Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to thee.
Proper 16, Year C
God invited Jeremiah to become a prophet. God said to him,
"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.”
God consecrated his life for a purpose. God was watching and equipping Jeremiah from ‘before he was a glimmer in his parents eyes.’ What God did for Jeremiah, God does for everyone. The Paul wrote about God’s consecration the human beings.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. …Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. … Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in faith communities (sic) apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, counselors, multi lingual/cultural communicators and interpreters. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 12, 27-28
God consecrated Jeremiah’s life giving him the gifts and skills he needed for the work God invited him to do. God consecrates our lives with gifts and skills so that we can partner with God in building the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Though God equipped Jeremiah from before time, Jeremiah did not feel ready to perform the tasks God asked of him. He responded to God saying,
“Ah no, God! Not me. I don’t know how to speak, for I am only a boy." Jeremiah 1:6
Jeremiah responded like others in the Bible. Each person God called had doubts, concerns, and anxiety. The prophet Isaiah responded to God’s request for help,
“Woe to me! I am ruined! This will be the end of me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…” Isaiah 6:5
Esther was taken into a foreign king’s haram while ‘passing’ as a non-Jew. She found favor with that king and was crowned queen without revealing her race and religion to either the king or the court. When a member of the court convinced the king to exterminate all Jews living in his kingdom, God gave Esther the chance to intervene. Queen Esther’s initial response? Oh, hell no.
All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them. Esther 4:11
Isaiah and Esther’s responses aren’t unusual. Parish clergy rely on volunteers. I have served congregations where tasks normally assigned to paid staff, had to be performed by volunteers because of scares resources. Clean, choir direction, producing bulletins, and managing space rentals were handled by volunteers. Even in wealthier and larger congregations about 10% of members do all the volunteer work. When members are asked to help concerns, doubts and anxiety get in the way. There are concerns about getting “in for more than they bargained for,” doubts about their skills and abilities, and anxiety this volunteer task will be the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’ in their already over scheduled lives.
God understands. God takes our doubts, concerns and anxieties seriously. God took Jeremiah’s doubts, concerns and anxieties seriously. God told him,
“Do not say, ‘I'm just a boy’; and …Don’t be afraid …I am with you to deliver you.” Then the God put out God’s hand and touched his mouth; and said, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you a prophet over nations and over kingdoms…” Jeremiah 1:7-8, 10
Before the incarnation of Jesus and after his ascension into heaven, the human hands, feet, voices, minds, and hearts were deployed by God. God needs our hands, feet, voices, minds and hearts to work justice, show mercy, and heal the sin sick soul. God relies on our partnership to build the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. God’s reassurance to Jeremiah is reassurance for us. No one is too young or too old to be called. No one is too busy or board to serve God. No one is to rich or poor, skilled or unskilled, righteous or sinful to be consecrated by God. God’s call is not limited by human expectations or boundaries. Anyone can partner with God and everyone is invited.
Jon, doing what he is able to do, volunteered to edit church correspondence. Dushy, when she heard I was hand addressing invitations to encourage member participation, volunteered to hand write notes. Because music is one of the ways David connects to God, he recruited Anne, Roman and Sue to sing with him during a Saturday service. Susan, Roz, Olivia and Ella serve on the altar. These people are just a few of the friends and members of Christ Church responding to God’s invitation. Their efforts make God’s presence known.
God is calling you. God consecrated your life to equip you to partner with God. Please respond. God will address your concerns, remove your doubts and sooth your anxiety. God consecrated your life because God needs your hands, feet, voice, heart, and mind. God calls us into partnership so that we can bring justice, show mercy, and heal the sin sick soul.
