That We May Speak

In order to hang onto this great news, we keep the practice of baptizing even the very young, those who can do absolutely nothing about it yet, and welcoming all those who have not proved their worthiness.

We say that over and over.

It is great.

We'd like to stop right there.

But God's word goes on: “I appointed you as prophet to the nations.”

And we join Jeremiah in objecting to this part of the message:

“What are you talking about, God?

I don't know how to do that, I don't know how to speak, I'm only a youth, just a beginner, a neophyte.”

I can't tell you how many times and in how many different ways I have heard that same excuse given to the summons to thought and action.

“I can;t do that, pastor,” which more often than not really means “I won't do that...”

God will not let Jeremiah or us get away with an easy protest like that.

“Don't say, 'I am only a ….', because I am sending you, and it is my word that you speak, and I am with you, says the Lord God.

We'll take up the issue here in several parts:

--does God speak?

--where and how?

--so what?

--what next?

Does God speak? Is another way of asking Does God do anything?

We have the long line of witnesses stretching back to Abraham who testify to God's saving activities.

Each generation has added its own experience of the judgment and mercy of God, and passes this on to us.

The question is not Does God speak? But rather, How much can we hear with our head down, hands over our ears, and loudly humming a nonsense commercial ?

When we do that and stumble along on our own way, we are trying to block out God's Word rather than to listen to it.

Where does he speak?

It could be in any place or circumstance that he chooses, but we greatly increase the chance s of hearing him when we make use of the times and places which he has alerted us are his favorites.

Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.

It begins in worship and study.

So the 80% of the congregation who are not here today and the 95% who avoid Sunday School are shutting themselves off from the possibility of hearing the promise of God in those places.

These persons are short-changing themselves!

Now to the next part, the so what and what next questions.

God's word does not come to Jeremiah in order to be a good-luck charm or a possession for him to put on the shelf and admire from time to time.

The word comes to him in order to change things in the world around him:

to pluck up and break down, to build and to plant, reports the prophet.

Too often we think that the role of the church is to make us comfortable, to say “you are OK just the way you are, and Jesus loves you.”

That is only half right.

To be sure, Jesus does love us, but not the way we are, but rather the way we will be when God completes his creation.

Jesus sees the whole truth about us and about the world, and invites us, urges us, even compels us to move beyond where we have been.

The hymn does not say Speak to us that we may be comfortable... but rather, Lord, speak to us, that we may speak in living echoes of you.

We speak not our own things, but God's invitation,

his promises

his change of the current situation,

his vision of the final future

his expectation of how we shall treat each other now,

his message that tears down the old ways and builds up the new.

Yes, we feel as overwhelmed as Jeremiah, but God does not tell us “That's OK; just go sit awhile since my request is obviously too much.”

He says, “Go, speak; and I will be with you.”

So, let's get started.

First, we listen, then we pray.

Then God confirms that he really means us as he says The Body of Christ given for you.

And then we leave here to continue our speaking which we began to practice in this assembly.

I'm printing a list of names of persons for whom St. Mark's once meant something, but whom we have not seen for a very long time, some of them well over 20 years.

Some may have died or moved away, others may have joined another congregation and not told us, but some are sitting at home not believing that God cares about them.

Some may be known to us, and others not at all.

They are all persons to whom God once announced his love, but who are likely not with us today.

Do you know one or more of these persons?

Would you contact them sometime this week, face to face, by telephone, letter, card, computer message or any other way?

Would you let that person know about our dead past and our future hope.

Would you invite him or her to be here with us as we grasp the promises of Jesus and live in their light?

And if there are no names on this list that you recognize, I'm sure there are friends, relatives, or neighbors whom you can query: Do you have a church connection? If not, would you come and see Jesus with us at St. Mark's.”

The question is not “Can we do it?” but rather, “Will we do it?”

Do not say “I'm only a youth, a middle-ager, a senior.

Be not afraid: I put my words in your mouth...to break down...and to build up.”

Lord, speak to us, that we may speak

In living echoes of your tone.

Your love to tell, your praise to show. Amen.

[list of names appears here]

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.