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
