When Patsy called and asked if I would do this I remembered a couple of things: First of them: When I was a young priest, Lois Palmer asked me if I would serve on the committee to help find speakers for this conference. I did, and worked hard with the committee trying to find just the right speaker for each of the conferences. My second memory occurred after I accepted Patsy's request. I remembered that the last time I came to speak in Tulsa, it followed a rather strong meteorological event. This time rain welcomed us. One other thought--when I was looking through the packet the schedule says: 12-3:00 Bishop Ohl (then below it says lunch), and I thought, "Good Lord, I think I would be bored with 3 hours of me!"
The theme is "Here I am Lord." Have you heard that song? All of you can resonate with that. It isn't something new, novel, or one-time only event. God continues to call us quietly. I want to spend a little time with some of the biblical examples of God calling persons. Tomorrow will be a little more personal-the crux of sermons, the "so what". The first person actually doesn't say, "Here I am" in any way, shape or form. When we were at the Cathedral (St. Paul's Cathedral, Oklahoma City) there was a young man, John Coons. He was about 19 when we were there. Someone asked a question, and John said, "Don't ask him; he starts with Genesis 1. I am starting with Genesis 3.
You have often heard people say, "I am a cradle Episcopalian". I heard a person say once, "I am a genetic Episcopalian." The description is more like me. I am a genetic Episcopalian. My father's family became Church of England before the Revolution. There are many clergy in the family. My mother's family came to the colonies from the Church of England. So, you see, I truly am a "genetic Episcopalian."
The first person I want to talk about is Adam. God and Adam accustomed to going in the cool of the day to the garden. Except one day, Adam and first woman had done what they were told not to do. God came into the garden and called Adam, but Adam didn't answer. God called again, and then Adam answered that he was hiding, and God asked, "Why? Did you eat of the forbidden fruit?" Adam answered that he had, but he blamed Eve and God because God gave Eve to Adam. When God turned to Eve, she blamed the serpent and God because God created the serpent. What might have happened if Adam had said, "Here I am"? We don't know; of course, we can conjecture. Adam is the antithesis of what I believe we are about. The 22nd Chapter of Genesis is a wonderful story, a story about a man who answered God when He called. God said, "Abraham." And Abraham said, "Here I am". God said, "Take your only son and offer him as an offering." Abraham took his son, Isaac, and wood and went to the place God had appointed for the burnt offering. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the mountain. Isaac asked Abraham where the offering was. Abraham told him that God would provide. Abraham prepared to offer Isaac, but the angel of the Lord came and said, "Abraham, Abraham." Abraham said, "Here I Am." The angel stopped Abraham from offering Isaac, and told Abraham that a ram was provided for the offering because Abraham had been obedient and willing to give his son, his only son, to the Lord. Abraham then called that place "The Lord Will Provide". There is much teaching in this passage, and there are many ways we can respond. Are we willing to offer who we really are? Are we really ready to say, "Here I am" and then to listen to what might be called from us? Sometimes "yes" and then sometimes "no". Abraham was willing. This story tells us that God will provide, often in the least way imaginable. One of the closing sentences in the 1979 Prayer Book Evening Prayer is "Glory to God whose power working in us...." That is one that comes from Ephesians. It struck me years ago when I first read it. Too often our vision is blurred and obscured by our own imaginations and we are not willing to look to see what God's vision might be. In one of my favorite cartoon strips Hagar the Horrible and Lucky Eddie are battling the Huns by themselves and backing up and backing up to a precipice behind them. Lucky Eddie says, "We are going to lose. We are going to die." Hagar says "look at the long view." We need to look at the long view-beyond our own imaginations. We need to see what God has provided.
Another good story is in Samuel 1-Samuel's mother has been barren and promises to give the child
Eli was the high priest. The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. At that time Eli's eyesight had begun to be dim. Samuel was lying near the Ark of God. God called Samuel, and Samuel went to Eli and answered, "Here I am Lord". Eli said, "I did not call." This happened three times. Eli told Samuel to say, "Speak, Lord." God called again, and Samuel said, "Speak for your servant is listening." After God spoke to him, Samuel does not want to tell Eli what God has said. Samuel, a child, doesn't know and thinks it is Eli who is calling. Finally, Eli, the old one, recognized it was the Lord, and he told Samuel. Samuel then does as he was taught by Eli, and he obeyed. Samuel goes through some difficult times throughout his life, including times with David. It is Samuel who anoints David and then challenges David when he strays from God's path. Most of us did not come to Christianity as adults. 50 years from now that is probably not going to be the case. Statistics-of the generations who came of age during WWII is about 75% churched-active in a faith community. Of the group born from about 1938 to 946, 45-50% are churched. Of those born between 1946-1964, about 35% churched active. I am not talking about someone who goes to church only once every other year or so. If you are not part of an active faith community, you are not churched. You cannot be a Christian alone. The Trinity is a community. You have to be part of an active community. In Generation X, those born between 1964-1982, there are only 15% active. Of those born between 1982 to the present, only about 4% are active in a faith community. You think we don't have work to do? You think the fields are not ripe? You think the Lord is not calling all of us to be bearers of good news by word and example? We DO need to talk about our faith. We need to be talking about what is behind our good works. The Millennium goals are good, but we need to be telling others what is behind those good works. We need to be telling others that this is what God calls us to do. We need to be able to profess our faith. We need to be proclaiming our faith.
Another example: Isaiah sang: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. God said, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" Isaiah said, "Here I am, send me". Isaiah was in a visionary state and saw seraphs. Why was he visited thusly? We don't know. It is scary to be visited by seraphs. Seraphs are pretty fearsome creatures. We tend to think of angels as gentle and wonderful beings. Why is it that angels first say, "Fear not" when they first appear to someone? Angels might not be friendly looking. I spent 21 years at congregations named St. Michaels--one in Norman and one in Colorado City. Angels are a bit fearsome and seraphs are fearsome as well. Isaiah has a vision and is terrified and says, "Woe is me. I am doomed." He feels it is because he is a man of unclean lips and lives among people with unclean lips. He and they have not been faithful to their calling. The seraphs sear his lips and then say "Don't be afraid". Then they tell him to go and proclaim what God is all about. Isaiah says after that, "I will go-send me." This willingness permeates the scriptures again and again.
In the 1st Chapter of Matthew there is a character who doesn't say, "here I am", but he does live it. Joseph planned to dismiss Mary quietly. An angel appeared in a dream and told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife for the child was conceived from the Holy Spirit and was coming to save the people from their sins. Joseph did as the angel told him. Joseph didn't have to obey. We know almost nothing about Joseph. We know he was a carpenter. We know he was terrified when Jesus was lost from them at the temple. Joseph loved the child with his heart. He doesn't say, "Here I am, Lord". He lives it. It isn't enough just to say, "Here I am". You have to live it. We say, "I believe in God, the Father, God, the Son and God the Holy Spirit." Belief has to do with our hearts. It isn't, "I think." It has to do with setting our hearts on God. Bishop Moody asked me once, "Do you set your heart on God the Father? Having said that, are you willing to live it? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?" Then, before I went to Colorado, Bishop Moody said, "If you will give me your checkbook, I will tell you where your priorities are". I wasn't ready to do that then, and I am not ready now. It isn't just a matter of saying. It is about looking at everyone I meet and seeking and serving Christ in all persons and loving my neighbor as myself. Are you willing to strive for justice and respect for every human being. Joseph was able to carry things through. Are we?
The last example I want to hold up for you Mary, Mother of Jesus. In one painting of The Madonna, she has a startled look on her face. Since when does the EC look to women for leadership?
I haven't always been as supportive of ECW as I am today. One among you challenged me on that, and the scales fell from my eyes. Evelyn Bibens really helped me understand that this community can be a leadership training forum to lead the whole church to know and serve Christ.
Mary is this wonderful girl. The story in Luke 1 tells us that in the 6th month, Gabriel was sent to Mary and said, "Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you." But she was perplexed by these words and pondered what sort of greeting this could be. Luke is always understated. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God, and you will have a son, and name him Jesus."
Mary said, "How can this be since I am a virgin." The angel said, "The child will be holy and called son of God. Elizabeth has also conceived and will bear a son in three months." Then Mary said, "Here I am. The servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to the word." Here is a young woman, little more than a child, who says, "Here I am. Let it be with me according to the word." We could have looked at thousands or millions of unknown names who have said those same words.
The last thing I want to say is that St. Paul is reminding every one of us that we are the saints. We tend to think of saints as those who are unblemished. Read the lives of the saints, and you will find that all of them have blemishes. St. Teresa talks about sitting in chapel next to a nun whose wimple rattled and caused St. Teresa much consternation. St. Teresa was blemished because she had little patience for small distractions. Page 393 in our hymnbook is a song, "Saints of God." It tells us you can meet saints in all occupations, and I mean to be one too. Who are the saints of God? We are, when we are sanctified by God. God says, "I will be your God. I am holy, and you will be holy, too, because you are my people." We are called to be sanctified by growing. We have to be willing to say, "Here I am."