Rev Helen preached this sermon on Sunday 9 February 2025. Here it is for you again:
I’m sure we’ve all been in this situation. When you try something different, something new, or unexpected. How does it make you feel?
- You could feel excited, always up for something new and interesting.
- You could be a little nervous, thinking about what it coming but it is still excited
- It could fill you with fear and dread and you couldn’t think of anything worse.
That last on is probably me, I don’t like the unexpected. I quite like to know if I’m possibly going to have to do something unexpected or spontaneous in advance so I can mentally prepare for it. I have, what my mother calls a ‘worst case scenario brain’, everything is going to be a disaster then I’m usually presently surprised when it’s not.
When you do something different or take on a new challenge it usually means there’s going to be changes! And change is something that I would happily bet most people find difficult, or at least can make you a little apprehensive. It takes a lot of courage to make a big change and will make you ask yourself lots of questions. Am I doing the right thing? Will everything turn out how I think? This wasn’t quite how I expected? Why do you want me?
When I was reflecting on this it made me think about vocation and God’s call on all of our lives and answering it. The courage to follow God and to do what God requires of you, even if you think you are the most unsuitable person in the world for this vocation and you have no idea why God is calling you there. This is something that came out in the readings today.
In today’s gospel Jesus recruits his disciples, a story I’m sure we’re all familiar with it but today we have the version from the gospel of Luke. When Jesus tells the fisher men they are going to catch people, we imagine they just follow him but then you see what Simon Peter says to Jesus ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’. Simon is doubting, is he good enough, but despite the change takes courage he follows Jesus. Then we have Paul, who goes from persecuting Christians to having a vision so powerful he changes his whole life and is baptised and starts furiously writing letters among other things. Paul doesn’t feel he’s right for the ministry he’s been called into ‘I am unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am’. Two people who didn’t feel right for the call on their lives but became two of the first apostles. Simon Peter, the rock on which Jesus built his church and Paul, who’s letters make up a good proportion of the New Testament. Took that word beyond the Jewish nations to the gentiles, people like us.
Finally God’s call to Isaiah, this story has everything you need to see a vision of God’s power. Creatures that defy the laws of nature, Isaiah being cleansed by fire, literally and God asking the question ‘Who shall I send. Who will go for us?’ and the reply ‘Here I am, send me’. This is how we all feel we would react if God calls us to us, but we all know it’s not quite like that. God’s call to service is disruptive, inconvenient, it’s never quite into what you expect, it usually means a big change, which requires a lot of courage. Everyone will have a different story to tell, the one word I would use to describe God’s call on my life to be a priest is persistent for a good 15 – 20 years but we got there in the end.
We all have different reactions to trying something new, excitement, dread and everything inbetween. However, following God into the unknown can be rewarding and despite the worries we put our trust in God we can’t go wrong. Let God take you where you are needed, no matter how unsuitable you think you might be. God’s call could be anywhere doing anything, teacher in a school, nurse in a hospital, officer in a prison, a chaplain, taking on a role in church, or ruling a country, can you imagine understudying a part for just over 64 years and then suddenly becoming King, like Charles did. You could even end up wearing a dog collar, 6th February 2020 I got a phone call from the Bishop David giving me the news he was happy to recommend me to start ordination training, it’s a strange feeling being overjoyed and terrified at the same time. I don’t know what the neighbours must have thought seeing me sitting outside my mums and dads in my car crying my eyes out!
God has a role for all of us, we just have to discern through prayer and conversation what it is. We might think we’re not up to it but it’s something for us all to think about as we reread the passages from today. Am I where God has planted me? Am I following God’s call on my life whether it be joyful or difficult? If you’re not…it’s never too late to start! Remember that quote Isaiah I preached on a few weeks ago (No need to look so worried I am going to remind you), Do not be afraid, I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine! Go out, follow your vocation and be his and don’t worry if you’re scared it’ll be ok. Let me leave you with a quote from Doctor Who when the Doctor, as portrayed by John Pertwee ‘Courage isn’t a matter of not being frightened, it’s being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway’ Amen
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 