The CallingRev. James Pennington Hitler was said to have mesmerized people with his compelling words. He was a charismatic leader who rallied a whole nation – he killed 6 million Jews. Martin Luther King Jr. also mesmerized people with his visionary words – he was a charismatic speaker who rallied a subjected race to claim their dignity and freedom. He was killed by those who couldn't hear his words. Mother Teresa mesmerized people with her simple words. She was a charismatic doer who gathered in those who had no one so they could die with someone. She died to the words of comfort she spoke so often – Jesus loves you. Our reading for today – Jeremiah – was a charismatic speaker – didn't quite mesmerize people with his words, but indeed got a mirad of responses – Jeremiah was the mouth-piece of God – had some very clear marching orders from God. His intention was to mesmerize the people with his compelling message – to rally the people back to God – back to dignity and freedom – a charismatic speaker who moved the people to be doers of God's Word. This passage is the calling or the commissioning of Jeremiah as God's mouth-piece....as God's charismatic leader....as God's voice. Almost all individuals throughout all sacred writings from every world religious tradition who are called to speak on behalf of God were commissioned or called in some way..... And Jeremiah's calling was quite personal, not quite a burning bush experience as was the case for Moses.....no lightning flashes, no thunder, no cosmic light show, but rather a quiet, still, one-on-one conversation with God. Listen, once again, to the call of Jeremiah....close your eyes....meditate on that gentle, sweet calling....listen for your name....let it be your own.... Now the word of God came to me saying, Note the commission – the call on Jeremiah's life.....he had no choice, really....Jeremiah lacked any sort of active participation in his commission.... Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, That's it – bam – you are an international spokesperson for me, God! And you have no choice....this was the plan before your birthparents even thought about you.....and before you slid out of the birth canal...I set you apart for this purpose – Jeremiah – to be my mouthpiece – to speak for me to Judah....and all the known nations of the time! Jeremiah tried to excuse himself from the job – from the mission set before him. His excuses were:
But God says – Not a good excuse, Jeremiah! Don't say you are just a boy – and you don't know what to say? I will give you the words – just repeat what I tell you to say....You don't need to be filled with fear for I am with you to protect you! And I am sure, just when Jeremiah is opening his mouth to respond with another objection – another excuse – God touches his mouth – silences him – and says – ah, ah, ah – here are the words.....just believe I will be with you, young Jeremiah! God touches the young Jeremiah's mouth....a symbolic action that was very important....for the Hebrew prophet was believed to be a spokesperson or mouthpiece for God. Therefore his mouth must be touched by God to be purified by fire......to be able to speak the message of God. Now one would think, that if the God of Creation sets you apart for a purpose even before you were a twinkle in the eye or eyes of your birthparents THAT YOU WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL – that you would certainly succeed, meet your goals, at least meet God's expectations, right? Now, by most standards, Jeremiah was an absolutely miserable failure. For 40 years, Jeremiah served as God's spokesperson to the people of Judah......but when Jeremiah spoke, NOBODY LISTENED! Consistently and with great charisma and passion, Jeremiah urged the people of Judah to act.......but NOBODY MOVED! And Jeremiah certainly didn't accumulate wealth or material success.....he was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies. During his 40 years of being God's spokesperson he was....
Throughout his life, Jeremiah stood ALONE.......declaring God's message....God's truth.....God's message of healing and mercy....A message of justice and mercy - God's message of "come back to me Judah....return to your God".....Jeremiah stood ALONE....a lonely, sole voice calling his people to return to their merciful, loving, grace-filled God.... Into what kind of world was the young boy Jeremiah born? He was born into a time of the nation of Judah's last catastrophe. It was a period of the decline and fall of the little kingdom of Judah – the southern kingdom – Israel, the northern kingdom. He lived and prophesied during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah. He was born into a time of great contention between competing world powers and was standing in the midst of their inevitable collision and destruction. This was the great "axial age", according to one historian, Kendra Jaspers. This was the age of Confucius in China, of the Upanishads and Buddha in India, of Zoroaster in Persia, of Homer and Plato in Greece. In a book entitled Way to Wisdom, this is how the world into which Jeremiah was born is described: People everywhere became aware of being as a whole, of themselves and their limits. They experienced the horror of the world and their own helplessness. They raised radical questions, approached the abyss in their drive for liberation and redemption. And in consciously apprehending their limits they set themselves the highest aims. They experienced the absolute in the depth of selfhood and in the clarity of transcendence. The career of Jeremiah took place within one of the most chaotic times in the history of ancient Israel. Society, as he knew it, was in chaos and deterioration – economically, politically, spiritually.....On an international level, political structures were collapsing around Judah, which in turn, were challenging established social and religious beliefs. In short: It was a time when the mere repetition of orthodoxy was inadequate....... Jeremiah's message went against mainstream/dominant culture of his day. He spoke out against the corrupt religious and political leaders of the day = and as we know – that is never popular! Jeremiah's message included both judgement and restoration – in the end the people did not listen to him. Babylon overtook the city, the palace was burned, and the Temple when up in flames. Jeremiah saw it all – the end of his nation and the beginning of the exile of his people in Babylon. Another prophet – found in the Gospel Reading for today taken from Luke 4:21-30. The beginning of Jesus ministry – also marks the beginning of hostility toward Jesus. Jesus himself was not accepted as a prophetic voice in his hometown....the listeners were so enraged with Jesus' message of INCLUSION....of God's favor for all....that God's Love and justice could actually extend to the Gentiles....not only the Hebrew people....that they jumped up and drove him out of the city he called his hometown, Nazareth....in fact, so enraged were they that they took him to a cliff and had intended to throw him over to his death.... Many have a similar attitude today....an expert is anyone who carries a briefcase, has a power point presentation and comes from more than 200 miles away. Don't be surprised when your faith is not easily understood or accepted by those who are family or know you well..... The news that God's extravagant love extends to all is offensive When Jeremiah and Jesus' messages proved to be different from what the crowd expected, indeed when the message turned out to run against the grain of their expectations, the crowd tried to rid themselves of these irritating disappointments permanently. With the passing of time, it became clear that Jesus not only did not fit popular expectations; in fact, he actively defied them.....defied the norm. Then people turned away, or they turned sour; and they actively turned against Jesus. The outcome of human hostility toward the prophet's message and the messenger of God's extravagant all-encompassing love was seen in the form of a crucified man outside Jerusalem – a disappointment done away with. How do we make this message for us today....for you and me? We too are living in a time of upheaval – a chaotic time – political unrest – political injustice – political tyranny – political corruption - economic chaos on a national and international level – and it would appear – spiritual and religious corruption of the truth of God's unlimited mercy and goodness extended to all persons! And yet it is a encouraging time when marginalized communities, LGBT – communities of colors – oppressed communities are being recognized and are (quote) in the news....we may not be winning all the battles – but at least we are out there and in the minds and thoughts of our community. The news that God's extravagant love extends to all is offensive....ESPECIALLY to individuals set on being better than the rest and who expect God to recognize their goodness and their holiness! We are not called to relate to God because of the benefits we will derive....we are called to God because of the magnitude of God's unlimited goodness. Rigid religiosity that lives with the expectation of priviledge finds the news of God's universal love unattractive, even offensive. God knew you......as God knew Jeremiah, long before you were born or even conceived. God thought about you and planned for you. When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember....God has always thought of you as a part of the bigger of the plan.....God has a purpose in mind for you. Often we struggle with new challenges or the challenges of being and living as people of faith because we lack self-confidence, feeling that we don't have what it takes, we don't have the training, experience or abilities. Jeremiah thought he was only "a young boy" – to young and too inexperienced to be God's prophetic voice to the world. God promised to be present with him..........empower him.........give him the words to speak....all he needed to do was open his mouth. God was not going to keep the troubles from coming...God would not insulate him from the jailings, deportation, insults, rejection, threats. BUT God did promise to see him through these difficulties and rescue Jeremiah.........God promises the same for us..... .....we may not appear to be incredibly successful in the eyes of our community or society....but God's measure of success is different....it is simply in the doing....the living of faith, justice, peace and mercy..... This message of (in my good southern roots) "YOU ALL COME" – God's welcome to ALL....has been the message of this community of faith from the beginning – when others were saying – the goodness and acceptance of God is limited to only these persons – A mighty Spirit rose up – A mighty Prophetic voice with charisma - to challenge the thinking of the day and established it's place in the community of faith! And that is a message that no one person and no one institution has been able to quench.....and we continue to move forward with that message....a prophetic message for our time....But this is not the final word.....there is more to come....we have committed individuals here whose lips have been touched by the hand of God who told them to speak.....to whom the prophetic word of God has been given.....but this is not the final word! The crucified Christ....the unheard prophetic voice of Jeremiah for 40 plus years......was not the FINAL WORD! The SUCCESS IS THIS....the prophetic word still is being spoken. It cannot be stopped! Those prophetic voices cannot be quelled! The crowd seeks to eliminate Jesus in the Gospel assigned for today. But, mysteriously, he is beyond their power, and he goes his own way. That foreshadows the resurrection, which tells us hat God has and will have the final word. The power of humankind cannot thwart the love of God, expressed in Jesus, now raised in power and at work in the world through you and through me! The story of Jeremiah the Prophet and Jesus is truly timeless.....the unbridled and inclusive love of God is not defeated by any human resistance. Instead.....God calls us....has chosen you and chosen me.....gave each of us a mission even before we were a twinkle in our birthparents eyes....before we left that birth canal.....to experience and share within these walls of Spirit and outside these walls of Spirit....the ABUN DANT and EXTRAVAGANT love of our God.....to speak the prophetic voice of God's justice, God's mercy, God's release for the captives.....God is and will continue to use us as mouthpieces.....God's hand touching our lips gently.....dispelling our fears and giving us bold voices and bold words of God's peace and love and justice for everyone. |