Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 September 2010 11:46:51
I've been doing some exploring of Isaiah 6: 1-8 for my LPT assignment today and been struck by what one of the commentaries has been saying about the prophet being sent rather than called. I think the reason this has gotten to me quite a bit is because this passage is central to the chorus of the well known Christian song, "I the Lord of Sea and Sky" and has become so directly linked to calling. In case anybody's not familiar with the song I am putting up the Greenbelt '08 Beer and Hymns You Tube version at the end of this post.
Discernment is based around working out your calling, and nice fluffy notions of choice, even though biblically they don't tend to be that fluffy, (Moses and the foreskin thing for example) . In this passage Isaiah was far more eagar to volunteer than most people that God actually "called" which interests my ickle brain. Does God send the eagar bevers with specific, hard messages but then call those of us who are more reluctant?
I don't know...whatever I know that I am discovering the Faith and Worship course is more challenging than I ever expected, but equally I am already getting more out of it than I ever expected. I guess this is one aspect of having a "calling"....God brings you into an ongoing adventure with a calling. With a sending I think you are given a specific message to pass on to a specific group or within a specific time and with a calling God indicates the specific role he wishes you to take on, (which may or maynot be within the church), but doesn't tell you the half of it or the already reluctant person would never have the courage to get started on the adventure.
Finally on a totally different note it appears that Steve Taylor; Sustain:if:able kiwi (formally emergent kiwi and author of Out of Bounds Church?), is up in Durham on the 18th September engaging in an open conversation at 3pm up at St. Johns College, in the Tristram room. Booking is not required in advance.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9AJ749LraI[/youtube]