God Taps #1 | “Send Me”

0:00 Happy homecoming. It's a joy to see your faces, to hear your laughter. I just watched Beth Rumor run down the center aisle with her arms like this, hugging people. It's good to share this sacred space with you again. I'm so grateful to my colleagues for making Good Church happen here in July and August. I love this talented team, and I love all of you. I have a deep affection in my heart for this uncommonly diverse, opinionated, generous, New York cranky, always hopeful congregation. I've missed you. I've been praying for you. something about the rhythm of summer being outdoors basking in holy silence observing nature seeps into my prayer life for me summer prayers linger they're a bit less tap tap tap new york minute come on god fix this thing and a bit more of a spiritual meander.

1:21 They're less a to-do list for heaven and more an attempt to come alongside God, who I trust has already come alongside me. Summer prayers are slow food. For the Black Johnstons, this summer will be remembered for its encounters with birds. We had front row seats for a family of robins and a family of house wrens. These marvelous creatures brought high drama to our backyard. There were tragic moments, yes, and there were hours and hours of clownish buffoonery. The wren chicks shook their tiny house every time a parent would arrive, Sometimes at 40-second intervals, I timed it with a bug.

2:19 One wild afternoon in August, our son Oliver, watching the ever more bold chicks stick their heads out of the doorway to their house, vying to intercept the bugs coming in. And as they leaned further and further out, Oliver declared, I think they're ready to go. And on cue, they began to pop out of the house. It was nerve-wracking, thrilling, and hilarious to have those six fuzzy Wren chicks fluttering around our yard, testing out their new wings, tasting freedom, all while still being pursued and fed by their dutiful parents. I sincerely hope that by now, Mom and Dad Wren have flown south to a bird spa. These birds, like all of creation, had lessons to offer.

3:17 They were persistent, vigilant, brave, caring, and even, I would say, joyful. Their activities stuck with me as I read and wrote and planned for the coming church year, watching them build nests, sit faithfully on eggs, carry away the shells of the hatched eggs, watching them dutifully protect and feed their young stirred my heart. I could not help but ask, how do they know what to do? Who taught them all this mission-critical stuff? Oh, that we humans had such a clear sense of direction.

4:07 Now that isn't, of course, a fair comparison. Wrens do not have to deal with challenging job markets, frustrating bosses, or the threat of artificial intelligence. They found each other not by navigating a crazy dating scene, but because Papa Wren had the loudest song in the yard. And while they did once have to chase off a blue jay, they were not worried about war. They didn't start their day reading about rising national debt and bond market turmoil. They didn't go to bed every night, unsettled by political rancor and an upcoming election. Outrageous pronouncements by some would-be avian king did not ruffle their feathers. they went about their business and they always seemed to know what to do.

5:05 It's not so easy for us, is it? Big brains and complex societies make decision-making a gnarly endeavor for the human species. Confronted by this messy and sometimes brutal world, we ask and then ask again, what am I here to do? For people of faith, this question takes on an urgent spiritual tone. How do I know what God wants me to do?

5:41 In a way, the church grapples with this question all the time. My favorite benediction, as some of you know, is a pastiche of the Apostle Paul's most famous admonishments to Christians. It goes like this. Hold fast to the good. Do not return evil for evil. strengthen the faint-hearted support the weak help the suffering honor all people love and serve the Lord. I love this charge. These words can set your spiritual bearings. They will orient a wandering soul. They call us to live up to, to live into a holy ethic. They are, if you will, marching orders.

6:35 They tell Christians, preacher included, what to do in this messy time, in this conflicted world. to some however general admonishments like hold on to the good aren't enough some would like more specific instructions from heaven on which paths to avoid and what route to take what training to get and what job to pursue what relationships to nurture and which to hold at arm's length God, please tell me clearly and plainly how to navigate this complicated and sometimes cruel world. Guide my steps.

7:26 Is that sort of help really available to us? And if so, where can it be found? Back in the 1800s, Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard famously described the stages, the steps, the phases of life and faith. For those who view belief as an on-off switch, Kierkegaard complicates things. Faith is a journey. And according to Kierkegaard, the first stage of the journey of life and, in fact, faith is aesthetic. We focus on, we pursue things that feed our desires, our needs, on what feels good to us. Life is all about trying to satisfy our deepest longings.

8:26 And Kierkegaard contends that some people, you know these folks, never leave this stage. Some spend their whole lives chasing personal gratification. Others, however, while traveling this path, begin to feel despair. They realize the futility of their quest. They stumble to the fact that no matter how hard they strive, the hole in their soul is not filled by life's pleasures. Reassessing their path, these folk take a step in a new direction. They start thinking about others. They embrace ethical behavior. In this second phase, people begin to care about their society and culture. And at this point, belief becomes more than the comforting conviction that God will take care of me when I die.

9:31 Faith becomes a moral path. Faith is about acting in ways that show care for neighbor and that build up the wider community. many Christians spend the bulk of their lives in this second stage in the ethical stage of belief striving to do good to follow a moral path still Kierkegaard warns the ethical stage can also lead to despair why am I doing all this hard work am I making a difference in the face of the world's bottomless pit of problems? Once again, says the philosopher, our feeling of despair is telling us something. Despair for Kierkegaard is a canary in the coal mine.

10:31 We want more. Life has got to be more than just following a moral code. And here Kierkegaard nods, The highest form of faith is not achieved through ethical action alone. Faith in its highest form is a relationship. When the good book tells us stories, it speaks about the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Hagar and Isaiah and Mary. Scripture reminds us that before there is moral action, there is conversation. There are questions. There's trust building. Faith happens when a person enters into that conversation. And this occurs, says Kierkegaard, when we leap over a chasm of uncertainty.

11:28 It happens when people throw themselves into the arms of God. In this connected relational state, God frees us from the anxieties of the age. We shrug off the false logic of the world and we begin to approach life with a sort of calm joy. In this stage, yes, we take moral actions, but these actions do not arise solely out of our sense of duty. Our actions arise almost naturally out of the relationship that we have with the loving heart of the cosmos. Embraced by the Holy One we know what to do We become like those little house wrens What do you know?

12:33 Look at that We have wings We can fly this fall in our new sermon series, we're going to ask, what does God want me to do? We're going to ask that over and over. What is my calling? How can I be faithful in this moment in my life, in my career, in my role as a citizen and a neighbor, in my relationships with friends and family and significant others? In other words, we're going to spend the next 11 weeks wrestling with a question beautifully expressed by poet Mary Oliver. Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? At the same time, a la Kierkegaard, we're going to explore how being in relationship with God helps people answer this question. We're going to study the good book and see what happens when God reaches out, when the Holy One gets in the middle of someone's business, when God taps a person on the shoulder and says, whom shall I send?

13:46 my dear friends I return from study leave with wrens in my heart and a bounce in my step it's good to be back in church together this fall I look forward to exploring God's summoning ways with you and yes I know I know The world is a hot mess. But that in itself is a tap on the shoulder.

14:24 God has plans for us. Plans to pull us close and to guide our steps. So saints. let's get to work. Will you pray with me? Gracious God, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you have to say to us this day. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. Our reading for this morning as we begin our new sermon series comes from the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah. Listen now to this story in which God famously taps a prophet on the shoulder.

15:27 Isaiah 6, beginning with the first verse. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him. Each had six wings. With two, they covered their faces. With two, they covered their feet. And with two, they flew. And one called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. The pivots on the threshold shook at the voices of those who called and the house filled with smoke. And I said, Woe is me.

16:25 I am lost. For I'm a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips. Yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. the seraph touched my mouth with it and said, now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? And I said, here am I. Send me. this is the word of God for you, the people of God. Thanks be to God.

17:22 So this story, the story of God tapping Isaiah on the shoulder, is one of the most famous call stories in the good book. It begins with an ominous-sounding phrase, in the year that King Uzziah died. These words remind us that humans often mark time. We like to turn to a new chapter in history by noting the death of a leader. In the year that Queen Victoria died. In the year that Archduke Ferdinand died. In the year that President Kennedy died. In the year that Martin Luther King died. When you start telling a story by announcing the death of a leader, you imply uncertainty, political change, cultural nervousness. You're saying, folks, we're perched on a historical precipice. What will happen in the aftermath of this influential person's death? Will we return to business as usual, or will chaos erupt? Will conflict spill into the streets?

18:48 In the year that King Uzziah died amidst political and cultural uncertainty, Isaiah had a vision. In this vision, Isaiah stands in the temple, in the holy home of God. God is present. Sort of. You see the Almighty is so absolutely huge in Isaiah's dream that God doesn't really fit in the sanctuary. God's so big that the only thing that can fit in the sanctuary is the hem of the the divine robe. Angels attend to the huge holy one. They fly around like cartwheeling wrens, they trill of God's glory. The singing of these angels is so loud that it shakes the foundation of the temple. Pyrotechnic smoke fills the air. It's an awesome scene.

19:49 Lisbeth Zwerger captures the scale of this encounter in her painting on the cover of today's bulletin. Against the backdrop of God's golden robe, angels unfurl and furl their wings down in front. Do you see him there? Stage right, a tiny Isaiah stands. The prophet is almost invisible, obscured by darkness and smoke. Swerger prods our imaginations. The scale here is immense. In fact, the events described by Isaiah 6 are so big, so otherworldly, that this might seem like a strange text to choose to kick off our sermon series. Come on, preacher. Are we supposed to identify with this? When I ask, what would God have me do with my life, I don't get answers like this. Who has an experience like this? It's way, way over the top.

20:55 And yes, it is. Although before we dismiss this fantastic tableau, before we sigh and conclude God doesn't reach out like God used to reach out, we may want to give this passage a second look. Yes, Isaiah describes the enormity of God. The prophet does this with a sense of awe and wonder. But there's also something familiar here. Look at the passage again. What does Isaiah do when faced by the presence of God? He confesses. Woe is me. I'm lost from a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. Yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. And then what happens after Isaiah confesses?

21:52 An angel rushes forward with a hot coal and touches it to the prophet's mouth. The angel declares, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. And what happens after the angel assures Isaiah that he's been pardoned? God above asks, who shall I send? Who shall I send out into a world that's drowning in lies and falsehood? Who shall I send to speak truth and justice and compassion and righteousness? Who will go now that King Uzziah has died? Who will enter this uncertain moment and dare suggest that people love their neighbors and risk passing not rancor, but peace to each other. Does this all sound familiar?

22:50 Isaiah's dream is sketched with bold strokes and vivid colors, but it's structured according to the cadence of worship. We act out Isaiah 6 every Sunday. Here at this font, we confess that we are imperfect souls who live among other imperfect souls. and then we're told by some angel with a hot coal, or maybe it's Reverend Chris Palmer with a warm smile, that God has blotted out our sin, taken it away, called us to live in a new way. And then we're invited to share peace with each other and to share good news with the world.

23:38 In other words, my friends, sometimes the first step to knowing what to do with ourselves what God wants of us in this life is this it's worship it's corporate prayer it's making an honest confession and answering the invitation to faithful living. Whom shall I send? God asks.

24:08 Me, says Isaiah. Send me. I've been a Johnny Cash fan for many years. I enjoy his music. From the standpoint of faith, I also find Johnny's story to be especially compelling. Cash was an enormously popular country music star who lost his way. He became addicted to drugs. His art suffered. His marriage fell apart. He nearly died. Although at a low point as Johnny's life was falling apart, grace found him. He fell in love with a fellow artist, June Carter. June and her family flushed the singer's pills. They chased away drug dealers who showed up trying to deliver new ones.

25:06 And they testified in word and deed to the fierce love of God. Cash began a journey back toward health. His songwriting chronicled this difficult path. He told the truth of his journey. At one point, Cash would remark, I love songs about horses, railroads, land, judgment day, family, hard times, whiskey, courtship, marriage, adultery, separation, murder, war, prison, rambling, damnation, home, salvation, death, pride, humor, piety, rebellion, patriotism, larceny, determination, tragedy, rowdiness, heartbreak, and love. and mother and God. to me Johnny Cash sounds a lot like Isaiah 6 he he owns the tough stuff I'm a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips the songs written and performed by the man in black have a confessional quality to them a rare honesty that Cash said was the only way he could escape from darkness and despair.

26:24 And there's that word again. What was it Kierkegaard said about despair? It's telling us something. In 1968, a newly sober Cash, whose life was improved but his career was in tatters, pitched the idea of taking his music with lyrics describing hard times, whiskey drinking, adultery, damnation, to prison. Many labels turned down the idea of recording an album in a prison, but Columbia Records took a chance. In January of 1968, Cash performed at the Folsom State Prison in California. In later months and later years, Cash would sing at San Quentin Prison, at Tennessee State Prison in Nashville, at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, and the Huntsville State Prison in Texas.

27:30 He performed before inmates at over 30 prisons in this country and abroad. In each of these settings, Cash described a life gone off the tracks and he testified to the God who approaches us in these messy, messy moments with a burning coal, with a searing grace that purges our souls and sets us back on a path to hope. Rolling Stone calls At Folsom Prison one of the top 100 most important albums of all time. In 1972, Cash carried his powerful testimony all the way to the chambers of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And there he spoke about the horrific conditions in America's penitentiaries and he called for prison reform. sitting in that esteemed room, Cash reminded senators of the Christian belief that through the grace of God, human transformation is possible.

28:40 Cash knew, of course, what he was talking about in making his own confession over and over in his music. Cash found grace. Or maybe I should say, grace found Cash. At this point, near the end of his year, Cash's story starts to look more and more like it was scripted by Isaiah, or maybe it was Kierkegaard, because, my friends, it's clear that Johnny's life did not simply take a sudden swerve into ethics. You can sense the impetus for his changed ways once again in his music. Near the end of his career, Cash began performing songs from his childhood. In fact, he released an album entitled My Mother's Hymn Book, a collection of the songs his mother used to sing to him, songs like Just As I Am, I'll Fly Away, and Do Lord.

29:40 Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me. Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too. Now words like that might sound to some like an overly aggressive sales pitch. But when you hear cash croon them, they don't come out that way. They sound like an invitation to meet someone. They sound like the start of a relationship. They sound like a tap on the shoulder. The final version of Johnny Cash that the world got to experience had purpose.

30:39 He knew what to do with his energy and talents. He also knew who he was, to whom he belonged. And this conviction, this relationship lit the fire under his moral agenda. Is this sort of clarity, this sort of relationship with God accessible to the rest of us? let's find out. Let's commit to this study, this false study of call stories. Let's follow the path of Isaiah 6. Let's be honest in our confession. Let's open our hearts to grace. And then let's listen. For my friends, there is guidance to be found in these stories.

31:34 stories in which people are transformed when God reaches them.