Matthew 3:13-17 with
Isaiah 42:1-9
I hope that you had a wonderfully
blessed Christmas and New Year with your families and friends. I know the Jepsens had a fun two weeks
together at home. One gift that we
particularly loved was the large assortment of generous gift cards from all of
you. While Powell Gardens may need to
wait for warmer weather, we enjoyed a trip to the movies this week, thanks to
you.
On Monday, when the church office was
closed for New Year, the Jepsens headed out to see the new Disney movie,
“Moana”. I loved this movie so much. If you haven’t seen it I encourage you to go. Moana is a classic call narrative. A young girl is chosen to lead the tribe, and
while she is being groomed to stay on her island, her heart is calling her to
the ocean. In fact, the ocean itself is
calling her to go on a mission to save her people. While most people are telling her to stay in
place, her heart is telling her to follow her calling. It is a wonderful example of hearing a call
for your life, taking a time of discernment, and then trying to faithfully
navigate a response.
Our scripture readings this morning
are also all about call. Today we
celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, this is the moment that marks the adult
Jesus’ entry into ministry. We know that
Jesus will struggle to continue to navigate his personal call, as evidenced by
his time in the wilderness, but this is the moment when he publically steps
forward. Jesus joins the ranks of
sinners, makes himself one with humanity, and in that act is marked as God’s
own. In choosing to join with us in our
sinfulness, the heavens are opened, the spirit descends, and Jesus is declared
a beloved child of God.
John too is answering a call in this
reading. His calling is to be the voice
crying in the wilderness, and to prepare the way for the one who is to
come. When Jesus appears at the Jordan,
John is understandably confused. He
knows who should be in charge here as he asks, “I need to be baptized by you,
and do you come to me?” Jesus insists
that yes, that is the divine plan.
Jesus’ path is one of humility, and it begins by submitting to baptism
by John.
In our reading from Isaiah, we get a
sense of the call that Jesus is following in his heart. This is one of Isaiah’s servant songs, which
details the life of the Messiah who was to come. While the servant will have God’s spirit upon
him and the power to bring forth justice in the nations, his ministry will be
one of compassion and gentleness. “A
bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not
quench.” This leader will not respond to
weakness with a crushing blow, rather he will respond with nurturing and
care. Such is the call of the servant
savior.
When we talk about call within the
Presbyterian Church, we talk not only about a personal call of the heart, but
we also look for a call that is echoed in the voice of the community. In the movie Moana, though most of the
community does not see the hero’s call to save the island, there is one voice
that lifts Moana up and carries her forward.
Moana’s grandmother Tala is the one who has seen the ocean’s call and
who will then echo that call for Moana in her moments of doubt.
In the call story of John the Baptist,
it is the people who gather at the river who echo the call of his heart back to
him. It is the gathered crowds who help
him to understand his role in the community.
So too, when Jesus requests that John baptize him, even though he is the
Son of God, Jesus echoes back to John his call to be The Baptizer.
Jesus’ own call of the heart is echoed
back in his baptism by John the Baptist who declares the Jesus is the one to
baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit.
Of course, Jesus also receives an even louder echo of his call as the
voice from heaven declares his beloved status as the Son of God.
In our own lives, we too are asked to
listen and discern a call of the heart. As
we join with Jesus in baptism, we also join with him and others in the
experience of call in our lives. In the
Presbyterian tradition we believe in the Priesthood of all Believers, which
states that all people receive a call from God to service. Some folks like me, are called to the
ministry of the word and sacrament. Many
other folks are called to serve the church through the role of deacons, elders,
and on committees of the small church and the larger denomination.
Today we honor and install those who
have chosen to answer that call of the heart for 2017. Bill, Teresa, and Laurie have served the
church as elders in the past. Today they
agree again, that God is calling them to a ministry of leadership and we as a
church echo that call back to them through this service of prayer and
installation. So too Susan and Cheryl,
are responding to God’s call to serve this community through the caring
ministry of deacons, and the church community echoes that call back as we
install them with prayer. In fact, many
folks here today are responding to God’s call in their heart through actions of
care and leadership in this church family and in their personal lives.
Though answering a divine call may
seem like a daunting challenge, God does not leave us alone in our
ministry. We are lifted up and
encouraged by each other’s faith and friendship. More importantly we are nourished for the
work ahead by coming to the table of grace.
When we gather to celebrate the sacrament of communion, we remember
Jesus’ response to the call of his heart, a call that led him to dark and
difficult places. And we honor God’s
echo of that call, in accompanying Jesus to the grave and raising him again to
new life. At the table we join our
hearts again with Jesus and we receive the energy to continue following the
call God has placed in each of our own lives.
Throughout our days in this crazy
world, God is singing a song to our hearts.
God is calling us to respond to love, by sharing the love of God with
the world around us. This is such a
universal experience that we can find it in the heart of the person sitting
next to us in the pew, as well as in the latest Disney movie. All around us God is calling us and lifting
us up to serve the community and the world.
All that remains is to answer the question. How will you follow the call of God in your
heart in this New Year? Amen.
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