17
CALLED
Isaiah 6:8; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-5,7,12
Rev. Paul Wrightman 2/11/24
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL CRUCIAL INTERPRETIVE PRINCIPLES
THAT ENABLE US TO AVOID
SOME OF THE MAJOR MISTAKES
IN UNDERSTANDING GOD
AS PORTRAYED IN WHAT CHRISTIANS KNOW
AS THE "OLD" TESTAMENT,
OR, BETTER, THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES.
THE FIRST OF THESE INTERPRETIVE GUIDES
IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS ACCOMMODATION.
THIS MEANS THAT GOD CONDESCENDS,
TO "COME DOWN," AS IT WERE, TO BE WITH US,
TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT
IN TERMS OF THEIR
CULTURAL, HISTORICAL AND PERSONALITY
LIMITATIONS.
BECAUSE GOD IS UNDERSTOOD
TO BE THE DIRECT CAUSE OF EVERYTHING
ACCORDING TO PRIMITIVE HUMAN BEINGS,
GOD MEETS PEOPLE WHERE THEY’RE AT
BY TAKING UPON GODSELF
THE BURDEN OF BEING GIVEN "CREDIT,"
SO TO SPEAK, FOR ALL THE TERRIBLE THINGS
THAT HAPPEN TO PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.
BECAUSE GOD IS UNDERSTOOD BY PRIMITIVE HUMANITY
AS USING VIOLENCE AS A MATTER OF COURSE,
GOD ACCOMMODATES GODSELF,
CONDESCENDING TO MEET HUMAN BEINGS
IN THE MIDST OF THEIR -- AND OUR --
ADDICTION TO VIOLENCE.
AND AS WE'VE SEEN OVER THE COURSE
OF SEVERAL SERMONS, GOD IS QUITE ADEPT
AT SUBVERTING VIOLENCE FROM WITHIN
THE BIBLICAL TEXT ITSELF.
WE'VE SEEN GOD REPUDIATING ELIJAH'S VIOLENCE,
AND OFFERING HIM INSTEAD GOD'S PRESENCE
IN THE FORM OF A STILL, SMALL VOICE.
WE'VE SEEN GOD SURPRISING THE PROPHET ELISHA
BY INSPIRING HIM TO ADVISE THE KING OF ISRAEL
TO THROW A BANQUET FOR HIS CAPTURED ENEMIES
RATHER THAN KILL THEM.
THERE IS A GROWING CONSENSUS AMONG
BOTH BIBLICAL SCHOLARS
AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGIANS
THAT ALL VIOLENCE ATTRIBUTED TO GOD
IN THE SCRIPTURES
IS PROJECTED HUMAN VIOLENCE;
IN OTHER WORDS,
HUMAN BEINGS PROJECT THEIR OWN VIOLENCE
ONTO THE "SCREEN" OF GOD,
AND THEN PROCLAIM THAT VIOLENCE
AS ENDORSED BY NO ONE LESS THAN GOD.
THE SECOND CRUCIAL PRINCIPLE
OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
THAT WE ENCOUNTERED,
THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY,
SHOULD HAVE PUT TO REST ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL
THE NOTION THAT GOD IS VIOLENT
AND USES VIOLENT MEANS.
THE TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING
THAT JESUS IS GOD INCARNATE,
(WHICH I PERSONALLY HAPPEN TO BELIEVE),
-- THAT WE GET THE CLEAREST AND DEEPEST
UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS
AND WHAT GOD REALLY CARES ABOUT
BY LOOKING AT AND LISTENING TO JESUS --
PRESENTS US WITH THE REALITY
THAT GOD WOULD RATHER DIE, AS IT WERE,
THAN USE OR ENDORSE THE USE OF VIOLENCE.
THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY MAINTAINS
THAT GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN
AND ALWAYS WILL BE LIKE JESUS.
GOD'S NATURE DOES NOT CHANGE;
HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S NATURE
IS WHAT CHANGES.
A THIRD PRINCIPLE OF INTERPRETATION,
WHAT I CALL "BIBLICAL TOPOGRAPHY,"
FOLLOWS THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS HIMSELF
IN CLAIMING THAT CERTAIN BIBLICAL TEXTS
ARE MORE IMPORTANT -- OF "HIGHER ELEVATION,"
SO TO SPEAK, THAN OTHERS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES
OF JESUS CHALLENGING "LOWER ELEVATION"
TEXTS IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT;
BUT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE JESUS DOES THIS.
FOR EXAMPLE,
LATER ON IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW,
JESUS POSITIVELY QUOTES HOSEA 6:6,
TO THE EFFECT THAT GOD VALUES
COMPASSION MUCH MORE
THAN THE KEEPING OF RELIGIOUS RULES.
SAD TO SAY, THE VAST MAJORITY
OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
ARE ACTUALLY UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH THE RADICAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS,
AND PUT MORE STOCK
IN LOWER ELEVATION TEXTS, SUCH AS
"AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH,"
AND THE REJECTION OF THE OTHER,
ESPECIALLY IF THAT OTHER HAPPENS TO BE
AN "ENEMY," OR POOR, OR FEMALE, OR GAY.
IN THIS MORNING'S TEXT FROM ISAIAH,
WE HAVE A POWERFUL EXAMPLE
OF A FOURTH GUIDELINE
OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION:
THE PRINCIPLE OF APPLICATION;
WHICH TEACHES THAT WHAT APPLIES
TO BIBLICAL CHARACTERS
APPLIES TO US AS WELL.
THUS, IF GOD'S SPIRIT AFFIRMS JESUS
AS "SON OF GOD," IN A UNIQUE WAY,
THE COROLLARY OF THIS ACTION
IS THAT GOD AFFIRMS EVERY PERSON
AS A CHILD OF GOD IN HIS OR OWN UNIQUE WAY.
CONNECTING WITH TODAY'S TEXT,
WHEN ISAIAH OVERHEARS GOD ASKING
"WHOM SHALL I SEND, AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?"
AND RESPONDS "HERE I AM; SEND ME!",
THE IMPLICATION IS THAT
GOD IS CALLING EACH OF US,
AND IS HOPING FOR THE SAME ANSWER
AS THAT GIVEN BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH:
"HERE I AM; SEND ME!"
GOD CREATED EACH OF US
TO REFLECT A UNIQUE DIMENSION
OF GOD'S OWN BEING.
THUS, GOD'S GIFT OF BEING --
BEING THE UNIQUE CREATION
THAT EACH OF US IS,
CONTAINS WITHIN IT GOD'S GIFT OF CALLING.
EACH OF US IS CALLED TO BECOME
THE PERSON THAT GOD CREATED US TO BE.
EACH OF US IS CHALLENGED BY GOD
TO GROW INTO THE PERSON
THAT GOD CREATED US TO BE.
FOR SOME OF US, FOR MANY OF US,
IT TAKES MOST OF A LIFETIME
TO DISCOVER WHO WE REALLY ARE.
THIS WAS TRUE FOR DR. RACHEL NAOMI REMEN,
WHO WAS IN HER FORTIES
WHEN SHE HAD A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
NOT SO DIFFERENT THAN THAT
OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH.
DR. REMEN WAS INVITED TO BE PART
OF A RESEARCH PROJECT
CARRIED ON BY THE ESALEN INSTITUTE.
THE PROJECT INVOLVED
AN INTENSE WEEKEND-A-MONTH FOR TWO YEARS
WITH LEADERS OF
THE HUMAN POTENTIAL MOVEMENT
TO DISCOVER APPLICATIONS
FROM THAT MOVEMENT
TO THE FIELD OF MEDICINE.
DR. REMEN WRITES ABOUT BEING DELIGHTED
AT BEING INVITED TO BE PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW MUCH SHE LOVED
THOSE WEEKENDS AT ESALEN.
"YET," SHE CONTINUES,
"ABOUT SIX MONTHS INTO THE FELLOWSHIP
I BEGAN TO SUFFER PANIC ATTACKS."
"AFTER THE THIRD OF THESE," SHE WRITES,
"A PATTERN BECAME CLEAR;
THEY OCCURRED A FEW DAYS
BEFORE I WAS TO GO TO ESALEN
FOR THE WEEKEND.
SHAKEN BY THESE EPISODES,
I WENT TO SUKIE MILLER
[ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE PROJECT],
AND ATTEMPTED TO RESIGN."
"BUT SUKIE WAS WISER THAN THIS,"
DR. REMEN REMARKS.
"A MASTER THERAPIST
FAMILIAR WITH THE WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE GROW
AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA
THAT OCCUR AS THE OLD WAY IS LOST
AND THE NEW WAY NOT YET BEGUN,
SHE ASKED ME IF I WERE CURIOUS
ABOUT WHY THESE THINGS WERE HAPPENING.
…WHEN I SAID THAT I WOULD LIKE
TO UNDERSTAND MORE,
SHE OFFERED TO HELP ME USE IMAGERY…
TO UNCOVER THE MEANING OF THESE ATTACKS.
WE DID A BRIEF SESSION.
SHE ASKED ME TO CLOSE MY EYES
AND ENCOURAGED ME TO ALLOW
AN IMAGE TO COME TO MIND
THAT RELATED TO MY PANIC.
DESPITE MY SKEPTICISM ABOUT THIS NEW METHOD,
I FOUND AN IMAGE IMMEDIATELY:
IT WAS A THIN, FLAT WHITE RECTANGLE.
I DESCRIBED THIS TO HER,
AND WITH ALL THE AUTHORITY WITH WHICH
I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO MAKING
A RAPID MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS,
I ADDED, 'IT'S A BUSINESS CARD.'
SUKIE ASKED IF I WAS SURE.
WITH HORROR I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT SURE,
THAT I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
WHAT THIS IMAGE WAS.
WITH THIS REALIZATION CAME THE BEGINNINGS
OF THE DREADED PANIC FEELINGS.
I HASTILY OPENED MY EYES.
SUKIE SMILED AT ME IN A COMFORTABLE WAY.
SHE SYMPATHIZED WITH MY DISTRESS
AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD CERTAINLY
RESIGN FROM THE PROJECT,
BUT IT MIGHT BE BEST IF I WAITED
UNTIL THE MEANING OF THESE EPISODES
BECAME CLEAR.
SHE SUGGESTED THAT I REFLECT
ON THE THIN WHITE RECTANGLE
SEVERAL TIMES EACH DAY IN MY 'DOWNTIME…'
SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO HOLD IT IN MY MIND
AND IN A STEADY AND UNDEMANDING WAY
TO BE OPEN TO KNOWING WHAT IT MEANT.
SHE ASSURED ME THAT ITS MEANING
WOULD COME TO ME IN TIME.
IT TOOK FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS, DURING WHICH
I WAS FRUSTRATED AND IRRITABLE…
I CAN REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE I WAS
AND WHAT I WAS DOING
WHEN THE MYSTERY RESOLVED ITSELF.
I WAS DRIVING UP GOUGH STREET,
ONE OF THE STEEPEST HILLS IN SAN FRANCISCO,
IN A CAR WITH A STANDARD TRANSMISSION.
ALL MY ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED
ON SHIFTING GEARS
WITHOUT SLIDING BACKWARD
INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME.
SUDDENLY, THE FLAT WHITE RECTANGLE
REAPPEARED IN MY MIND'S EYE,
BUT THIS TIME IT STARTED TO CHANGE SHAPE,
TO PUFF UP.
TERRIFIED, I REMEMBER THINKING
'I'M GOING TO DIE HERE.'
AND THEN I KNEW WHAT IT ALL MEANT.
THE UNDERSTANDING
CAME IN THE FORM OF A STORY.
THE WHITE RECTANGLE
WAS NOT A BUSINESS CARD AFTER ALL.
IT WAS A MARSHMALLOW
THAT HAD BEEN SUBJECTED
TO A STEADY EXTERNAL PRESSURE
FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
THE PRESSURE HAD DISTORTED
ITS NATURAL SHAPE
SO THAT IT WAS LONG AND FLAT.
BUT NOW, THIS PRESSURE HAD BEEN RELEASED.
ITS SHAPE WAS CHANGING AND IT WAS TERRIFIED.
IT FELT AS IF IT WERE DYING.
BUT THE MARSHMALLOW WAS NOT DYING,
IT WAS RETURNING TO ITSELF.
THE SHAPE THAT HAD BEEN MOST FAMILIAR TO IT
WAS NOT ITS OWN SHAPE.
WITH THE LIFTING OF THE PRESSURE,
SOMETHING DEEP IN IT
COULD REMEMBER ITS INTEGRITY,
ITS TRUE SHAPE,
AND WAS RECLAIMING IT NOW…
WITH THIS INSIGHT, THE PANIC WAS GONE
AND I KNEW A NUMBER OF THINGS
WITH CERTAINTY.
THIS CHILDLIKE STORY
HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MARSHMALLOWS,
THIS WAS A STORY ABOUT ME.
MY FAMILY HAD THE HIGHEST REGARD
FOR SCHOLARSHIP, ACADEMICS, RESEARCH,
AND TEACHING,
AND A SIGNIFICANT CONTEMPT
FOR THE NONRATIONAL.
MY MEDICAL COLLEAGUES FELT THE SAME.
I HAD BEEN UNDER A LIFELONG PRESSURE
TO CONFORM TO THIS WAY
OF BEING IN THE WORLD.
IT WAS THE PRICE OF BELONGING.
I COULD DO THESE THINGS VERY WELL,
AND WOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DO THEM,
BUT THEY WERE NOT MY NATURAL WAY…"
DR. REMEN GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT
HOW THE SO-CALLED "NEW" IDEAS
SHE WAS LEARNING AT ESALEN
ENABLED HER TO RECONNECT
WITH THE PERSON SHE REALLY WAS.
SHE ENDS THIS STORY BY WRITING:
"I WAS CHANGING BACK INTO A WAY OF BEING
THAT WOULD FIT ME PERFECTLY.
ALTHOUGH I COULD BE ANALYTICAL
AND PRAGMATIC,
BY NATURE I WAS AN INTUITIVE, EVEN A MYSTIC.
I WAS MY GRANDFATHER'S GRANDDAUGHTER.
I HAD REMEMBERED AND I WAS GOING HOME.
THE PANIC ATTACKS NEVER RETURNED.
SUKIE DID NOT SEEM SURPRISED AT ALL."
AND THE REST, AS THEY SAY, IS HISTORY.
AFTER DISCOVERING HER TRUE SELF,
DR. REMEN WENT ON TO BECOME
ONE OF THE PIONEERS
IN THE WHOLISTIC MEDICINE MOVEMENT.
HER WORK HAS INFLUENCED THAT
OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER DOCTORS,
NOT TO MENTION LAYPEOPLE LIKE MOST OF US.
NOW HOW DOES ALL THIS
RELATE TO OUR TEXT FROM ISAIAH?
LIKE THIS: JUST AS ISAIAH FOUND
HIS TRUE CALLING
IN A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH GOD,
AND JUST AS DR. REMEN FOUND HER TRUE CALLING
THROUGH A TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE
WITH GOD'S SPIRIT MOVING
AT THE ESALEN INSTITUTE,
IN THE SAME WAY, EACH OF US IS CALLED
TO DICOVER OUR TRUE CALLING,
TO GET IN TOUCH WITH WHO WE REALLY ARE,
SO THAT, WE TOO, CAN BE SENT BY GOD…
…SENT BY GOD TO TOUCH THE WORLD FOR GOOD
SIMPLY BY BECOMING THE IMAGE OF GOD
THAT GOD CREATED EACH OF US TO BE.
ONE CAN DISCOVER ONSELF
IN THE UNLIKELIEST OF PLACES…
AT THE ESALEN INSTITUTE…
BACKPACKING THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL…
…EVEN IN CHURCH!
I SHOULD EXPAND THIS TO SAY
THAT IN THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCING OF GOD
THAT CHURCH ENCOURAGES,
IN GETTING TO KNOW THE REAL JESUS,
IN CONNECTING WITH
THE REALITY OF GOD'S SPIRIT
IN ONE'S OWN LIFE,
IN PRAYER, IN WRESTLING WITH THE SCRIPTURES,
ONE CAN COME TO DISCOVER ONE'S TRUE SELF,
AND THAT DISCOVERY CAN BE VERY LIBERATING.
REST ASSURED THAT GOD
IS NEVER, EVER GOING TO ASK YOU TO BECOME
SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE NOT.
ON THE CONTRARY, SINCE GOD CREATED US TO BE
THE UNIQUE REFLECTIONS OF GOD'S BEING
THAT WE ARE,
GOD HAS A VESTED INTEREST, SO TO SPEAK,
TO HELP EACH OF US TO BECOME
WHO WE WERE MADE TO BE.
LIKE DR. REMEN, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN
"FLATTENED OUT" BY THE PRESSURES
OF BECOMING SUCCESSFUL IN OUR FIELD OF WORK,
OR "FLATTENED OUT" BY THE PRESSURES
OF BECOMING SUCCESSFUL HOMEMAKERS,
BUT IT'S QUITE LIKELY
THAT THE PERSONA WE PUT ON
AT WORK OR AT HOME
WASN'T OUR TRUEST, DEEPEST SELF.
ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS
ABOUT NOT BEING SELF-MADE INDIVIDUALS,
BUT HAVING BEEN CRAFTED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD,
IS THAT IT'S NEVER, EVER TOO LATE
TO GET BACK IN TOUCH
WITH WHO WE REALLY ARE.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT ALL OF US SHARE IN COMMON
IS THAT EACH OF US,
WHETHER WE CARRY THE LABEL "CHRISTIAN,"
OR NOT,
IS A WELL LOVED CHILD OF GOD.
MERELY GETTING AROUND TO FINALLY
ACCEPT THE FACT OF OUR ACCEPTANCE
CAN BE, FOR MANY,
THE BEGINNING OF AN EXCITING ADVENTURE
INTO SELF-DISCOVERY.
KNOWING THAT GOD LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY
AND ACCEPTS US UNRESERVEDLY
CAN FREE US
TO LOVE AND ACCEPT
OURSELVES AND OTHERS MORE.
ACTING FROM THE FOUNDATION
OF A SECURE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
CAN FREE US TO DISCOVER AND AFFIRM
PARTS OF OURSELVES
THAT OUR CULTURE DOES NOT VALUE HIGHLY,
THINGS LIKE GENTLENESS, PLAYFULNESS,
CREATIVITY, SPONTANEITY, POETRY,
STORIES AND STORYTELLING,
NOT JUST LISTENING TO
BUT ACTUALLY MAKING MUSIC OURSELVES,
THE GIFT OF SILENCE IN PRAYER
AND CONVERSATION.
EACH OF US HAS ONE MAJOR TASK IN LIFE:
WITH THE HELP OF GOD'S SPIRIT,
TO GRADUALLY OR SUDDENLY COME TO DISCOVER
WHO WE ARE,
AND ONCE WE KNOW THAT,
TO PUT ALL OUR ENERGY INTO ENJOYING
THE INCREDIBLE GIFT OF BEING
THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US
AND EVERY OTHER PERSON WE KNOW.
AMEN.