Loving God, you are ready to give so much more than we could ever ask or imagine, and yet we expect so little.  Help us to see your power at work in our lives, and help us to trust you for all that is needed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    [wearing a foil covered helmet]  I’ve never really understood why people don’t wear better protection when they come to church.  Do we really believe that nothing is going to happen while we are here? – that God won’t really show up?  Why do we expect so little?  After all, God is always showing up in the Scriptures in amazing and even terrifying ways!

    Isaiah goes to the temple, and he discovers it filled to overflowing with the hem of God’s robe!  The thresholds shake, and the whole temple fills with smoke.  At the very least, shouldn’t Isaiah have gone with a firefighter’s helmet, face shield & oxygen tank?  After all, his lips do get touched with a burning coal from the altar! – And the fact that he hears God’s voice? – Surely some ear protection would have been in order, for it is well known that the voice of the Lord is powerful enough to shake the wilderness and strip the forests bare (Ps. 29:8-9).  And maybe some night-vision goggles or even extra dark sunglasses might have been in order, for it was also well known that those who actually saw God would die (Ex. 33:20).

    Later, consider what happens to people when Jesus shows up in their lives.  Had Simon Peter been fully prepared, he might have had one of those weight-lifting belts to give him some extra strength to pull in all of those fish.  Perhaps he should have also considered some scuba gear for when his boat starts to sink.  And perhaps one of these helmets would have stopped the signal from getting through when Jesus simply tells him that now he will be catching people (Lk. 5:10).

    As for Paul, he could have used some eye and ear protection and some extra padding for when he fell to the ground.  This happened of course, when the risen Jesus first appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).  Paul is blinded by the brightness of the light and immediately falls to the ground.  Then, he hears a voice from heaven, which is Jesus.  From that moment on, Paul’s life is never the same.  He becomes a messenger of Jesus Christ and spends the rest of his life sharing the gospel with others, and ultimately being imprisoned and put to death because of his unwavering faith in Jesus.

    Yes - protection might very well be needed while you are here today - but only if you want to keep God out. [remove helmet] Otherwise, expect that God is able to change your life in an instant.  Expect that God will answer your prayers.  Expect to see and experience God’s abundance.  Expect to encounter Jesus.  Expect to hear God’s call to service, and expect to recognize your own sinfulness.

    This last one might catch you off guard, but it is a recurring theme in our readings today.  Every single person who is called into God’s service is acutely aware of their own sinfulness and inadequacy.  Isaiah immediately recognizes his own sinfulness and believes that he will die in the presence of the holy God (Isa. 6:5).  Paul recognizes that he is “unfit to be called an apostle,” for he actively persecuted those who believe in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:9).  Simon Peter falls down before Jesus and immediately perceives his own sinfulness and unworthiness in the presence of the power of God (Lk. 5:8).

    When people encounter God, they are aware of their own sinfulness and shortcomings.  When we encounter God, we are aware of our own sinfulness and shortcomings.  And so, if this truth scares you, you might want to get one of these helmets!

    However, the good news is that it is not our frailties and failings that have the last word, but God.  God touches the lips of Isaiah and declares that he has been cleansed from his sin (Isa. 6:7).  God cleanses Paul in the waters of baptism and declares him forgiven and called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.  Jesus lifts up Peter, empowers him, and declares that he is forgiven.  God cleanses us in the waters of baptism, announces that we are forgiven, and calls us to be servants of Jesus Christ.

    There are many who might refuse to think that they are called by God to do anything.  However, the examples that we have in the Scriptures make it very difficult for us to get out of it (unless, of course, you have your helmet on!).  Peter, of course, was not a preacher or a healer or a miracle-worker, but a fisherman – and perhaps not a very successful one if we can judge by fishing all night and catching nothing (Lk. 5:5).  Paul was a tentmaker and ends up preaching and even speaking before kings and emperors.  Amos (one of the prophets) was used to dealing with sheep and fig trees and ends up speaking God’s word to the people instead (Am. 7:14-15).  The saying is true: God does not call the equipped, but equips the called.  In other words, God will provide us with whatever is needed in order to do what God is calling us to do.

    Yet, do we still expect too little?  Do we expect scarcity rather than God’s abundance?  Are we ready for the abundance that God is waiting to pour out upon us?  Was Peter ready for all of the fish that were going to come his way?  Were the disciples ready when 3000 people believed in Jesus and were baptized, all in one day (Acts 2:41)?  Was anybody ready for the gift of the Holy Spirit, that was just like “rivers of living water” flowing from the hearts of believers (Jn. 7:38)?  Would we be ready if 20 new people showed up here next week and all wanted to hear about Jesus for the very first time?

    When we expect nothing, isn’t that pretty much what we get?  Yet, the Scriptures tell us that Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10).  The Scriptures tell us, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap” (Lk. 6:38).  The Psalmist proclaims, “My cup overflows” (Ps. 23:5).  And yet, we seem to expect scarcity rather than abundance.

    Are we ready for God’s abundance?  And when we pray, are we ready for God’s answer?  Be careful what you pray for.  You might get it. – Especially if you are praying according to God’s will and with faith in Jesus Christ.  The thing is that when we recognize the power of prayer and know that God answers, we start to exhibit the same strength in the Lord that comes through in our Psalm for today (138).

    The Psalmist knows that his prayers were answered.  He gives thanks and he praises and he sings.  He knows that God will keep him safe, even in the midst of trouble.  He knows that he will fulfill God’s purpose for his life because of God’s power at work in him and through him.  He is, indeed, “strong in the Lord.”

    May we find that same strength today, even as we expect God’s abundance and God’s answer to our prayers.  May we be ready to hear and answer God’s call into service, even as we expect to meet Jesus Christ here today.  May we be ready to acknowledge our own sinfulness and receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, even as we expect God to work through us for the benefit of others.  And, if we are going to put on a helmet, may it be the “helmet of salvation” through Jesus Christ (Eph. 6:17).  Amen.

Epiphany 5(C)                                Isaiah 6:1-13
February 7, 2010                                Psalm 138
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church                        1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Pastor Lynne Hutchison                            Luke 5:1-11
© 2010 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved