isaiah’s call

minimising the hesitance to mission

introduction 

I do not know if you have realised this, but I do not hold a particularly high view of the clergy. I am thoroughly a proponent of a Protestant theology of the “priesthood of all believers”. I believe that churches need clergy in the tradition of Ephesians 4: persons specially called and equipped to fulfill a specific function within the Body of Christ, but having no elevated status inherent to the role.

I mention this because early in my ministry with you, Julie sent me an e-mail mentioning that Clergy Appreciation Week was coming up. I, innocently, passed this information on to our giver of announcements. In no way did I mean this as anything more than a public service announcement. Although, I am sure, it probably did not seem that was my intention at the time.

As our giver of announcements, Shamus gave the announcement but qualified it with, “Not that we have clergy in our church”. While, I will admit, I was taken aback by his statement, he was both right and wrong: Churches of Christ historically do not promote an elevated status for its clergy, but, as do all Protestant Christians, even we can fall prey to a ‘we pay the minister(s) to do the work’ mentality. While this mentality does not necessarily include granting an elevated status for clergy, it does reflect a compartmentalisation of ministry in a church which distinguishes between the clergy and the congregation, with the onus for ministry falling on the minister (but I’m not bringing thus because of any instances in this church; I am simply making a point).

Interestingly, research suggests that clergy themselves fall prey to this attitude, which highlights some serious problems for all of us. Clergy can, and do, treat their ministry as being professional, rather than a calling. We complete our courses at university and perform our tasks with mechanical precision and sometimes little passion.

The fact is that, to whatever degree, all Christians are called to be ministers, but must understand this as a calling, rather than a profession (on the part of clergy) or even a duty (on the part of laity).

 isaiah 6:1-13

¹In 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. ²Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am 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!”

⁶Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷The 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.” ⁸Then 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!” ⁹And he said, “Go and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.’

¹⁰Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.”

¹¹Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said:

“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
¹²until the Lord sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
¹³Even if a tenth part remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.

The life and story of Isaiah is a great example of the nature of the calling of God.

Having a name common to the Israel of the 8^th century bc, Isaiah was the son of Amoz, who was apparently a man of humble rank. Although middle-class, Isaiah’s family was possibly related to the royal family of Judah.

Isaiah was employed as an advisor to the king and a court historian through the reign of four kings. Having such a prestigious position, Isaiah could easily have rested on his spiritual laurels in comfort, without challenge.

Instead, in the year of the death of the first king for which he advised, Isaiah is given a grand vision of God, in his temple, seemingly in the midst of a council, in which God is discussing with his servants an issue of great importance, one requiring action.

During this vision, Isaiah enters the temple just in time to overhear God call out, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” There are two instances in this passage in which God speaks indirectly to Isaiah. I wonder what this says about Isaiah that God knows to speak with him this way? Clearly, God intended for Isaiah to overhear him, as one is not afforded such visions accidentally. Thus, we can assume that this call was indeed meant for Isaiah. However, it remains a general call: Who will go for us? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? God is expressing a need and hoping that someone will respond to the call, even though we and God know that he wants Isaiah to respond.

Now, even though we know that this call was intended for Isaiah, he is still being rather bold when he steps forwards and declares, “Here am I; send me!” He does not even know for what mission God requires a volunteer! What this passage reveals to us is that apparently Isaiah is exactly the kind of follower for which God is looking. Most of us intrinsically think, “When God calls me specifically, when he speaks to me directly, then I will gladly take up the call.” In contrast, God desires followers who gladly, enthusiastically, even boldly, are ready to respond to him regardless. The need and the call are clear. Who will go for God?

Notice also that this general call is not initially for someone to preach. Although God does call Isaiah to speak —a fact to which we’ll turn in a moment— at first it represents a general need for people who are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to fulfil whatever God requires. Let us not be too focussed on, or distracted by, the speaking aspect of God’s mission.

So, Isaiah boldly steps forward to respond to God’s call, without knowing for what he is volunteering. Here we have the second instance of God speaking indirectly, perhaps even ironically: “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’” Opinion is divided on how to interpret the nature of God’s instructions to Isaiah. Given the initial delivery of God’s intention for Isaiah, spoken to him indirectly, I interpret God’s language as a case of Jewish irony. Of course God wants people to repent and be reconciled to him; so, of course, he would want the ancient Israelites to respond to Isaiah’s message. However he knows that the mission to which he is commissioning Isaiah will be difficult and the people will most likely not respond favourably. Nevertheless, someone must go to them and deliver God’s message.

What is Isaiah’s reaction to hearing the nature of the mission? “How long, O Lord?” Hesitance. He will go, he will preach; but he wants to know for how long this task will last. Despite the seeming impossibility of the task to which Isaiah is being called, God always provides hope. Yes, the people will reject the message and the messenger, there will be consequences, but God describe his plans, through Isaiah, for the restoration of his people and the coming servant-king.

conclusion

Like Isaiah, we too hesitate at the seeming enormity of God’s mission. What we neglect to recognise is that our individual role is only one aspect of the total mission. In fact, it could not be any easier than it is.

Our call, according to the apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:1-11), is actually quite straightforward: “be prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have” (1 Pet 3:15). Isaiah was called to deliver a rather disturbing message to ancient Israel; Jonah was likewise called. But, generally, followers of Jesus are simply called to give the reason for why following him is so important and precious to us.

If and when the audience becomes a little daunting, the promise made to us is that the Spirit even give us the words we need, when we need them (Mt. 10:18-20).

While Isaiah’s call was ultimately a specific call for a specific purpose, he initially responded to the general call of God for those of his followers who would be faithful. Will you be faithful and prepare yourself to hear God’s voice and respond to the call?

sermon delivered by Ian Forest-Jones
at Hurstville Church of Christ
on Sunday, 4 February 2007 at 10am
[email]

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