Pastor Marji Miller

I got a great email from Andrea, which I have her permission to use. She wrote:

“We were sitting at church this morning and Joel said the funniest thing. How kids minds work!  Nick walked in and Joel said, “Momma look Jesus is over there.....” I wanted to just roll over and crack up laughing but I couldn’t. He relates to Jesus by seeing pictures of him and his long hair.”

Thank you, Joel! His innocence touches us! I have to say I wanted to roll over and crack up laughing, too. No one appreciates Nick more than I do, but I don’t see him as Jesus. But, Joel does, and this brings up an interesting issue: How does God appear to us? How does God make God’s self known to God’s followers? And, is one person’s idea as good as another’s?

We’ve been working through The Shack after worship. In the book, God appears to Mack as a large African-American woman, a wispy Asian woman and a near-eastern man. Some variety there! Think of artists over the centuries. Michelangelo with his snow-white, intensely masculine God. Think of the story by black writer John Henrik Clarke called “The Boy Who Painted Christ Black.” It’s about a school principal in Georgia in the 1940’s. He was torn between supporting his student, who painted a black Jesus, and the white state-school-supervisor who was offended. Think of Jesus in The Passion vs. Jesus in Godspell, if you remember that. Or Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Think of George Burns in Oh God and, my favorite – until The Shack - Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty. Lots of different pictures. Who’s right? Joel? Michelangelo? George Burns?

Today we’re going to look at two stories - from the Bible - of God’s appearances. Not the only two, but two good ones. Let’s see what we can learn from these pictures about how God communicates with us. And, equally important, why? Why does God even bother?

We’re going to start by reading one of the greatest stories in the First Testament. From the book of Isaiah.  Isaiah was alive in the 700’s bc. If you’re lost, look at the time line on the back of the notetaker. That means 700-800 years before Jesus. So he lived after the Exodus (when God brought the twelve tribes out of Egypt); after King’s David and Solomon who ruled all twelve tribes; after the kingdom split in 922 BC into Israel and Judah. Isaiah lived in Judah, the southern kingdom. The capitol of Judah was Jerusalem. That’s where the temple was, and that’s where Isaiah was when this happened!

The prophet described his vision. Picture the most surreal science fiction you can imagine. If one word were to be employed to express the mood of the story, it would be “Wow!”

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 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!”

Wow! Isaiah was in the temple. The temple was big and impressive and beautiful. Isaiah looked up. Into a vision. He saw Yahweh – God – on a throne, and Yahweh’s robes came cascading down into the temple. Isaiah didn’t try to describe Yahweh, just the robe, so we don’t know how Yahweh looked. Isaiah only told about the shaking of the temple and the smoke filling it. And, then Isaiah told about the seraphs. Just imagine the seraphs! The word “seraph” comes from a root that means “to burn,” or “fiery.” So, “fiery ones!” Seraphs were/are supernatural creatures with three sets of wings. One set of wings covered the face; one set of wings covered the feet, (that’s a euphemism, by the way; they were covering their private parts) and the other set of wings were used to fly. They would have been impressive, to say the least. The seraphs were calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

We use that word “holy” a lot. What does “holy” mean? It means other completely “other.” Completely distinct. Completely separated. What Isaiah describes – Holy, Holy, Holy – means distinct, separate, other. In this context it also means awesome. Glorious. Wow.

So, the doorposts shook. The temple filled with smoke. The seraphs chanted. And Isaiah said, “Woe is me!” I don’t know what I’d say in that situation. It wouldn’t be “woe is me.” “Woe is me” seems to be an understatement.

The prophet confessed he was a man of unclean lips, who lived among a people with unclean lips. He identified himself with his unclean people even in the very moment he was in the presence of Yahweh, the holy God. Isaiah couldn’t deny the community he belonged to, or its failures and shortcomings which he was part of. Like Isaiah, we, too, are jointly responsible for the evils and injustices around us. There is no finger-pointing like “they” are more responsible than I am. We are all unclean. Not holy.

Of course, the unholiness had to be dealt with. So, God’s seraph took a burning coal from the altar and touched the prophet’s mouth. A little more exciting than our usual absolution for sin, isn’t it? Then Yahweh asked, “Whom shall I send (to these difficult people)? Who will go for us?” And Isaiah said, “Here I am. Send me.”

I can imagine saying that, “Send me!” “Please, please send me – just keep those seraphs away from me!” Seriously, others in the bible expressed the “Here I am. Send me,” response. Sometimes in different words: Samuel, David, Mary, the disciples of Jesus. Eventually. The Bible leads us to believe most of them didn’t really know what they were getting themselves into. BUT, they heard the call and they responded. GREAT STORY!

If only we could stop there!! So inspiring. Lord, here I am! Send me! If Isaiah can do it, so can I. I’m on fire! I’m ready to run out and tell everyone about the glory of God. And watch them pour in.

But, there’s more. We can get a taste of what sometimes happens when God’s people say, “Send me.”

He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. Isaiah 6:1-12 TNIV

In the second act, the prophet found out that he would have to take what would be a very unpopular message from Yahweh to the people. Like Jeremiah last week. “Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Why didn’t God just say, “Don’t bother to go. It won’t matter anyway”?

We don’t like this. If I’m going to tell someone about God I want to be heard; and if I’m going to deliver God’s message, I want to convert and bring people to God. But Isaiah apparently accepted the call, as uncomfortable as it was. And when he asked, “How long?” he was told, Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. Nothing about success. Nothing about promise. Nothing about hope.

So, our first lesson: God makes God’s self known to call us, and 1) God expects us to answer the call! Regardless. Yahweh wasn’t making a deal or presenting a proposal. God expected Isaiah’s obedience. And God expects ours. Whether we understand. Whether we agree. Whether it makes sense. Regardless.

Go and tell this people.

It’s demanding. It’s risky. It’s scary. God expects us to answer the call.

When we read this story, we focus on going - who will go for us?” But, look at the words: “mouth,” “lips,” “voice,” “saying,” and “said.” The seraph didn’t put the burning coals on Isaiah’s feet. Or his hands. Or his ears or eyes. Although, as part of a community of not-so-holy people, Isaiah had probably used his feet and hands and ears and eyes for less than the purest actions. But, the seraph only touched the coal to Isaiah’s lips. The cleaning up – having his lips burned by hot coals – not only burned away the guilt of this unholy guy, but also empowered him to speak God’s words. Go and tell!

We’re going to be talking in the next months about being Christians. Being the kind of people other people would want to have a relationship with. Actions are critical. Actions do speak louder than words, but actions don’t speak instead of words. You’ve got quite an ego problem if you think your actions are so good and pure that people are going to look at you and somehow just see Jesus! That they’ll be drawn to him if you don’t ever mention that he’s the one you live for. We will work on being the kind of people would want to have a relationship with, but the second lesson from out stories: 2) We are called to speak. Never forget that God speaks. Jesus speaks. Words matter. Telling The Story – it matters! We are called to speak.

Recap so far
1) God expects us to answer the call. Regardless.
2) We are called to speak. Words matter. The Story matters. Your story matters.

How about another story about God appearing? Let’s look at a story about Simon. Most often called Peter.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:1-11 TNIV

I like it when Simon Peter shows up in a story. I can always depend on him to say things that I might say if I were in his shoes. You know, foot in mouth. This doesn’t look like other “call” stories does it? There is no burning bush like the story of Moses. No blinding light on a road to Damascus like for Paul. No angel like the one that appeared to Mary. No seraph. Just a guy doing what he did every day. Cleaning up after a night of fishing. Then this famous teacher brought his groupies into Peter’s turf. And obviously the teacher couldn’t control the crowd - they were going to push him into the lake - and he needed Peter to bail him out. Right?

Let’s talk for a minute about Jesus’ miracles. Usually they met some need, whether for healing or bread for people in the wilderness rescue from the stormy lake. And, despite the way it has troubled some interpreters – and even some pastors, even the miracle at Cana met the need of those people at the wedding. Their need for wine. Here, Jesus miraculously supplied dozens of fish. But, this miracle is more complicated than it seems at first.

What did Peter need? Did Peter need all those fish? It doesn’t say Peter or his family or partners were hungry. Or the fishing business was about to go into foreclosure. The hadn’t caught any fish that night? Well, everyone has bad days at work. Why did Jesus tell Peter to throw the nets again, when nothing had been said that indicated Peter needed help? And, even if Jesus’ intent had been to supply Peter’s need, why so many fish they almost sank the boat he needed? And, although we refer to this passage as the “calling” of the disciples, Jesus didn’t actually call Peter and the others to leave with him. And, did Peter have any idea what it would mean to catch people instead of fish?

Why is this miracle so different? It has different points to make. The need being met wasn’t Peter’s.

Like Isaiah in the first story, this story shows Peter as one who was obedient. Peter didn’t really need the fish and Jesus was on his turf. What does an itinerant preacher know about catching fish? But, when Jesus told Peter to put down the nets again, Peter did. He must have thought this was one more futile effort

Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.

Nevertheless, having warned Jesus, Simon obeyed:

But because you say so, I will let down the nets...

Like Mary before him, who reminded Gabriel that she couldn’t have a child, but still made herself available for God’s plan, Peter obeyed even what seemed ridiculous.

The followers of Jesus are not necessarily expected to understand, but we are expected to obey. Just like Isaiah. The people are sinful and they aren’t going to listen, but…..go anyway! Go and Tell! The world needs to hear The Story God’s people have to tell.

The story ends with the dramatic and abrupt note:

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Peter and his partners had boats, nets, a business, a partnership, families. They had a good thing going. Yet, they left it all behind. Including all those fish. Just imagine the lovely smell on the beach a few days later. But Luke didn’t care about that. His point was Peter’s and James’ and John’s radical unconcern for possessions. And I hear you thinking, “preacher, you’re meddling.” There IS an integral connection between Money and possessions and discipleship. And no one wishes it weren’t so more than I do. BUT, it is. The disciples left their boats, their nets and this amazing bunch of fish to go after someone they couldn’t possibly comprehend, on a mission they couldn’t have understood. Answer the call.

The need being met wasn’t theirs. Further into Luke’s story he wrote about the early church’s practice of sharing possessions, of believers selling property to have money to share with other believers, the distribution of food to the widows. There are stories about what happened to those whose greed got between them and answering the call. For now, the point is more subtle: whoever Jesus is and wherever he leads, being a faithful follower requires the responsible use of money and “stuff.” The need being met wasn’t theirs. It’s part of being holy, being set apart. Part of answering the call.

Peter said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

In other words, “You, God, are holy and I’m a mess.” All of us can say the same thing. All of us might wonder how God could possibly use us. This was the response of lots of the people God called. Moses was a murderer, Mary was unmarried and pregnant, Jeremiah was too young. Elijah was depressed, Jonah was stubborn and intolerant, Sarah was too old. Hagar was a slave, Paul was a persecutor, Rahab was a prostitute, David was an adulterer. They were all messes. And God used them all. We are messes and God still calls us. We are cleaned up now. The coal has touched our lips. Purified. Useable. God calls for everyone of us. God wants to use you.

A call from God requires we have a vision for that person next door everyone else has given up on, and to have a vision for what he or she can become. A call from God also lures us to look at entire world and have a vision for what it can become. 3)We must never forget it is our responsibility, our privilege, our joy, to take the story to the world! To the family of God’s people: that people of unclean lips. And, to people outside the community: Fish for people. So, what’s the call? What’s the word? Right here.

Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people

Underline it. Highlight it. Memorize it. Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people. Wow!

But, we are afraid. And we gotta get past it because if we allow our fears to hold us back, we will miss the best God has for us, being part of his purposes and plans. Our God doesn’t feed the hungry, get water for the thirsty, shelter the strangers, clothe the naked, look after the sick, visit the prisoners, spread the news of his love and grace by divine fiat or decree. God calls us and sends us out in the same way God sent Isaiah, and Peter, and many others.

It’s not about what we need. It’s about what the world needs. If we are selfish, timid people who only care about more video games, more TV channels and faster computers and keeping every minute of our time – including Sunday morning – to ourselves, we will miss the fun, the excitement. And the point. God works through us to bring wholeness and newness.

Did Isaiah and Peter know that once they took the risk of leaving what was familiar and comfortable the direction of their lives might change forever? Did they know that when they left the shallow places behind and dared to go just a little bit deeper in trust, things would be different for them, and for the world? We don’t know what they knew, but God says to us today: your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Then, Whom shall I send?”

We are called to speak, to answer the call even when we don’t understand, and to take this beyond ourselves, to the world. We have to take a risk We don’t have to understand it all. We just have to do it. It’s time for us to say, “Here I am. Send me.”