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Jack Haga
"We Are Called"Who are we as Christians? A people called by God and set apart for his work. My mother had a little saying she used when was ready to go out. She would say "Remember who you are". By that I knew she meant more than my name was "Haga." She was reminding me that I was a member of a family. When one had a joy we all rejoiced. If one hurt, we all hurt. She was reminding me that I live in relationships. In our home, it was a reminder that my life is lived in a relationship beyond the family. I am also a member of the Church, the body of Christ, and what ever I did involved that relationship. Paul, in the first chapter of I Corinthians, reminds the congregation that they are the "Church of God". They are the called out ones, those set apart or sanctified ones, holy ones, the gifted ones, who will be strengthen until the end. Now there is a challenge in that kind of thinking that can only approached with the help of God.
One of the most memorable sermons I ever heard was given by a man in Nairobi Kenya. He stood up and said people have always been telling him who he was. The robe he wore told what tribe he belonged. He took off the robe and there was a military jacket, they have said I was a soldier. He took the jacket off and there was a school shirt. They said I was of this school. He asked, "Who am I under it all? I am a child of God." The congregation at Corinth seems to have some identity problems. Some said I’m of Paul, others I’m of Apollos, There were divisions. They were divided in worship, providing for their friends and ignoring others. They argued over which gift was most important. Some, if they felt free to do something they did it, even if others felt hurt by it Dr. Paul Scherer, a professor I had in seminary, said his concern was not that a person thought too highly of themselves, but that they didn’t think highly enough. But he said, "I challenge you to think of yourself as one called to be ambassador of Christ, belonging to Christ. I challenge you to be a reflection of Christ in all you say and do". The people in Corinth had set their aim on following this person or that person and had become arrogant to one another. They were caught up in trying to figure who had the greatest gift. They were like players on a team who began thinking more of themselves and less of the whole. I remember seeing how easily this can happen. In a congregation I served, we had a men and women’s softball teams. They were organized so that individuals and families could play and enjoy one another. But when the score was close we were tempted to play only our best players, and ignore other players who had made the same effort to come. If an umpire made it bad call, there was the temptation to act in ways that was unbecoming of people belonging to God. We found we could do more damage to the oneness of the congregation in one evening on the ball field than we could fix in a year or maybe never. You see, our aim had change from being a fellowship of Christ to winning the game. This kind of thing can happen at any meeting. I am grateful for those who remind us of out calling. Living out being the people of God will affect how we act and talk in the office with our friends. It will make a difference when we talk about people for whom Christ died. It will give us a new sense of appreciation for others. Instead of getting hung up on how others have treated us, we will be more careful how we treat them and how we go about expressing the mind and spirit of Christ. Loving parents can make a difference in behavior of quarrelling children by calmly sitting down with their children and saying we don’t act like that around here, and showing them a more kind and gentle spirit. Or a father may say clean up all the toys before your mother gets home. But the children are soon in a fuss because one is not helping and the other is saying I didn’t mess it up. Then the father steps in and restores a right attitude of seeking to be a loving family, by saying, "Come on", and gets them excited about surprising and pleasing mom with a clean house when she gets home. That is what Paul is doing here in his opening address. He is putting an end to the childishness of the church by speaking from a high plane of reference. He reminds them that they are a called people, gifted by God to be he expression of Christ. Secondly, we are gifted. We act as it only the clergy, elders, deacons and teachers are the only ones gifted for the work of the church. But here in I Cor. Paul says those who are called are gifted. So everyone here has been gifted by God to do what he or she is called to do. My last pastorate was in Huntington, WV. The building where the congregation worshipped was less than 200 yards from St. Mary’s hospital. I often saw the workers of that hospital go in and out at shift changing time. If I stood by the door and asked each employee, "How do you assist in the ministry to the sick?", each employee would have no trouble in giving a clear answer. Some would say as a lab worker, orderly, doctor, administrator, nurse and the list would go on. But if someone stood by the door of our church on Sunday morning and asked, "How do you assist in the ministry of Christ's work?" the answers would not be as clear. Some Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, committee chairs and members may give some answer, but many would give some vague answer not mentioning at all any gift they had for service. I suspect it may be same way here at Second. The church can be compared to a medical school. There is a lot of study and some healing that takes place in a medical school. But most of the actually healing doesn’t happen at the medical school but in the clinics, hospitals and doctor offices. So it is in the church. A lot of God’s work does indeed go on in the building. But most of our work is outside in the world where you and I are live our lives. The church is here gathered now, but tomorrow it will be scattered all over the community. One of the challenges facing congregations today is how to help people identify their gifts and how each can be helped to use their gifts for sharing the grace of God. I know one thing, that is: wherever congregations are really making an impact, they are helping people identify and use their gifts. I saw one estimate that 97% of all the contacts with the world are made by the congregation. Only 3 % will be made by the staff. Paul said that they were not lacking in the gifts. We are also gifted, but we need to identify our gifts understand how to use them for our calling. That still remains as one of the biggest challenges facing congregations today. The third point is our openness. It is on the basis of this call that Paul will make his appeal to the congregation. My purpose this morning is that each of us will reaffirm our willingness and desire to be God’s people in this place and time. It is a kind of commitment that needs to be reaffirmed daily, just like being a parent, a husband or wife. Sometimes we resist thinking of ourselves being God’s instrument. In the Old Testament Ester was hesitant to go in on behalf of the Hebrew people to see the king. She knew that if she went in, without the king having called for her, she could be killed. Her oldest cousin, Mordecai, reminded her that maybe it was for just such an occasion that she had been born. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to call the people to repent. He didn’t like the people anyway. He did not want to love like God. Are we ready to be a called people? Are we ready to use our gifts in God’s service? I remember a lady named Judy. She was a member of the Church, but things had happened and now it wasn’t clear. Her world changed in a short period of time. Her children had left for college and work. Her husband had found someone else he wanted to live with. She had to go back to work. She accepted a job as a substitute teacher. But she was on the low end of the totem pole so to speak. All she could get was temporary assignments and at the end of each year she lost her job. Each fall she trusted that there would be another place for her. Then she found that she had breast cancer and needed radical treatment. Amid it all she lost her sense of call. She joined a group of fellow church members who were trying to be God’s people in their place and time. Their covenant together was: Convinced that my life is not now what I want it to be, and believing that God is willing to lead me in a fuller life, I will seek to cultivate the mind of Christ that He might show me in my life the life He claims to make possible. I will begin this adventure today by finding a quiet place and praying this prayer:
Over a period of time the congregation began to see what God was doing in her life. She became a source of inspiration and grace for the congregation. She was elected an elder and was an encouragement to others who wanted to grow into what it meant to be a called person. I asked her on one occasion to share with the congregation what had taken place in her life. She said something like this: It's an awesome experience just to be in a position where a minister has asked me to share a part of my faith journey with you. I thought and thought about what to say, I searched my Bible for passages that might stand out and one that I had underlined from the book of Psalms stood out: Psalm 50:15 - "I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you, and you can give me glory." I decided my task today is to stand before you and give God the glory. Then I began thinking that the fact that I am standing here didn't really figure into my life plan twenty years ago. It wasn't in my life plan to divorce and be a single woman it wasn't in my life plan to be standing here as a cancer survivor ... it wasn't in my life plan to be standing here after the stress and frustrations of losing a job. BUT ... I am standing here, a stronger, more faithful person than I ever would have dreamed possible and there is no doubt in my mind that God has been with me, through the whole journey. I love books and sharing particular books and passages with the students in my classroom. I would like to share a story with you this morning that was given to me by one of the parents of a child in my room.
God does help us to be His people. He has given us gifts, and he will show us where we can use them as we go along. You are considering whether or not to extend God’s call to an individual to come and be pastor, head of staff. The future of this congregation will be affected by the extent that person responds. But this congregation will be even more affected by how each of us responds. How will each of us make it our vision or aim to be people of God in this place and time. A good place to begin would be to make the prayer that is on the plaque outside the door to my left, our prayer. It goes like this: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; O Divine Master, grant that I may not |