Jeremiah was not a bullfrog



Perfect songs! We have perfect songs this morning! "I come with joy to meet my Lord". "Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing". "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" - - run up to Number One top of the charts by Three Dog Night, and one of the best selling singles of all time, the kids’ song “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” was actually written “Jeremiah was a prophet” but nobody liked it so Hoyt Axton changed it. Jeremiah was a bullfrog? No, Axton was right, Jeremiah was a prophet:

The word of the Lord came to me saying,
"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."

Scripture, and preaching, sermons that are meant to open scripture, should give you an opportunity to let God speak to you as God spoke to Jeremiah - - an opportunity to find yourself in the Word of God; even if the preacher stirs your mind to ramble off on some tangent. (Otherwise, without the Word, we’d as well have a lecture about economics, or meteorology, or toenail care). Bible readings are meant to open a window to let God speak to you in some way, and you have to "be there" and let your mind wander if the sermon takes you off somewhere.

Preaching from Hebrews in last Sunday’s sermon, for example, Father Steve said something from which God spoke to me an entirely new perspective on various things that have happened in my life, things I did not expect or deserve, things that people have said or done that affected me significantly. Father Steve said something by which God helped me realize a blessing no matter what. 

Just so again today: we have this reading from the 7th Century prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah of Jerusalem, it’s “the Call of Jeremiah” (most every prophet has a call story), and I always find myself here. The scripture is about Jeremiah, not about me, but I find myself, understand myself, better appreciate my life by hearing what God said to Jeremiah and did with Jeremiah. Identifying with Jeremiah’s call story is not a “stretch” for me: for better or worse, I’m an Episcopal priest only after a many-decades-long struggle with God (I've told my call story here before) a struggle that started when I was ten years old and only ended more than thirty years later in my early forties, when I finally threw up my hands and said, “Oh, what the hell, I give up.” And peace came - - the most peaceful day of my life being the day I entered theological seminary.

Jeremiah I am not; and I fought God longer than Jeremiah (who said “not me, I’m only נַ֖עַר NAH-ar, a boy” but immediately knuckled under to God anyway). I fought longer than Moses (who said “not me, I’m not a good speaker” and then immediately knuckled under to God anyway). God is a high-pressure salesman, but It took thirty years for me to knuckle under. And I’m no prophet, but the second half of my life I know the joy and peace of the Lord, and it's sublime. As the song "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" says, "Joy to you and me".

So, the sermon this morning is meant to stir you, whoever you are and whatever your age and place in life, stir you to examine yourself. Not for sin, you can do that during Confession. But to - - reflect? - - contemplate? - - are you, am I living under the Lord? 

In our Prayers of the People we’ll pray “Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake; that our works may find favor in your sight". Focus on that prayer as you examine yourself.

In our Confession of Sin we’ll pray “that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways”. Focus on that prayer as you examine yourself.

Again, at the end of worship this morning we’ll pray (Rite I) “that we may do all such good works as thou has prepared for us to walk in” /and/ (Rite II) “send us out to do the work you have given us to do”. Focus on that prayer as you examine yourself. How are you doing compared to what you prayed God to do with you?

Take the liturgical words seriously to heart, God who is Spirit does not magically take up the assignment you pray onto him and magically do things, the prayers are to move YOU, not to control God. 19th/20th century poet Annie Johnston Flint, "Christ has no hands but your hands to do His work today. He has no feet but your feet to lead others in the way. He has no tongue but your tongue to tell others how He (lived and) died. He has no help but your help to bring the world to His side".

What IS that work that God has prepared for you to walk in // that God has given you to? 

What is it? And are you doing it? I’ll just bet you are. I’ll bet you already are. Whatever the stage of your life today, I’ll bet your work and your life are exactly in accord with God’s dream for you. I do not know that for sure, but God knows; and you know, or if you do not know, you can work it out.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”. Are you living what God consecrated you to? Ask yourself that, think on it this week. Are you living into God’s consecration of your life, God's dream for you? How will you know? C S Lewis’ work The Chronicles of Narnia, in his book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe there’s a conversation and line when and where the professor says to Peter and Susan, “What's that? How will you know? Oh, you'll know all right.”

There’s no reason to think your knowing will be like my knowing, but I know because my peace and joy did not start until the day over forty years ago when I said “Oh what the hell, I give up” and knuckled under to God’s dream for me.

If you’re happy and content and at peace with your work and place in life, you’re probably already there. I’ll bet you are, but check it out. You’ll be glad you did. There's joy in the Lord! Joy to you and me!

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Sermon/homily preached in Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida by the Rev Tom Weller. Sunday, August 25, 2019. Text Jeremiah 1:4-10, the Call of Jeremiah.
נַ֖עַר naar

naar: a boy, lad, youth, retainer
Original Word: נַעַר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: naar
Phonetic Spelling: (nah'-ar)
Definition: a boy, lad, youth, retainer

Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the Lord came to me saying,
"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."

Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only נַ֖עַר naar a boy." 

But the Lord said to me,
"Do not say, 'I am only נַ֖עַר naar a boy';
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you,
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord."

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
"Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant."