Right, Right -- But What's The Plan?

Reflection on Jeremiah 1:4-10

by Austin Dannhaus

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Bits and pieces of Jeremiah are famously used as a reminder that God “has a plan for your life” (Jer. 29:11). Right out of the gate, God tells Jeremiah that He’s known him since the beginning, that He’s set him apart, and that He has appointed him as a prophet.

And it gets better.

Sensing Jeremiah’s fear, God tells him to not be afraid. He reminds Jeremiah that he will rescue him.

Just a couple of verses in, Jeremiah has “knowing” and “protecting.” He’s on God’s radar and can reasonably assume God will keep him safe. Not a bad “in” with the man upstairs.

Then Jeremiah is given a purpose. This is the “calling” - God telling Jeremiah that in addition to being known and protected, he’s also got a project to work on, a purpose in life. Turns out it’s going to be a big one too, one that will result in Jeremiah’s story making the cut into Holy Scripture.

Jeremiah’s response is classic. See, being a prophet wasn’t the easiest job in the world. Being unable to speak, as Jeremiah protests, was the least of his concerns. As we see later in the story, the ascetic life of a prophet was not enviable. It was lonely, and as was the case with Jeremiah, often resulted in people conspiring to kill you.

But what do you expect when your job is to go around telling people they are sinning against God?

Now back to Jeremiah’s response. Jeremiah’s not thrilled. He makes an excuse. He looks for a way out. I can’t do it, he says.

You’d think that when the God of the universe audibly tells you that he’s had his eye on you since the beginning, that he’s going to rescue you if need be, and that you have an important task to do – you’d listen.

Jeremiah didn’t want to. He had a sense of what following God's call might mean. And yet somehow, these opening words and the words found later in the book are meant to be comforting,  even hopeful.

Don’t know what to do after college? God knows the plans he has for you.

Going through a mid-life crisis? God formed you in your mother’s womb.

Not feeling unique or gifted? God set you apart; he’s appointed you for a specific task.

Right, right. But what’s the plan? What have I been formed for? Have I been appointed for something fun, exciting, adventurous, and unique?

One of the themes we see throughout scripture is that God’s calling causes a disturbance. It disrupts life-as-we-know-it. And oftentimes it doesn’t end well. Tradition tells us that Jeremiah was exiled and died a martyr.

So instead of Isaiah’s bold “Here am I, send me!” we, like Jeremiah, look for excuses. Or we pull the slot machine of God’s will until all the numbers line up the way we want them to. Or we just pretend we don’t hear Him at all.

There is something else in Jeremiah’s response that’s interesting: his sense of his own shortcomings. This response seems more unlikely in today’s world where we are constantly trying to prove how capable we are.

As our community explores the idea of calling, we ought to see this and other parts of Jeremiah not as hopeful or reassuring reminders. It’s core to the Christian identity to know that we are known, protected, and called. It’s a given, so to speak.

Instead, we should see Jeremiah as a case study in responding well to God. Jeremiah is a reminder that once we’ve been called, we’re not to be afraid, make excuses, or ignore the call.

Like those who’ve gone before us, we are to “[put] our bodies where our hearts are[1]” - setting aside our focus on fears, shortcomings, and self - and chose a path not of our own making.

Tomorrow's reading: Jonah 1:1-10

[1] "The Embodied Word," Pilgrim Preaching, Keeping company with biblical texts and the people who hear and preach them, a weblog for preaching, by Mary Hinkle, Luther Seminary.

The Forgiving Call

Reflection on Isaiah 6:1-8

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

 “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

As I write this blog today, we are watching the collapse of the political structure of Iraq, which the US and her allies spent 11 years, trillions of dollars and thousands of lives to erect. The illusion of fire power and money has been completely unveiled. As shattering as this is for American self-image, the lives of Iraqis are the ones who are truly shattered. Politically speaking, the Middle East is radically shifting, and nobody knows the outcome. 

Isaiah's call came when everything else was falling apart. The political structure had collapsed, and society was in enormous upheaval. King Uzziah had died and local princes and magistrates were acting in their own interests with impunity.

In the midst of this, Isaiah the prophet has a vision. It's not a vision of a new world order, but a vision of the one who ultimately sits on the throne. There may be confusion at every level, but there is no confusion about who sits at the top. Isaiah's first reaction is to acknowledge that he and his world are not worthy of this God. He is aware of his sin, and the sin of the world he lives in. 

Here's the good news. God is deeply concerned about the injustice of this world. Yet his first word to his people is forgiveness. Isaiah is sent back out into the world, to be a voice of hope and truth, only once he knows he has been forgiven.

We must not go and work and speak in this world out of guilt, anger or shame. We must proceed out the forgiving call of God.

Tomorrow's reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

A child-like wonder...

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ― W.B. Yeats

Sometimes it’s hard to know if my 3-year-old is even listening to me. How can I know if he’s developing a relationship with God? Does it go beyond sitting quietly in church and having answers that please Mommy? And if I’m to become child-like in order to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3), how does that affect the way my son and I worship together?

One of my favorite blogs is aslanslibrary.wordpress.com. Sarah and Haley, two Bay Area moms, share and review theological kid's literature. Their reviews are so lovely and insightful and I enjoy every post. Right now my son and I are using one of their recommendations, The Garden of the Good Shepherd sticker calendar, by Tomie dePaola. It has wonderful changing scenes like the pasture of the good shepherd and the Lord’s Table with a sticker, scripture and short meditation for each day. There are many resources to help families celebrate Lent and Easter Sunday, but few that celebrate the season of Easter. Easter is such a great mystery (these are words from our Godly Play church calendar story!) that it can’t be contained in one Sunday and so it spills over into its own season and ends with Pentecost (last Sunday, June 8th).

So, one morning my son and I were—I’ll be honest—slogging our way through the sticker calendar and reading of the day. We were behind and I was having to resist the urge to skim through multiple days so we could get back on track; my son just wanted to go outside. Suddenly something struck a chord with him and he began asking one question after another, many of which I didn’t have perfect answers for. (“If Jesus died, did God the Father die too?”) I was so glad to be able to fall back on my training as a Godly Play teacher. Instead of feeling pressure to answer each question “correctly,” I was able to relax and wonder along with him. Sometimes I had answers, but often I could say, “I haven’t thought of it that way” or, “I’ve wondered about that too.” Time slowed down. Tangents became ok. It stopped being “work.” We both felt peaceful and engaged. 

Worship and wonder can be used synonymously. How else do we even begin to approach God, but through the use of our imagination? Wonder is open-ended. It doesn’t always have a single answer. It’s not a test or a checklist. It often involves losing track of time or releasing that false sense of having control that we hold onto so desperately. And it usually goes beyond turning a complex story into a simple fable with a moral take-away. 

As an educator, I’m familiar with a big shift in pedagogy that’s happened since I attended school. Education has moved from “teachers download information into children” to “teachers are guides and memorization is really just the first step to understanding.” This shift applies to spiritual development, too. On Sundays after the story’s been told, the storyteller and community of children do open-ended wonder questions. The way the questions are structured encourages the children to move from replaying the story in their minds (What part of the story do you like best? Which part is most important?) to analysis, evaluation and even creation (Where do you see yourself in the story? I wonder if there’s any part of the story you could leave out and still have all the story you need?). 

Some children are outgoing or they’ve learned to trust their community of children and so they feel comfortable wondering aloud; others wonder internally, silently. And that’s ok. It’s about the communal act of wondering. It’s about trusting God and trusting his story. Wonder allows us to enter into the story, to see that it’s real, that it happened to real people—and also to see that it’s still happening and that we’re in it. We open ourselves to this and we help our children to open themselves to this in order to encounter God’s elusive presence. 

If you are an adult who would like to wonder with our children as a storyteller or greeter...

Or, if you’re a parent who would like to experience a children’s worship class and see how to encourage your children to wonder... 

You’re invited to an adult-only children’s worship class on June 22nd. The class will meet in the chapel at 10am. The story will be “The Circle of the Church Year” and we will (as the the children do) rejoin the big service for communion.

Please email Meg Connell to RSVP, or to share any questions or ideas! meg@oaklandcitychurch.org

The Constant Call

Reflections on Joshua 1:1-9

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 

Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

 This is the passage inscribed in the Bible I received at my baptism. Obviously, the connection with 'Joshua' made it an obvious choice. But throughout my life it has gone deeper than that. It's a story of call that connects deeply to my own sense of call. In moments of inadequacy and self-doubt, this passage reminds me that God's call is constant, even when I am not.

Joshua receives this word from God after the death of Moses. Joshua stands anxious and afraid because he knows that he is not the leader Moses was. Moses led the people out of Egypt, Moses led the people through the wilderness, Moses had given the commandments, Moses had protected his people. Joshua knew Moses. And he knew he was no Moses.

As he stood on the verge of the Jordan river, about to enter the Promised Land, the one person who had held them together, that led them, that saved them - was gone.

How often is the task before us an impossible task? How often do we question our competency in the face of our work, our parenting, our marriage, any of our relationships? Let's not even concern ourselves with any 'world-changing'! If I am honest, when I look hard at the road I want to walk, I am filled with dread.

And this is where God's call comes. God's call is not a direction. Joshua knows where he has to go. God's call is not a new insight. Joshua has already heard the truth. God's call is a reaffirmation of his commitment to Joshua. It's almost comical how quickly Moses' death is dealt with. The passing of Moses is momentous to Joshua. But to God, Moses passing is part of his will, and no big deal. God doesn't need Moses. For that matter, he doesn't need Joshua. But he chooses Joshua. He affirms his support of Joshua. God will never leave nor forsake. Everything that was promised will be fulfilled.

Just be strong and courageous. Focus on God's word, not my inadequacy. Let's stop asking for guidance. We know (in almost every case) what we must do. Be a husband, a father, a wife, a mother, a friend, a faithful child, a hardworking employee, a gracious neighbor. What I lack is the courage to take the step.

But perhaps, like me, the call to be strong and courageous feels overwhelming in itself. Faith in God feels too much. Then, let us note the pattern... God commits to Joshua - I will be with you. Then he gives the marching orders. This is pattern of God - give the promise first, and then the command. God's call is not dependent on our response. The call is constant, even when our response is not.

The Personal Call

Reflection on Exodus 3:1-14

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 

7 Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Again with the questions. These heroes of the faith, so-called, are pretty hopeless aren't they. In this story, we meet Moses as he meets God. Working away as a simple shepherd, Moses sees a strange sight - a bush that is in flame but is not burned up. Out of the bush, God speaks. And Moses receives a call - to go to the king of Egypt and demand the release of the Israelites from slavery. Instead of jumping to it, Moses starts  questioning God. He wants to know details.

 Actually, it's quite a relief, isn't it. The heroes of the faith aren't quite so heroic. And so we can give up on the heroics too.

We can admit that we have questions too. We want details too. When we respond to a call of God, it usually feels scant on the details. When I feel the tug to a closer walk with God, I usually wonder where to place my feet first. So, I ask more questions - about where and when and why. I ask my pastor (yes -- I have a pastor). I read the Bible. I try to pray. And the questions don't seem to get answered.

 How does God respond to Moses? Does God give him all the answers or the details? No. God does something so much more profound. God tells Moses God's name. God unveils the Name - 'I AM WHO I AM'. That's enough.

 Usually, when we are worried or anxious, we ask for direction or clarity about the thing we are anxious about. Perhaps instead we should look for greater clarity on who God is, as revealed in God's Word.

In the book of Acts, when the early church first faced a threat, they prayed. And their pray was not filled with details of their problems or demands for guidance. Most of the prayer is reminding them of one thing - who God is. It might be a good way to start our prayers.
And when they heard [the concerns], they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them..." Acts 4:24. 

The Impossible Call

Reflection on Genesis 15:1-6

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

No. Way. That's what we used to say as kids to anything that seemed impossible to us. Sometimes you might even put a rude word between the 'no' and the 'way'. There is no way that could be true. There is no way that could happen.

That's what Abram is saying in this story. When God says 'I am your shield, your reward shall be very great', God is promising Abram a family, even though he and his wife Sarai, are way past child-bearing age. Abram doesn't believe God, he doesn't see how it can happen. So, he says to God, 'No way. That's impossible.'

When I believe there is no way, I start looking for another way - a way that makes sense to me, a way that works, a way I'm familiar with. And that's what Abram does. He offers God a way out of impossible. He finds an alternative. Maybe Abram doesn't have a kid. Maybe his servant has a kid and it 'metaphorically' works. But Abram is just grasping at straws at this point.

Before Abram can believe, he wants... no... he needs more details. He needs to know the way. 'What are you talking about?' he says to God. You talk about reward, and I have no idea what you can even offer me. So, God takes Abram outside, shows him the stars and tells him that his promise is even bigger than Abram thought. There is no explanation, no how, no 'here is the way'. There is just a repetition of the promise.

Back when I was a kid, if someone said 'No Way', there was only one response. 'Way!' God says 'way'. God specializes in the impossible - new life, new faith, new hope, new creation. He's "the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not." (Romans 4:17)

Monday Discussion ~ Believing the Story ~ Luke 1:26-38

Each Monday I will be posting reflections from the sermon and discussion questions for any groups working through the sermon texts with us.

Every day we find ourselves fighting – fighting our circumstances, fighting others, fighting ourselves and our own tendencies. We tend to see the world as a place of opposition, where we must work and strive to get what we want and need. We are unused to receiving gifts and good news. So, when it comes – often we are unprepared. We ask ourselves, what is really going on? What’s the catch? What do I have do?

And this is why it is so hard for us to hear the gospel – because the only adequate response to the grace of God is the response we read today in Luke 1:38 – ‘Let it be to me, according to your word.’

Mary, from the film 'Son of Man'

The story of Mary is deservedly famous. A humble maiden, with little experience in the world, is met by a vision of possibility and transformation. She does not understand what it all means, what it will cost her, or even what it will look like. Yet Mary’s response of faith in the midst of great uncertainty is a model for us as we receive good news in our hearts.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Introduction Question

Where in your life to do you most feel in control? (Work, family, body etc?) Where in your life do you feel least in control?

Questions

1. Mary has a visit from an angel, just like Zechariah. In fact, it is the same angel who visits her. How is Mary’s situation different from Zechariah’s? (See Luke 1:5-13).

3. Mary asks the same question that Zechariah asks – ‘how can this be?’ Zechariah is silenced, but Mary is encouraged. Why does Mary get different treatment from Zechariah?

4. The angel Gabriel says 3 things in verse 35-37 to Mary when she asks how it will happen.

a.       “The Holy Spirit will come upon…. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy.” God is going to do this through the Holy Spirit because he wants the fruit to be holy. God must be the one who does it.

-          Why is it important that this child be born of a virgin? 

b.      “Behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.” This is a hint that God has already done remarkable things. Perhaps this new thing might be possible for Him.  

-          Have you ever seen hints or clues of God at work that have encouraged you to be more trusting?

c.       “Nothing will be impossible with God.” Ultimately, this astonishing promise can be trusted because it is God who makes it.

-          What places in your life simply require a trust that God can do it when nowhere else can?

5. Mary responds with a very simple reply. “Let it be to me as you say.” Mary’s response is often seen as a perfect example of faithfulness. Do you agree? What does her response teach us about faith?

6. Where in your life do you simply need to say to God ‘Let it be’?