5-14-2016

Good Morning All!! 

        Ezekiel 2:3; “And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.”

     Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.  So do you think you would have applied to be a pony express rider?  Would you take any job if the description was painfully honest?  Would you take the job that was described as low paying, on-call at all times, must be patient and willing to live in a sleep deprived state for many days and often wear stained clothes?  Most of us would laugh that job off until we remember that this is usually the first (and perhaps more) year of a new parent.  We tend to like the jobs that have a “friendlier” description.  We would rather hear the softened version of what is going on.

   It is possible that the prophet Ezekiel would have preferred to hear a different description of the call that God gave him.  Most preachers would not like to go to preach to rebels and more specifically, a nation of rebels.  Most preachers want to hear about successful outreach programs and active Bible studies.  They want to hear about vibrant volunteers and a congregation that friendly and welcoming to strangers.  Unfortunately, most preachers get called to congregations that are rebellious and have been for generations ongoing.  They are called to serve there because that is where the sinners are; those people who are desperately in need of God’s grace; people like you and people like me.

    God calls pastors to go to places that need to hear his grace and mercy.  This place of rebellious people, this church for that is what the church really is; it is a collection of rebellious people who confess their faults, sins and shortcomings and who desperately need God’s mercy and come together for comfort and support.  We come together to share our pain and to share our joy.  We come together as God’s redeemed people, cleansed by his baptismal grace.  We are made new; we are made whole and given the wondrous gift of salvation.

    We will slip and fail in keeping God’s will; we will rebel and try to go our own way but God, in his mercy, will keep calling us back to the life of repentance in that baptismal grace and restore us to our place in his family.  We are a rebellious people but, more importantly, we are a redeemed and forgiven people; we are chosen by God to be his family, to be his people, to be his church.  So we struggle each day, seeking to do his will, sometimes succeeding but sometimes failing but always forgiven by our loving and merciful Father.  God, in his mercy, made you new; so go out and be new.

Father, too often I rebel against your will and experience the pain of its failure.  Forgive me when I fail.  Pick me up and guide me in your path.  Lead me to be the servant you need and the disciple you desire.  Guard me from all of the devil’s attacks.  In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret