Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Gospel: John 12:20-36
Psalm 71:1-14
“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters….” 1 Corinthians 1: 26
So, here we are at Tuesday in Holy Week. The church this week focuses much of its energy on the events that once took place in Jerusalem. Jesus was in the holy city. Many of his friends were also there. They were daily visiting the Temple mount. Jerusalem was filling with people coming from all over Israel/Palestine and much of the Mediterranean area.
The high holy days are again coming soon for both Jews and Christians. And so, in our own faith tradition, it might be the right time for us to pause for a few moments for spiritual reflection on this Holy Tuesday by listening to the words of Paul the Apostle… words spoken long ago to the small Christian house church in Corinth. These are also words to be spoken to the small parish of St. Andrew’s this holy week. So, let us listen to these words for just a few moments.
Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth… “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters.” Paul went on to say that most of the people would not consider themselves to be wise or powerful or even noble. But, he told the people that God had indeed chosen the foolish and the weak and the despised and the lowly to walk with God. And Paul reminded the small church in Corinth that God was the source of life in Jesus Christ, the very same source for all of our wisdom.
Now, consider your own call… that is something important to think about today. What is your call? What is the call for each and every one of us? Where are we today and how did we get to where we are now? How do we pray and what might we say to the God of Jesus? When do we keep silent so that the God of Jesus can speak to us? These are the questions that we might reflect on today when we think about our own call from God. While each of our calls are different, each of us are equal before the face of God. Each of our calls have come at a different time in our lives, but each call deserves the same value. Each of our calls might be viewed by others in a different manner, but each call carries with it the same worth. Some of us might sit up front and near the altar and seen by all while others sit in the back of the church and noticed by a very few. Did Jesus not tell us that “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” (Matt. 20:16)
It is all of the calls by God that form the spiritual foundation of the community which we call the parish church. Authentic calls from God never divides the faith community, but rather any authentic call strengthens the entire faith community. This Holy Week is a good time for each of us to think about our own perceived call from the God of Jesus and how we can embrace our call from within the midst of our worshipping community.
God speaks to us all in very different ways but the voice of God is never far from any of us throughout our entire lives. Listen for the call of the God of Jesus that is coming our way. It is a gift not just for you or me, but also for the entire community in which we live our spiritual lives.
“Consider your own call, my brothers and sisters.”
(Note: The term “God of Jesus” is a term used by Henri Nouwen in his book, Home Tonight, Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.)
The Rev. Bill King
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