Sunday, February 03, 2013

Sermon, "Workin for the Man", by Pastor Ruth Foss, Suncook United Methodist Church, 2/3/2013

February 3, 2012
Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
Worship Theme: God Calls and Equips Us
Jeremiah 1:4-10 CEB
Isaiah 6:1-8 God’s Word Bible
Mark 1:16-20 The Message Bible

“Workin For the Man”

A Reading form the gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 1-8, listen for a word from God to you and me the people of God.

Have you ever been asked to do something that all you can think to yourself is, “there is no way I can do that, I don’t even have a clue where to start.” Or even, “there is no way that I am qualified to do that. . . how can this person be asking me to do that. They must be meaning someone else.” It can be so overwhelming at times when someone asks you to do something that either you have never done before or don’t believe that you are even close to being qualified for.

Erica and I watch a TV show called once Upon A Time on Sunday nights. It is a show based on the fairy tales we heard as a child. You see the fairy tale characters were under a curse and were banished to live in a town called Story Brook in our world. They needed someone to break the curse they were under so that they could return home. Well. . . in comes the reluctant heroine to the story. Her name is Emma and there is no way she believes that she is the one to break the curse. She doesn’t even believe that these are even fairy tale characters. They are just people from this town she came to so that she could find her son. Well it is her son that tells her all about the town and the curse. She does eventually believe the story but she fought it tooth and nail for a very long time.

Why is it so hard for us to believe that we are called to do something? Why are we reluctant when we feel we are called to do something? For that matter, why are we even “called” to do anything? Why would God call you and me to do work for Him? Why does God take the least equipped and call them to do “great things” for His Kingdom?

In this morning readings, we heard calls from God to people he wanted to work for Him. They were three of many calls we read about in the bible. Each one had a different reaction to their call. But in every case, they decided that they wanted to follow the call of God in their life.

In the case of Jeremiah, he thought he was too young to be called. I am sure he had heard about many prophets who were much older than him. He thought that because of his age he couldn’t fulfill the call of God in his life. But he was wrong. God’s answer to him was one of justification of his call. Before Jeremiah was born God had decided to call him to be a prophet. God pretty much told Jeremiah that it didn’t matter about his age, just go where God told him and to say what God told him to say. God was with him so he had no need to fear. God equipped him and put the words to say in his mouth. How many times have we not done what we may feel called to do because we felt as if we were not smart enough, or eloquent in words, or even old enough to do what God wants us to do? Jeremiah response was he followed his call. . . trusted in God. . . and became one of the major prophets of God.

Then we have Isaiah who was called in a vision from God. Now Isaiah felt as if was unworthy.
Isaiah knew he was an ordinary man who sinned like every other ordinary man. How could he be a messenger from and for God? But God took care of that, God equipped him for his call. God took away Isaiah’s guilt and sin to prepare Isaiah for the task. Isaiah’s response was a reverberating “Here I am Lord. . . send me!” How many times have we run away from our call from God? How many times have we felt that we were not worthy to do what God has called us to do? How many times has our call gone unanswered?

Now you might be saying to yourself. . . Pastor Ruth, this is all fine and good but these are calls from the Old Testament, God doesn’t still call people to do great things. Well, god still called people, even in the New Testament. The Mark scripture is one that is close to my heart. It is a call that still is shouted even today. It is the call of the disciples. These men were hard at work as fishermen. They didn’t have time to go on a “tour” with Jesus. But. . . but. . . they dropped everything they were doing. . . everything they knew. . . and followed their call to a new life with Christ. They didn’t question Jesus, they didn’t tell Jesus “let me think about it and get back to you.” They immediately followed into places unknown to them. . . to people who where foreigners to them. . . into new frontiers. How many times have we said we are too busy with our life to follow? How many times have we said “I’ll do it tomorrow” and tomorrow never comes? How many times have we ignored that still small voice within us calling us to reach beyond our walls?

We are all called to do something in the kingdom of God. It may be preaching, or hospitality, or Sunday school, or whatever, but we are called. Last week I talked about how the church and its members are like a “Hand in a Glove” as it works together to fulfill its call to make disciples, but how can the church do its work if no one follows their call? We need to use the gifts and grace that is given to us by God. . . who by the way gave them to us before we were ever born. . . to reach out to those around us. Perhaps. . . we, as Christians, need to rehear that call on our lives. Perhaps. . . as we learn to trust more in God’s purpose for our lives and not our own, we can answer that call that God has put on our lives. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . as we hear that call once again we will respond as Isaiah did and say “Here I am Lord. . . pick me.” Maybe. . . just maybe. . . we will truly become those fishers of men that Christ called His first disciples to be. Maybe. . . just maybe. . .

Amen

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February 3, 2013
Mark 1:16-20 (The Message Bible)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (God’s WORD Bible)
Jeremiah 1:4-10 (Common English Bible)
(and Mark 1:1-8, not included by Pastor Ruth)
Worship Theme: “God Calls and Equips Us”
Call to Worship (Lectionary Worship Aids / Series IX, Cycle C © 2013)   
Unison Prayer (Lectionary Worship Aids / Series IX, Cycle C © 2013)
Prayer of Dedication (adapted from GBOD February 12, 2013)                                 
Prayer of Confession
Communion liturgy
and sermon – “Workin for the Man”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
February 3, 2013
Fourth Sunday of Epiphany


All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,790+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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