How do we respond to God's call?

The passage from Isaiah that tells of his vision and how he becomes a prophet, a man of unclean lips, in the service of God and Isaiah's response to the summons of God whom shall I send "Here, I am Lord. Send me." (Is 6:1-8). This is affirmed in that wonderful hymn "I the Lord of Sea and Sky" which is often sung at the commissioning of priests and others. For me, whilst it reflects Isaiah's call it does poorly to reflect our response unless the final chorus becomes the plural allowing the emphasis to reside in the heart of those called and who have responded. But today we hear the various positive responses on the level of the individual to the call that God gives summoning us to ministry in the world. Even today God calls out to us in the same words that are sung in the hymn and in Isaiah "Whom shall I send?".

God is calling just as God called Isaiah in our time and in this place. The question becomes how are we to respond to the call that God puts upon our hearts. In the scriptures that are read on this Sunday there are a number of responses, the enthusiastic Isaiahan response "Here, here, choose me" through the Pauline response "Oh woe is me weak and poor yet doing God's work by God's grace" (1 Cor 15:8-10) and into the disciples immediate acceptance to follow Christ (Lk. 5:11). I am not sure where you stand in that spectrum but each of has a story about being called by God into ministry of one sort or another. It may not necessarily be a moment of enlightenment such as Isaiah, more likely not, but it is a call that is laid upon our hearts. Yet, so few of us actually respond in any way whatsoever. I can hear the response now "Yes, but we don't all want to be priests or deacons or heaven forbid a bishop". My response is that God calls not into a ministry such as a deacon but into a ministry that God wishes you to take part in. Indeed some calls may not be seen until the person has died. Isaiah did not want to become a prophet, Paul was a persecutor of the Church and the disciples were fishermen not deacons, apostles or anything else. Yet, they all stopped doing what they were doing and heard God's call.

Responding to God's call means we have to first listen to God

The issue perhaps for us is not that we do not hear God's call in the modern world but that the call is drowned out by the practicalities of the world in which we live. How many people who do not come to church are actually responding to God's bidding in doing what they are doing? Why should the Church have the sole right to hear God's call? Occasionally we have to be more aware of our faith and how it operates in the reality of this world in which we live. I am not saying that those in the church do not have a call, I am not saying that our response to God is invalid, what I am saying is that God's call is often different to what we expect as a faith group. All we have to do is look at the examples that Christ gives to see how true this is (Lk. 5:25-27) and if we are not careful we will all react in the same way as those in the synagogue did when this is proposed.by Christ. We are so focussed on ourselves that we rarely look outside of the group to see where God is actually working and who God is calling into ministry.

God calls us into a number of ministries  which in our hearts we recognise. prophets, teachers, speakers in tongues, etc. All of whom we either celebrate or do not recognise, particularly prophets. Some denominations go over board and almost worship those who speak in tongues (no one is a Christian unless you speak in tongues attitude). If we are all made in God's image then we are also called in some fashion to undertake God's work and that is to bring peace, justice and love into the world. Some of us do this well others ignore God's call and sunder their relationship with God but in reality, even today, we need to answer that call that God has put into our hearts, no matter how hard it might be and no matter if we think, like Isaiah that we are not worthy, we still need to respond in some fashion. In this case doing the opposite of what God calls us to or not responding is after all a response.

Presenting ourselves

  The Jewish ordinances required that the first born be presented to God which is what happened when Christ is taken to Jerusalem. It was part of the purification ritual that all Jewish people undertook in accordance with the laws given in the Torah  (Ex 13:12-15; Lev. 12). The event is for Mary herself and for the redemption of her first born son, Jesus. The first was to remove the impurities associated with childbirth and is a rite of cleansing something that was a must in ancient times to ensure, not only in terms of faith but also in terms of social behaviours and health, cleanliness with a surety of being disease free. This is also a time when the first born son was presented and redeemed from God who required the firstborn as sacrifice. There have over the years a number of other things been associated with this date in terms of its alternative name of Candlemas when the beeswax candles were blessed for the year.

So why celebrate this, why make a liturgical fuss about a Jewish event for a mother that was normal for the time and has lived out its usefulness in terms of our modern society? Perhaps there are a number of reasons that can be thought of a) it introduces the Simeon prophesy with regards the Christ and Mary, b) it also introduces the prophecies of Anna though we pay small attention to them. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for ourselves to once again present ourselves as an offering to God and seek his presence to guide and direct us in lives that are lived in Christ. Something that we remind ourselves of at the end of each Eucharistic service. In doing this we need to pay attention to both Simeon and Anna as their words, at least some of them, are familiar to us or should be. The words that are not familiar, I suspect most people do not know what Simeon says after what we call the Nunc Dimittis but are indeed important for us, just as the words of the prophetess Anna who we neglect.

We need to present ourselves before God each day of our lives

Anna's word speak of liberation for the people of Jerusalem. It is probably fairly certain that readers and those listening to Anna think in terms of liberation from the Romans. However, like the more deluded and opaque followers, not only in Christ's disciples but also today, this is not the reality, I suspect, of what Anna is speaking of. Christ shows us a way towards redemption and liberation that is not the overthrow of those in power by physical revolution but rather in the revolution of our understanding of living. Once we think in terms of mortal revolution and liberation we begin to be the Che Guevarra's of the day losing our hope and the understanding embedded in the way of Christ. The liberation that Anna speaks to is the liberation of our own lives from the tyranny of the selfish physicality of human thought of power over and to the transformation of our lives to the spiritual reality of living alongside others in creating community by using power with.

However, as Simeon points out in his final words to the parents, particularly Mary, such a liberation that is promised by Christ is not without its own issues and challenges to our lives. Some of these challenges will pierce our hearts with doubt and sorrow. So that in following Christ we follow fully to the cross and its underlying pain and struggle. Power over is an easy route to take as it establishes us without concern for the other. The revolution that Christ calls us to is a liberating of our need to control and allowing God to take that power. By presenting ourselves as a sacrifice as the parents of Christ did we relinquish our idea of power over to attain a more cooperative understanding of God's presence that allows us to care for the other and encourage them to perform the miracles of community with us rather than subjugating themselves to us. This is liberating in this day and age as we forgo the need to maintain ourselves as powerful but rather we submit ourselves to the authority and presence of God within our lives. We give ourselves to God, truly as a living sacrifice, as required allowing for God's leading and direction to fulfil that which brings justice. All liberation in Christ is about bringing that justice which is God's rather than the justice promulgated by our own power and authority.

Being the Body of Christ

 In the gospel from Luke today we hear Christ proclaiming in the synagogue that scripture has been fulfilled (Lk. 4:21). If that is the case then where is the kingdom of God and why do we continue as we are? Well, you can see from the reaction of the people that the fulfilling of scripture is not always what people believe it to be. In the story in Luke's gospel the fulfilling of the scripture was basically a proclaiming of the year of the jubilee, which not everyone wanted. Particularly those who were involved in lucrative business deals and other more nefarious activities, which would cease with the proclamation of the year of the Jubilee. The actual proclamation by Christ is in itself a bit problematic in that one needs to ask who can proclaim the Year of Jubilee? However, this is not so much the issue or something that needs to be talked about it is the fact that Christ proclaims scripture fulfilled, in terms of the jubilee. Yet, nothing further is said about it nor does it appear to come into actual fruition. So why does Christ proclaim the fulfilling of the scriptures? Christ is proclaiming an ideal that was never instituted, as far as we are aware, to goad the people into a move towards the reception of God and what it means to behave in accordance with God's wishes.

The Jubilee is found in the books of the law and is a basic understanding of freedom from servitude and the implementation of justice so that those in debt and in debt slavery had the ability to restart their lives on property that was originally theirs but had been sold to overcome debt etc. Even the land was given a rest and it was an understanding that the year of jubilee and the following year were to be times that the people were wholly reliant on God to provide, a test of faith if you will. This would be like proclaiming today that everyone was mortgage free and debt free. This is what it means to rely on God's presence in our lives no matter how much the struggle is in terms of finance and fortitude etc. This is where the community comes in to play. If we are all in the same boat so to speak then we are all reliant on each other to assist us through the worst of the crisis. Paul's analogy (1 Cor. 12:12-31) comes into being once more at this point for if we act as one community we will bring about the fulfilment of the gospel and in Christ's words the fulfilment of scripture.

The issue as has been so ably highlighted by the 24 hour news cycle in that we do not see ourselves in this analogous community that is one. We are so divided by our fears and our prejudices that we are overwhelmed and unable to understand the simplicity of the message that is found in scripture today and yesterday and in the days to come. Paul envisages a community that is different in and of itself as it accepts each and every person as part of that community. It makes no difference as to whether you are a lowly worker or a super rich person, if we are looking as Paul, each has a place within the community. In seeing the worth in each and everyone of us within the community we see the worth of the community working together with God's love at its heart. I challenge you to point out such a community today that lives and breathes this sort of understanding. Even our most religious of people will see that they are not working together in Christ as each has their own agenda to pursue for themselves. Even in our own faith communities we are often divided within ourselves as each wants or wishes something different and rarely do we actively listen to what God wants but put forward our own ideas. We can see this in the vilification of the Bishop of Washington who spoke out for the poor and the widow of today.

The divided community is not fulfilling scripture

In some respects we are here at the heart of what it means to be Anglican in that we are a communion, a koinonia, scattered across the globe often at odds with each other because of the way we see God and God's purposes in the world. Yet, we must by necessity come together as one body that is split into innumerable parts and beliefs to function together in the fulfilment of scripture and Christ's promise of peace and love. If we as one faith cannot rule our hearts with God's love then there is little that we can show to the world that is split by a heaving multitude of thoughts and beliefs. In following Christ we bring together the disparate in love so that we can open our hearts in communion and community to those that are different and other to show God's love working in the practical of the everyday in face of the continuing and current divisive politics around a national celebration.

Gifts that create rifts

 The first sign in the book of signs, which can be thought of as the second section of John's gospel is the story of the changing of the water into wine at the wedding in Cana (Jn 2.1-11). It is an interesting story that points to the abundance of new life in the change of the water into wine. John's gospel is full of allegories which are not meant to be taken literally but have been by many. What is important here, among other things, is the almost derogatory way in which the mother of Christ is addressed as 'woman'. Mary, the virgin is delineated to its fullest in Luke's gospel but in her two appearances in John she is addressed as 'woman' by Christ. Here in this story and the second time from the cross. So how does this help us to understand what is going on here and the other readings for today.

Rather than calling this a miracle it is deemed to be a sign in John's gospel and so what does a sign do? A sign points the way and in doing so assists us to see the journey upon which we have embarked. It is doubtful that the woman is Mary but rather an allegorical figure of motherhood, the wellspring from which we are derived (born). If this is the case then this story points towards the newness of life that comes when we cling to Christ. An abundance that occurs as we become wedded to the life that Christ points us towards (Is 62.5), This wellspring of new wine grants us a new perspective on our own lives as traditions often lead to stultification if we cling to them to closely. In such newness we can perceive all manner of changes that we can see through to the end by relying on God's gifts through the Spirit.

Like with all things there can be many issues associated with the gifts God gives to us. What, issues with what gives? Unfortunately, like many things, whilst our gifts may enable us to do much good they can also be used not for the benefit of the community of God but for the glorification of the individual. This is the human failing as when we explore and develop our gifts from God we begin to see them as ours and ours alone. This places us in a position of power  / authority / pridefulness etc that enables us to abuse the gift for our benefit. We may not realise that we are doing so and we may not see the detrimental effect that it is having on the people around us but it is always a possibility that we must be aware of. God gives us the gifts that he gives so that we can expand God's presence whilst glorifying God's name. The moment we begin to utilise the gift for a purpose that it is not given i.e. for ourselves or our benefit beyond what God asks, then we begin to damage the relationships that the gift is meant to enhance and develop.

Pride in the gifts God gives often destroys the community of god

Good examples can often be found in parishes, clubs and larger organisations if we look carefully. One common type is the gift of organisation which if used to the fullest extent to God's wish will enable an organisation to go beyond where you would normally expect. However, if used for personal aggrandisement the gift may devolve into a person who is stubborn and hoards old material that has no use for anyone anymore. The person becomes a wall which does not allow the organisation to develop beyond the point that the person has control. In other ways gifts can become personalised so much that speaking about their knowledge/gift can antagonise/hurt others who are struggling towards change or understanding. There is also a tendency to suggest some form of competitiveness within an organisation because of a mine is better than yours attitude. This then begins to destroy the fabricate of the community. Paul clearly states that all gifts come from one source in God (1 Cor. 12.11) and we cannot claim one is better than the other. Our dealings with each other must be undertaken in love without our utilisation of our gifts as weapons to show our supremacy and to get our way or to force our conception of God's way onto others.

A call of the Spirit

 Baptism is known today to be an initiation sacrament for the Christian church. It is for the purposes of the church an extremely important event that is celebrated by families and congregations through out the world. However, it is perhaps also seen as a preliminary step towards acceptance at a better school or educational path, if we are to be cynical about the modern age. In the celebration of today we are celebrating what precisely? Christ's baptism, but so what? While it is to a certain extent an inaugural event for the church that shows Christ willing to be baptised despite his sinless state. It is, so to speak, an indicator of Christ's closeness to the body public rather than the priestly elite of the time. However, we need to understand this whole event as it is the initiatory event that casts Christ into the wilderness experience.

John is baptising in the river Jordan which is a border that remains extant in today's world. A border between countries and outlooks. In the modern world all borders are to a certain extent porous allowing some movement between that which is beyond and that which is enclosed by the border. So conceptually speaking it is likely that those that were being baptised where symbolically and perhaps literally entering into the 'promised land'. Whilst not provable in any manner the likelihood is that the people being baptised where actually moving out of and then back in via the initiation rite of baptism. Thus, they were saying that they had broken the covenant and in returning to the land promised by God they were re-affirming their vows. This was a moment of metanoia of returning to God or changing their ways in a form of penitence symbolised and marked by water. In a similar manner their ancestors had been marked by water on their entrance into the promised land under Joshua's leadership.

Perhaps not quite what we imagine in place, circumstance or spiritual development

This sets our scene into which Christ comes as a normal person in the same manner as everyone else. In Luke's gospel there is little interaction between Christ and John, in fact none. The other note of worth is that we once again assume something from our reading that the descent of the Spirit was public. There is nothing to indicate this other than the presumption that all heard the voice from heaven but did they? I am certain that this interpretation is somewhat lacking as a miracle such as this would have wowed the crowds but there is no indication of this. Are these words for Christ used as a spur so t speak, that sends him out into the deserted places to ponder and grapple with their meaning? A deliberate nudge for him to go and start the ministry that was his. In this case the baptism becomes a source of inspiration that leads him into ministry. Like many that have followed who have perceived a call into ministry there is a time for reflection prior to taking that ministry up.

However, what does this mean for us in the present day? No matter how we relate to the baptism of Christ we can suggest that it is for us a template, something that we can follow in our own lives. Christ is praying when he hears the voice from heaven. This has to be our starting point. Our connection to God is through our own effort in prayer and the seeking of God's voice in our lives. It is only when we connect with God and understand what God is saying to us will we start to have a more fruitful life. Yes, this always comes with a certain amount of hard work. Unfortunately all of us now a days have a lazy attitude to our spiritual journey. unless we get our work ethic right in terms of listening to God's voice and God's direction in our lives we will linger in our laziness and not progress along the journey we undertook at baptism.

Three - Who says?

 The three wise men is a long standing tradition and we have the Matthean gospel to thank for it. Depending on the translation they are classed as magi, wisemen, kings or astrologers. It is suggested that they are from Mesopotamia of the time as the country's intelligentsia were very much involved in the study of the stars. The Greek word translates as a person who has 'magic' powers. this one could presume to be people who were highly intelligent and displayed some form of power/authority that was lacking within the Roman empire at the time. Whether it was just sleight of hand or illusion it was a wonder to those they interacted with. Whatever the case as to who these people were I would suggest that they were important in the sight of the local populace and were foreigners in the land. In other words they were from outside of the Roman Empire. They were obviously learned. Scripture does not place a numerical figure on them and they are unnamed. Of course for the main crux of the story the focus is on not the travellers themselves but on the gifts that they bear. Gold, oil of Lebanon and Myrrh from Smyrna.

Who said there where three? Perhaps we need t think a bit more.

Yet, should these be the focus or should the presence of these wise men be the more significant? In a manner both are important for us as Christians in the modern day. The presence of those from outside the community of the Hebraic faith acknowledging the presence of God in a child has enormous implications for us. We cannot make assumptions that it is just those within the Christian faith that have an understanding of God's purposes. The presence of the wise men implicitly directs us to an understanding that those outside of the religious norm are just as capable of accepting God into their presence. If we truly think about it this is how we bring God into others presence by understanding that that is where God can be found in the fullness of God's love. We cannot be so blind as to ass-u-me that this is not the case or else we will continue to preach to the converted and not bring God into the lives of those we see as 'unworthy' or utilise some other word to ostracise where God demands us to be inclusive.

Looking at the gifts we need to change things around a bit by looking at the gifts from the point of view of the three monkeys. You know the ones see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. We start with the first of the gifts which corresponds very neatly to all of them. The riches of Gold that signifies kingship in our tradition is also truly representative of our current world experience. We just need to think of exposes over recent years with regards to corruption, especially the greed shown in some areas of politics, and bribes in many places through out the world. The gold and its signifying of wealth has the dark side of preventing words being said or turning a blind eye when there are injustices in plain sight, For others to turn a deaf ear to what they hear as corrupt dealings and less then loving ways within communities and societies throughout the world. Gold's riches should encourage us to speak out for justice and never to turn a blind eye or deaf ear to those in need but rather to pave the path to communities rich in love and awareness of their neighbour. This is God's gold offered and accepted by Christ.

The second of the traditional gifts, λιβανον (lebanon as it is written in Greek) or Oil of Lebanon (Frankincense) actually points to the church and indeed in many ways to the clergy themselves. This gift speaks to us of the priesthood a recognition of Christ our great high priest who ministers from the crib to those who come to adore him. Yet, when we look at this gift it so often that the church blinds itself to hypocrisy and injustice in the world failing to speak out. More often then not it is often those who should know better who, like the Pharisees criticised by Christ, lead believers away from love by not listening to truth and only believing what they want rather than what God requires. Death comes to us in many ways and σμνρναν (Smyrna or commonly called myrrh) reminds us of this fact. The very point of death is that it is part of our being and should not be denied. Christ accepts death as part of the way to a new life but we so often deny death or else assist in true death rather than renewal into a new life blessed by God.  The reason we deny death is that we do not want to change or have to go through the process of change. This is what the gift of myrrh challenges us with that sometimes we have to see that somethings need to die in ourselves and our lives to move into a new life of love and understanding. We so often deliberately not listen to promising new ideas and fail to speak about new things whilst not seeing opportunities. This often means change in all of its difficulties and challenges. It serves us better to accept the gift as the Christ child does knowing that change is as inevitable as death and taxes to bring God's love into the world.