Today’s Readings: Psalm 75; Exodus 3:16-4:12; Luke 10:1-16; Romans 10:1-4; Psalm 64
If you are anything like me, sometimes you feel called to do things that seem totally beyond your ability. My call to parish ministry was a lot like that. When I first began opening myself to that call, I was living 1,100 miles from where I currently live - in the area in which I was born and raised. I was so close with my family that I could not imagine living any distance from them! I was also very much of a political activist and had established a life that involved constantly projecting my agenda onto the world. I had a hard time relating (or perhaps I should say “wanting to relate”) to folks who were different than myself. I could go on and on with reasons why I felt totally unequipped to answer my call to ministry, but I would probably bore you. The long and short of it was that in many ways I felt like Moses did in today’s passage from Exodus when he received his call to lead God’s people. Moses first response to God’s call was exactly like mine – he responded by listing all of the reasons why it was absurd for God to expect him to answer his call. And yet - as we all know – Moses ultimately did respond. The beauty of today’s story is that it reminds us that God prepares and strengthens for the things to which we are called. Nine years after answering my call to parish ministry, for instance, I’ve learned how to be in relation with my family from 1,100 miles away. Nine years later I’ve learned that there are more important things to project on to the world than just my agenda – I’m more about projecting God’s agenda. Nine years later I’ve learned to embrace my ability to connect with folks who come from radically different places than myself by focusing on the things we share rather than emphasizing our superficial differences. In other words, nine years later I have realized I was equipped to do the unthinkable – answer my call. Maybe you have been wrestling with your own sense of being called by God in some particular way and you have been quick to dismiss that call. If that’s the case, follow Moses’ example and spend some time talking with God about your call. Be real in that conversation – lay out all of your reservations. God can take it. It very well could be that through that process you realize that you are more ready to respond than you ever realized before! The most important step in answering your call is always the most difficult: the first step – the step where you finally express a willingness to answer that call (even though you have no idea how it will ultimately play out). Once you take that first step, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the other steps fall into place. Til next time…
If you are anything like me, sometimes you feel called to do things that seem totally beyond your ability. My call to parish ministry was a lot like that. When I first began opening myself to that call, I was living 1,100 miles from where I currently live - in the area in which I was born and raised. I was so close with my family that I could not imagine living any distance from them! I was also very much of a political activist and had established a life that involved constantly projecting my agenda onto the world. I had a hard time relating (or perhaps I should say “wanting to relate”) to folks who were different than myself. I could go on and on with reasons why I felt totally unequipped to answer my call to ministry, but I would probably bore you. The long and short of it was that in many ways I felt like Moses did in today’s passage from Exodus when he received his call to lead God’s people. Moses first response to God’s call was exactly like mine – he responded by listing all of the reasons why it was absurd for God to expect him to answer his call. And yet - as we all know – Moses ultimately did respond. The beauty of today’s story is that it reminds us that God prepares and strengthens for the things to which we are called. Nine years after answering my call to parish ministry, for instance, I’ve learned how to be in relation with my family from 1,100 miles away. Nine years later I’ve learned that there are more important things to project on to the world than just my agenda – I’m more about projecting God’s agenda. Nine years later I’ve learned to embrace my ability to connect with folks who come from radically different places than myself by focusing on the things we share rather than emphasizing our superficial differences. In other words, nine years later I have realized I was equipped to do the unthinkable – answer my call. Maybe you have been wrestling with your own sense of being called by God in some particular way and you have been quick to dismiss that call. If that’s the case, follow Moses’ example and spend some time talking with God about your call. Be real in that conversation – lay out all of your reservations. God can take it. It very well could be that through that process you realize that you are more ready to respond than you ever realized before! The most important step in answering your call is always the most difficult: the first step – the step where you finally express a willingness to answer that call (even though you have no idea how it will ultimately play out). Once you take that first step, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the other steps fall into place. Til next time…
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