Discernment

1 In the year that King Uzzi'ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 6 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." (Isaiah 6:1f RSV)

A prophet’s call story might be expected to show up near the beginning of his prophecy, but Isaiah doesn’t tell his until farther along in his scroll, chapter six. Abraham’s call comes at the beginning of his adventures, as does that of Moses, his wonderful encounter with The Lord in the burning bush. The call of Jeremiah is another favorite:

4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. (Jeremiah 1:4f RSV)

Most of the called protest with a good reason why they can’t go. Moses says he isn’t a good speaker. God says he’ll send Moses’ brother Aaron along to do the talking. Jeremiah says he’s only a boy. God says, in effect, “Don’t give me any sass, you’ll do as I say.” Isaiah is afraid he’s unclean, and that is corrected before things go any farther. Isaiah might have preferred to have his mouth washed out with soap instead of the burning coal.

Reading the call stories of Bible characters can help us in realizing our own call into -- whatever God has in mind for us. My own sense of call into my present vocation came at age ten and I accepted it; but backed away at age nineteen and did things of my own choosing, went my own way until God began yammering at me through our congregation in Pennsylvania after my Navy retirement, and I entered theological seminary on my forty-fifth birthday. Looking back, as Isaiah is looking back in our Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday, I have no regrets; rather am grateful for the adventures on my own road to where I am this morning. 

However, life is short, as our rector says in his benediction every Sunday, and there isn’t much time. Having a call story for a Sunday School lesson or a lectionary reading gives an opportunity to pause, contemplate, perhaps realize what God may be trying to get me to hear. Sometimes it takes the burning coal to get our attention: I certainly found it so in my own life.

TW+