Calling and inviting

Isaiah 49:1-7; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

Isaiah says: The Lord called me before I was born, and knew me and named me while I was in my mother’s womb. … God called me a servant, who will glorify the Lord. … There are at least three men who were known as Isaiah the prophet. The passage we have today is from Second Isaiah, who wrote from Babylon to the Jewish people living in exile. This poem casts a vision of a return to their homeland, under a monarch that is just and faithful to God. Encouraging the exiles is Isaiah’s passion, his calling.

Paul says: I have been called to be an apostle by Jesus and by the will of God. We know a lot about Paul because of his letters to the people in the congregations he founded. He doesn’t focus on the details of Jesus’ life, only on the fact that Jesus was raised form the dead, and has come to love and forgive those who believe. His passion is inviting people to know Jesus, and he is so passionate he continues these invitations from prison, all the way to Rome and likely execution.

John the Baptizer says: I have been called by God to point to one greater than I. There he is, the Lamb of God. John was passionate about casting a new vision of faithful living as Jewish people. First, he gets the attention of thousands – “all of Judea” – who were coming out to the wilderness to be baptized as a sign of their repentance. Then, he points the way to the One who is sent by God, who is the Lamb of God, who is the Son of God.

Andrew says: Come and see the messiah. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptizer who was standing with John and another disciple when John pointed at Jesus. Andrew then went to talk with Jesus. There must have been something in the brief conversation that made Andrew run to find his brother Simon. We don’t learn much about Andrew in scripture, but this passionate invitation gives us a sense of his calling to reach out to others, to bring more people to Jesus.

All of these speakers are doing the same thing: witnessing, testifying to the good news they have been called to proclaim. What is the good news? That God is present, cares for and about us, and wants to have a relationship with us.

… Most of us, if not all of us, are passionate about something. It might be cooking, or singing, or managing finances, or teaching, or reading, or crafting, or plumbing, or repairing cars, or the sciences. When we are passionate about something, we want to tell others about it, inviting them to share in our passion.

For example. The other day, a young man knocked on our door, inviting us to explore the possibility of installing solar panels on our roof through a program with Duke energy. We were skeptical, but were willing to hear more about it. Jesse came on time at 2pm, went through his material in a conversational way with us for about 30 minutes.

He paused, left a small opening, and Mike began speaking. For the next 30 minutes, Mike talked passionately about the two parks he volunteers at and what visitors would experience at each park.

When we are passionate about something, it is easy for us to share it with others. It is as if we are called by God to speak to others about whatever it is we love. Isaiah, Paul, John, and Andrew are all passionate about sharing God’s vision, God’s love for God’s people, with all of God’s people.

… We don’t always believe we are called by God. But we are. Our calling is always to use the gifts God has given us to reach more people with God’s love. Our clue to our calling is our passions.

So: If you love to cook and bake, feeding people is your calling. And those of us who love to eat are grateful for the love you share with us. I was able to join the Hospitality Team meeting as they made plans for upcoming Sundays and special events. They are called to feed people and be creative in their planning.

If you love to read, chances are strong you love to share reading with others. So, you join book clubs and give books to others. You teach children to love reading, too.

If you love gardening, you show up to maintain the garden, weeding, watering, de-bugging, and harvesting the produce. You share the produce with others, and invite others to help with the garden.

These are all ways in which we can share the good news of God’s love with others. Sometimes, we are called to more prophetic types of ministry, like the prophet Isaiah. We know in our bones that God intends to speak through us, so we must speak what God puts in our mouths and hearts.

 Martin Luther King Jr was such a person. His passion for justice for all people was evident in all he did, whether it was preaching from his home pulpit, walking across a bridge with other demonstrators, speaking at the National Mall, or writing letters from jail. King was always guided by God, using his passion for justice to make life better for everyone in America.

What are you passionate about? How is God calling you to use your passions to reach other people? … And, how is God using you to reach other people for Jesus? And for University Lutheran Church? Since Covid has released its grip on us somewhat, events are happening here again. It’s relatively easy to invite someone to join us for fun meals or activities, or a Bible study or speaker. It’s relatively easy to invite someone to help with meals for Family Promise or Campus Ministry.

How is God calling you through your passions and interests? I hope you will ponder this, this week. If ULC will grow, we all need to be open to being used by God to invite, to include, to speak up. Pay attention to the nudges Spirit is giving you, with a faster heartbeat, words you didn’t plan coming from your mouth, a hug for someone who needs your compassion. These are all ways God uses us, inspires us, invites us to follow, and invites others to come and see. Amen