RENEWsletter for February 7, 2010 - 5th Ordinary

To those called to Renewal--
Good morning folks! The readings for next Sunday are about the callings of three great men. Their names are written in history and their writings have been read for thousands of years, yet each one of them was sin-ridden and unworthy. It appears though, that unworthiness may actually be a requirement for being called by God, as you'll see when we examine the readings.

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/020710.shtml, and in your Bible at:

Isaiah 6.1-2a, 3-8
Psalm 138.1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
1 Corinthians 15.1-11
Luke 5.1-11

The First Reading is a scene right out of a modern day rock concert! The building shook and the room was filled with smoke (Is. 6.4)! It was loud with the screaming of the seraphim and terrifying with all the violence, and Isaiah was afraid he was in the wrong place. As a man of "unclean lips" (do you suppose he ever "cussed like a sailor"?) he feared for his life (v. 5). But the King had a remedy for this. Isaiah's lips were about to be purified by a holy fire even hotter than the fiery speech that would come out of his mouth. That glowing ember was too hot for the seraph to touch. It needed tongs, and "seraphim" means "burning ones" (v. 6)! But Isaiah kissed that hot coal and his former vocabulary was expunged from his person, from memory, and from history (v.7). Then came the next step. "Whom shall I send?" says God (v. 8). Isaiah didn't hesitate... he was ready now, freed from accusation, freed from guilt, and freed from the fear that had so recently paralyzed him. "Here am I," he said. "Send me."

The Responsorial Psalm finds the psalmist David singing praise and thanksgiving to God (Ps. 138.1-2), unafraid of what anyone will think. When he cried out, God answered and strengthened his spirit (v. 3). The kings of the world hear him praising and are moved to join in (vs. 4, 5). Once purified by the love of God we have no guilt, no shame... and no inhibitions (vs. 7-8).

In the Second Reading, Paul, bless his heart and his words, knew where he stood with God. He was alive and undamned only because of God's grace (1 Cor. 15.10). And by that same grace, unfit though he was to be called an Apostle (v. 9), he brought the Word of salvation to as much of the 1st century Mediterranean world as he could. Do you think he knew whereof he spoke? He had personally experienced God's life-transforming power first hand, as Isaiah had (v. 8). And he did one of those, "Here am I, send me" things. God sent him.

The Gospel Reading is the story of Simon Peter's calling. There he was with his crew washing the nets after a night of fishless fishing (Luke 5.2). He was prob'ly looking forward to getting the nets packed away so he could head home for some breakfast and a few hours sleep before the day got too hot. But this day the routine was about to change. Here came Jesus with a mob following him and with a request for Simon. "Will you take me in your boat a few meters offshore so I can speak to the crowd without being crowded?" (v. 3) Simon must have rolled his eyeballs and shook his head, but the hope of getting some sleep was prob'ly gone, anyway, with the mob filling all the streets. It'd be a long commute to home and no doubt there'd be too much noise for sleep when he got there anyway. Maybe he could catch 40 winks in the boat.

The sermon ended, and Jesus had another request. "Put out into deep water. There's some fish out there" (v. 4). If Simon rolled his eyeballs before, he was even more incredulous now. His words are recorded by Luke as very mild and reasonable. "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets" (v. 5) I wonder if he was quite that compliant. He was a sailor, wasn't he? I'm sure he didn't have much confidence in a landlubber's fishing wisdom.

But Jesus did know what he was talking about and Simon was suddenly on his knees (v. 8). Embarrassed, ashamed, guilty, and repentant for the way he had spoken, he had Isaiah's same fear that he was caught and doomed by God himself. But Jesus has a remedy for sin: "Don't be afraid. You know, I need someone to help me catch people. How about you?" (v. 10). Like Isaiah and Paul, Simon did one of those "Here am I, send me" things, and the rest is history.

Do we think we're not pure enough to tell people about Jesus Christ and the peace and salvation he gives? Purity is not a job requirement. "Here am I, send me" is. What are we waiting for?

Randy Jones
"Those who hear not the call think the missionaries mad!"