As a relatively sound human being, I can find an excuse for almost everything. “It’s too late…too early…too old…” “I’ll do it tomorrow…” but tomorrow never comes. Scriptures to be heard on the upcoming weekend will try to jazz up our lazy lives and incorporate the urgency of God’s Word. Not much has changed, has it? We proclaim, with our hands over our hearts, “liberty and justice for all (white men)”, and don’t worry much about the homeless and others who beg on street corners.
JEREMIAH 1:4-10 tells of a Divine Appointment to “pluck up and to pull down…to build and to plant”. In other words, to be a prophet. Jeremiah tries to change God’s mind: “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy”. But God is tenacious in this ordination: “you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” Yep. You can run, but you cannot hide. BUT the One who calls also sustains. God continues to be engaged with God’s People, who have worth and dignity. The role of a prophet is to speak for God–is that you??
The woman who wrote HEBREWS 12-18-29 says, “See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking…” God’s call is so persistent that all the earth and heavens shake until we accept the challenge. The One who lives at Mt. Zion is very serious about claiming The People for telling the news and ordering justice, not just as a covenant of Sinai, but as an ongoing duty for the created ones.
The Call comes often, until you respond. God doesn’t take “No!” for an answer, as I’ve found out. oundmot
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And the Gospel, LUKE 13:10-17, reminds us that the opportunity to heal is not limited to certain days, but is always present. The leader of the synagogue–who probably was once called to speak God’s Presence–has equated Jesus’ healing with “work”…but Jesus presents healing as God’s good pleasure. It’s to be noted that the woman (how’d she get in here? This is a men’s-only gathering) didn’t ask to be healed, nor did she appear to recognize Jesus. He did it because God told him to. Is Wholeness just for the in-crowd, or does God touch everyone? Let Tradition be seen for what it is.
God doesn’t take “No!” for an answer, God keeps hunting us down wherever we may run, as I’ve found out. Are we Too Young, or Too Old? Are we listening to voices of The System, or our friends? Do we protest our pretend ignorance? What is God calling you to say??
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
Come join us every Tuesday to help explore the lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend by the Revised Common Lectionary; at horacebrownking.com
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