Lent Day 29: March 26

Lenten Reflection for Day 29

Date: March 26, 2012

Author: Pastor Pat Harris

Bible Passage: Jeremiah 1:4–8 (NRSV)

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” ⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” ⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”

Reflection:

As I read this passage and the longer story of Jeremiah’s call in the Biblical book that bears his name, I realize that most of us can identify with his situation. Most of us, have at one time or another, been called on to do something that we didn’t feel qualified to do, or which we didn’t want to do.

I know that many times when I started a new job, I would figuratively look around and think to myself, they want me to do what???? I would look at the files that came with the job and look at the mail coming into the office and wonder how I would ever catch on. Even worse, when I accepted the position in Germany, I had to use a German-English dictionary to read the files, the paperwork and the mail. I wondered what I had gotten myself into, and if I would end up looking like a fool.

Jeremiah is having some of the same thoughts. God has acknowledged that God has had his sights on Jeremiah since before birth. God now expects him to be a prophet to all the nations. (Notice that this assignment is not limited to Israel). Jeremiah has that “who me” kind of reaction. “I’m just a boy; I wouldn’t even know what to say.” In yet one more case of God qualifying the called, God explains to Jeremiah who is calling the shots. ‘You’ll go where I send you and say what I tell you to.’ It seems pretty clear that Jeremiah’s excuses aren’t going to work.

God calls us to do many kinds of things that we don’t feel qualified for, or for which we feel we don’t have enough time or energy. When we mumble our excuses to God, the Lord thinks that most of our excuses are pretty lame, also. God knows us and the ways in which are capable of growing and developing. God wants us to be able to do the things that are expected of us, and somehow God manages to give us the energy, tools and capabilities that are needed. Our role is just to believe that God will provide for us and somehow to find the courage to take that first step, trusting in God’s providence.

The things God calls us to do are not always, or even mostly, “church work”. In our everyday lives, God calls us to be a visible presence in the world. It may be standing up for someone who is being treated unfairly. It may be doing something related to our everyday work. It may be giving a volunteer effort to help someone who lives on the margins of society. The word “vocation”, which describes our work in the world, is from the Latin word “vocatio”, which means to call. God calls us to be God’s presence and hands in the world, as we live out our everyday lives.

Prayer: Gracious and Giving God, help me to hear your call to work in the world. Give me the courage to proceed and the faith to know that you will support me in what I am being asked to do. Amen