Blessed to be a Blessing
Pentecost 14 – Narrative Lectionary 1
Genesis 12.1-9
September 14, 2014
Grace, Mankato, MN
So Abram went as the Lord had told him.
I’ve mentioned a number of times that my call to pastoral ministry came late in life. Although I first sensed the call at age 30 it would be eight years before I would enter seminary. A key moment in that period came when I was whining to my sister about how old I was and that I was 38 now and would be 42 when I graduated. She said, “Scott, you’ll be 42 whether you go to seminary or not; you might as well do what you are called to do.” That wakeup call unlocked something in me and sent me on my way.
So, I can identify with Abraham who, at 75 years of age is called by God to a second career of his own. Like Abraham, I was called to uproot my family and leave behind my old life for a new one. And as we see in the Abraham story, the transition from the old life to the new is not always a smooth one. Furthermore, the way forward is not always clear either and we don’t always rise to the occasion in the best possible way. There are three aspects of God’s call that are important for us: it is radical, purposeful, and eternal.
First, God’s all on Abraham (and us) is radical, and by that I mean it is immediate and it is risky. The narrator tells us that “… Abram went, as the Lord had told him …,” which was certainly unlike my eight year delay in answering God’s call. In addition to immediate, it’s risky for a number of reasons. For like Abraham, we are called into Canaanite places where life is not easy. I’m very aware of how hard it is to be a follower of Jesus in today’s culture. Trusting God, leaving behind the comfortable and known for the unknown and downright scary, is not easy.
Second, the call from God to go new places is made a little less scary because of God’s promises to us. God promised Abraham (and Sarah!) that he’d be the Father of a great nation and that through him and Sarah all nations of the world would be blessed. Interestingly, this call depended less on Abraham and Sarah than it did on God, for as the story goes they were barren. They were passed the age of having children. In other words, God doesn’t call the gifted; God gifts the called. Yet our purpose is not rooted our usefulness to God but rather it is rooted in love. Abraham was a blessing because in being loved by God he showed us that all people can be loved, too. We are blessed to bless and we are loved to show forth God’s love.
Finally, this call from God to love and bless the world is a life-long endeavor and never ends. It is eternal. Abraham was 75 when God called (Sarah was 65), and it was a call that would not only unfold for the rest of their lives, it was one that would unfold long after their deaths, even to this day. Some of you have been the recipients of my crankiness, because when I hear the words “I’ve done my time, let someone else do it” I answer, “Show me the expiration date on your baptism certificate.”
I am grateful that so many of you continue to answer God’s call. Al and Eunice Simonson wrote a lovely note about their experiences with our young people during Christ’s Servants Involved this summer. And I was discussing God’s calling on a few of our Confirmands yesterday morning, several of you were in the kitchen getting ready to make meatballs for the lutefisk dinner. Furthermore, we are grateful that Rich Krause answered the call to be our parish administrator. I could go on.
God’s call on us continues to unfold through Jesus, a call we hear in Matthew to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God. None of us are too old or too young, too experienced or inexperienced, too short or too tall. So, where is God asking you to step out of your comfort zone, to risk leaving a barren life for a future? God has a purpose for each and every one of you, one that lasts your entire lives. You are blessed to be a blessing, and you are loved to show God’s love. It’s never too late for that. Amen.
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