they might be.
After all, “If
You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat.” I’m glad that
Monica (Streeper, Pastor Dan’s wife) has taken those steps out of the boat to
lead the Tuesday night study on this book by John Ortberg. The book affirms
that we all have a calling. We all have a story. None of us are just spare parts.
We are all “on a mission from God,” to quote “The Blues Brothers,” as he does.
When it comes to
answering the call, will there be hours of work, lack of wealth and
recognition, disappointment and discouragement, people opposing or disapproving
of you, false starts and failures? YES! :) But, God has you. God created you,
redeemed you, and continues to work in and through you. Nothing can fill the
hole that only God can fill. Nothing.
Are you afraid
of failure? Singer Johnny Cash experienced plenty in his lifetime:
professional, personal…But, he may have said it best when he said, “You build
on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You
don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it
have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”
The story of
call that I shared earlier, if you didn’t figure it out, is the story of my
call to become a pastor. And the road has been filled with delays, disappointments, messiness, lots of work and expensive in time and money. But, it’s also been filled with GREAT joy. Joy that only God can give. Now, not everyone is called to be an ordained pastor. But, we all have a call. Is it on hold, or will you answer it?
(Me today, holding a picture of me from my college graduation...13 years ago!)
We are a priesthood of all believers. We are all ministers. All with different gifts. And, our calls are continuous. We are continually being restored. Paul still struggled, and so do we. We need to ask God to help us breathe life and invitation, not threats and destruction.
Jesus didn’t say that the whole world should go to church; He said that
the church should go to the whole world. I want to close by quoting a song by
Steven Curtis Chapman called “Do Everything,” which pretty much sums up our
call for each day: “You're picking up toys on the living room floor for
the 15th time today / Matching up socks / Sweeping up lost cheerios that got
away / You put a baby on your hip / Color on your lips and head out the door…Maybe
you're that guy with the suit and tie / Maybe your shirt says your name / You
may be hooking up mergers / Cooking up burgers / But at the end of the day / Little
stuff / Big stuff / In between stuff / God sees it all the same / While I may
not know you / I bet I know you / Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all? / Well
let me remind you, it all matters just as long / As you do everything you do to
the glory of the One who made you, / Cause he made you / To do / Every little
thing that you do / To bring a smile to His face / Tell the story of grace / With
every move that you make / And everything you do / Maybe you're sitting in math
class / Or maybe on a mission in the Congo / Or maybe you're working at the
office / Singing along with the radio / Maybe you're dining at a 5-star / Or
feeding orphans in the Myanmar / Anywhere and everywhere that you are / Whatever
you do / It all matters / So do what you do / Don't ever forget…” Do everything
you do to the glory of the One who made you…Jesus is calling…You
have a call…Is it on hold, or will you answer it?
And now may the peace of God that surpasses
all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Caroline Harthun
House of Prayer Lutheran Church
8:30am and 10:45am
Sunday, April 14, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment