St. James Episcopal Church
God has been calling on people for a very long time. Folks like Jeremiah whom God called to be a prophet and speak God's word. Initially Jeremiah was reluctant and resisted the call. But God wouldn't take no and eventually Jeremiah agreed. Why God would have chosen so young and inexperienced a person as Jeremiah for so important a task? Well obviously not for his gifted speech! Maybe his success rested not within Jeremiah, but on God's word and God's strength. We learn from the later chapters of Jeremiah, all the power and success of Jeremiah's life did result from his relationship with God. God taught him and gave him strength and courage, and Jeremiah learned to trust God.
Jeremiah was called to a specific task in a particular place and time. But more importantly, he was called into relationship with God. He was called into a conversation about his life, called to reflect, to challenge his fears, to allow God to sustain him beyond his own strength in his calling. It was not easy or without suffering. Jeremiah suffered. He did it loudly. And God listened, continued to support him and send him back to it.
We might suspect at times that God is calling us to something. Sometimes we hear that still small voice that comes to us in prayer or in the quiet of night. Sometimes it is those nagging little "coincidences" that just keep adding up and pointing to something until we can't ignore them any more. Sometimes it is as straightforward as a human request. Sometimes it is something mystical and wondrous and sometimes it is earthy and even annoying. Often we are reluctant Our first response is not a rousing "YES LORD! More often it's "Who, me?" or "Why me?" or even "Why me again!" We are fearful, overbooked, tired, or a hundred other things..that all seem to be good and plausible reasons why we simply cannot be responding to this call.not now.for many of us it seems that simply trying to simply live our lives is enough, with all of the challenges we are faced with day to day. And for some of us, that is the call, to simply live the challenges of the lives we are balancing while holding on in faith to God. Sometimes it's about just living the life we are called by God to live here and now as faithful Christians. And sometimes this call has something to do with changing the world. God knows. And if we listen closely, we know.
We know we are all known and beloved of God. We are all called by God to specific tasks, regardless of our circumstances. God will supply everything we need to fulfill our calling. And when we live our calling by God, it will be good for us, but it will also be good for the whole people of God.