September 10

OT-- Isaiah 6:1- 7:25
I have heard this passage preached a million times. Seems like we get it during the 'time and talent' part of stewardship, any time we send people off to Africa or Honduras, at installation of new ministers, and yes, once I heard it as part of a baptism! Infant.
But by far the most thought provoking sermon on this topic was one that Bill Newton of my childhood church preached. He wanted to look at this passage from the other side. From God's side as He questioned person after person to preach this message. And they turned Him down, time after time.
We hear Isaiah's answer. And maybe he was the first to get the call. But if it is like any other church thing I have called people to help with, you get way, way, way more nos than you do yeses.
Bill Newton said that the way to ask people to do a church job is to provide 3 things -- right upfront.
They are:
1. why it is so darned important to do the job. In Isaiah's case, they brought him to God's throne. Must have been something special to warrant that trip. I don't know about you, but I haven't seen God's throne room, even in a dream.
2. Why they are the perfect person to do the job, even in the midst of their imperfections. Unclean lips will just be Isaiah's ticket into the midst of the icky kings he is quested to speak to.
3. How long is it going to take. Poor Isaiah, his answer was until the cities are destroyed.

And of course, every time I hear this passage, we sing this song. Couldn't resist.



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Nehemiah
Today, Joe B started his series on Nehemiah. Already, I am glad that I went to the session and if you have a chance to go to one this week, you should.
One thing that Joe B brought up was that while the book is ostensibly about building a wall, really, it is about power. Oh, how strange.
Power in the Bible.
One thing that I did not know but learned while I was there and then later on in an email from Joe B, Nehemiah's predecessor was probably a commissioner, overseen by yes, Sanballhat the Hornonite, his primary accuser and back stabber. How not so unusual for the replaced to try and gain back the power that he lost....
Also, that if Nehemiah didn't write the book, it was written in the memoir style by someone who was definitely in the Nehemiah camp.