Chosen and Upheld

Mark 4:1-11; Isaiah 42:1-9

           

            About 300 years after Jesus dwelled among us, a baby boy was born in an affluent port city named Patara, which was located in southern Turkey.   During an awful epidemic of some sort or another, both of the boy’s parents died when he was a child.   They had blessedly lived long enough to help instill in him the gift of Christian faith.  

            In adulthood he lived in the neighboring town of Myra.   There he gained quite an incredible reputation.   All good, for he lived a very devout, former religious life full of the sacrificially loving spirit of Jesus.   His reputation as being Christ-like was so strong that he was an obvious choice to become the town’s new bishop when the need arose.  

            The Bishop of Myra’s ministry was marked with gracious generosity and compassion.  He had spent his entire inheritance on meeting the needs of neighbors.   He also would go out and beg for food to give to the poor.    In keeping with cultural practices of his day, another loving act was to pay dowry money for women who couldn’t -- thus saving them from the social disgrace of not finding a husband.   And he was particularly well known for dressing up in disguise to more anonymously give gifts to poor children.

            His reputation earned him a seat at the great church councils of his day.  Especially the Council of Nicea, which had been called by the Christian conversion claiming Roman Emperor Constantine.    Unfortunately, the Bishop of Myra got more than a bit heated during the debates about doctrines such as the Trinity and his behavior led to Constantine stripping him of his church office and tossing him in jail.   Perhaps this was to teach everyone a quick lesson, because the bishop was reinstated a short time later.   He went on to live to be my age of forty-five. 

            I’ve read that more churches in the world bear his name than any other.  So great was his legacy.   They don’t say Bishop of Myra Church, however.   They use the name and title of the saint whose legacy grew merrier and merrier over time.   We know him as St. Nicholas!

            The real St. Nick is an inspiration as someone chosen and upheld to represent the mind, voice and actions of Christ.    Even with all the latter day creative, commercialized, secular interpretations of his historic character, his witness continues to touch and transform the world to God’s glory.   His legacy of delivering both joy and justice continues.

            How do any of us know we are being chosen and upheld by the Lord?   What does the incredibly spiritual matter of being divinely “called” feel like?  

            Back in my college days when I was just moving beyond my phase of being the lead singer for a progressive rock band, I attended a weekend for prospective graduate students at Princeton Seminary.   I remember two things in particular from that experience, both involving the late Dr. Tom Gillespie, who was the seminary president at the time.    The first is my shaking his hand and feeling quite worried that I was being judged.   You see, I still wore an earring in my left ear at that time!   As I said, I was still moving out of the rock ‘n roll phase!   And secondly, it was his comment to all the prospective students about how “call” is a like a tug on the heart.    I knew exactly what he was talking about.  I’d felt the “tug” all throughout my college and Camp Johnsonburg days, as well as through that brief stint trying to sing like Phil Collins, Geddy Lee and now seventy year old Jon Anderson.  

            It wasn’t a light tapping on my shoulder.   Definitely more of an undeniable tugging on my soul.   Another professor later remarked that God’s tugging on our hearts has to do with coming to accept the necessary direction of our personal integrity.    For St. Nicholas, having been born to privilege yet sadly orphaned so young, promoting joy and justice were certainly the tug on his heart and necessary direction of his integrity.  

            What holy tugs have you experienced over the years?   What holy tugs are happening in your heart and soul right now?

            I strongly believe our Lord calls us all to serve the building of his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.   Every call is unique.  And it’s way more than just a feeling.   It’s a refining, refueling fire.  The Spirit-filled sparks of this both touch and transform interpersonal relationships, entire congregations, and on out to ignite the whole world with the Light of Christ.

            The Book of Isaiah bears great witness to being chosen and upheld.   Listen again the first verse of this morning’s passage from the Hebrew Bible – “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in which my soul delights.”    These are words interpreting a call from God.   But who exactly is it referring to?

            Historically, for many Bible interpreters, it’s a reference to Jesus.   And true enough, it’s a very complimentary passage to this morning’s lesson from Mark’s Gospel about Jesus’ baptism.   Jesus is the quintessential holy servant.   It may seem odd that he needed to be baptized (especially by the likes of a loud-mouthed locust eater like his relative John), but this scene of commissioning at the start of his public ministry established the example for our own commissioning as faithful servants.   Personally, however, I’m glad for the Holy Spirit working through the laying on of hands.   Descending doves would likely leave quite a mess.

            Yet other Bible interpreters caution us not to be too quick in assuming this is a reference to the Messiah.   I fall in this camp because I believe there is great value in leaving this prophetic, poetic reference open so the servant is whoever accepts being chosen and upheld to carry out God’s transformative work in the world.    With you, God is delighted!

            This work always engages us in the unfolding of new things by God’s providential hand. “See, the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare,” says God through Isaiah 42:9.    Sometimes this unfolding of what God declares is experienced the way a rose comes to bloom.    It’s clear to see the process of change as something closed gradually opens up to reveal something fresh and intricate to behold.    We don’t grieve the former bud coming to pass because we know it is how the bloom comes to be.   Other times, the declaration of new things can seem more sudden … like a flash flood.  Either way and all the ways in-between, the holy call comes and is upheld.  And as those chosen to serve as ambassadors of Christ, we can all trust that we will find joy and not grow weary so long as we keep our focus on God’s glory by walking in the Spirit.

            At the start of every church year, there is always a degree of change concerning the good folks chosen by God and elected by the congregation to serve as Elders and Deacons.   We uphold their willingness to serve these offices by doing what we will do in a few minutes – by ordaining and installing these brothers and sisters in Christ.   Like Jesus’ baptism, this is a public celebration and marking of their divine commissioning.    We all have an important responsibility to support the ministry of all Elder and Deacon leaders in this congregation as they go about addressing the ongoing needs of FPC and of neighbors near and far.   And for you who have been chosen, I pray for you to be constantly attentive to the ways you can best delight God.   Stay focused on the Gospel witness, on the challenges to the early church and how the first apostles addressed them, and being an inspiration to people.   And grow in grace and faith by studying the inspiring stories of others both past and present.   Amen!