February 9, 2025 
Lighting the Christ Candle

Welcome and Announcements 

Call to Worship 

O Holy God, like Isaiah the prophet, we stand in awe of Your glory
Touch us with Your burning presence, and we are made clean and whole.
O God, our Creator, continue to build this household of faith into what You want us to be.
O Christ, our Savior, lead us to do as You will.
O Spirit, our Power, strengthen us for the work of the Kingdom.
We give ourselves to you in worship and accept your call to  service which is ours today as well as tomorrow. 

Hymn:  414  God reveal your presence

Prayer of Approach 

We come into your presence with praise on our lips and love in our hearts for you, O Lord our God! Please accept our songs of praise as sweet offerings to you for your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Hear our songs and purify our hearts. Help us to hear your call in our lives, and even as we hear, to respond with faith and commitment. Guide us to love you more deeply. Lead us to love one another more. Help us to love others with the kind of love you have shown toward us. We praise you and give you our love. Praise the name of the Lord! Amen. 

 

Prayer of Confession:
Too often, we have clung to thoughts that we are too sinful for you. Too often, we have fused our shameful pasts with a closed future. From these beliefs, we condemn ourselves to an outlook without hope. “Go away from me!” we exclaim like Peter. “I am way too lost,” we think like Isaiah. But you have something different in mind. You see us as so much more. You see our divine image, and our creator-bestowed gifts. Save us from our negative self-talk, that we may embrace your calling for our lives. Amen.  

Assurance of Pardon 

The grace of God has molded us throughout our lives and will continue to do so until our final breath. God’s grace is never in vain. Even as God embraces and forgives our past, God moves us into the future— a future filled with hope, and the fulfillment of dreams. 

 

Passing the Peace
Hymn:  672 Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 6:  1-13 
Luke 5: 1-11  

 

Sermon:  From sinner to called 

A party game in Theological School was to describe your response to being called to ministry in terms of the Biblical calls.   

Jonah ran away. 

Moses claimed he stuttered. 

Jeremiah claimed he was too young to know how to speak. 

The list goes on.   

 

The ways in which we compared our call reactions to Biblical calls, shows that we and they felt wholly inadequate to the task we were being asked to do.   

 

It is no wonder that looking for an “escape clause” is a universal response, because God is asking us to take on a daunting task, which is complicated, and involves working with stubborn and difficult people.   

Really who wants to take that on? 

 

Yet no matter who we are, what we have done, those whom we have to work with, or even how inadequate we think we may be, God’s call transcends every objection we could ever raise. 

 

Today we look at two call stories, in which the people responded with their own sense of sinfulness as a reason for not being able to accept.   

Not able to accept, as if it was a dinner invitation on a night we already had plans.   

Saying no to God is never that easy.  

 Never. 

 

The truth is that God’s call transcends our past actions and our shame.   

God’s call is greater than our poor speech, lack of knowledge, lack of experience or any other objection we may be able to raise. 

As we look at the call of Isaiah and the call of Simon Peter we are reminded that God calls with grace; and more than that, we are encouraged to see our own calling through the lens of God’s grace. 

 

The truth is that all of us are called in one way or another.  It is not always about climbing into the pulpit to preach.  God calls us in other ways, like coming alongside others, like giving encouraging words, or expressing the grace of God in a simple conversation.   

So how do we get over our sense of unworthiness, or our sense of inadequacy? 

 

Isaiah knew without a doubt that there was “now way, no how” that he could take on the calling.  His objection was made by proclaiming two sides of the same coin.   

Did you notice God hadn’t even said anything yet?  In the vision Isaiah  saw the Lord seated on the throne, and his robe coming down and filling the Temple.  Every place was filled with God, and everywhere around God there were seraphim singing loudly and proclaiming the holiness of God. 

What would your response be when faced with this reminder of the greatness and holiness of God? 

 

Isaiah did not wait for God to speak.  He immediately  said, “Woe to me!. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:  5 NIV 

Do you know in shows or movies when someone utters a profanity and there is another person to ask the question, “Do you kiss your mother with those lips?” 

Unclean lips beg the question, “Are you worthy?” 

 

Clearly Isaiah is feeling how unworthy he is to be in the presence of God.  He feels so sinful that he can’t speak to God never mind speak for God.  Then Isaiah alludes to the second reason he is unworthy—I live among people of unclean lips.  

We have that sense that he fears that God is going to ask him to go to the people, after all, what else could God want from him. 

 

I think that is the real source of his woe, a sense of grief and sadness, complicated with an awareness of the difficulty and doom of the task God will ask.  

 

The first objection is easily taken care of.  One of the seraphim flew to him with a live coal held in a set of tongs from the altar, and pressed the coal to Isaiah’s lips, saying,  “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”  Isaiah 6:  8 NIV 

Let’s pause a moment and consider the levels of meaning in that action.   

The live coal came from the fire for the burnt offering. 

The tongs that were on the altar are holy tools used in the worship of God,  

like the candle,  

the Bible,  

the Communion cup  

and the Communion plate.   

These are things set aside for the worship of God.  These are signs that symbolize the utter grace and mercy of God. 

 

When we look at how Isaiah responded, we see that he has moved from being overcome with sin and shame, to being freed by God’s overwhelming grace. 

 

 

God asks a simple question,  “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  Isaiah 6:  8 NIV 

Isaiah’s response is full of obedience and servitude:  “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6: 8 NIV 

 

It is okay to feel inadequate, or even too sinful to be called; but remember that God is so much bigger that anything that makes us feel unworthy or sinful.   

God provides forgiveness,  

burns our sin away, 

 washes us in the blood of Jesus,  

showers us in baptismal waters or  

whatever else it takes to touch us in that deep part of ourselves that never quite feels healed.   

Our job is to simply relax into grace and then gird our loins and get ready to go forth in the name of the Lord.   

 

And then God gives Isaiah the task that he was dreading. 

To go to the people and tell them they will hear and not understand.  That they will see but not perceive the message.  That they will not understand or see what God is doing because their hearts are calloused, their ears are dull and their eyes are closed.   

And that until that changes; they will never understand, repent or be healed.  

 

This truth lies at the heart of what many clergy feel.  The frustration of people not hearing, not changing, not accepting the grace that God pours out.  They try to find new ways, they try harder, they seek out books and classes that might help them get the message across.   

What clergy don’t understand is, that it is not up to them to make the hearts of people change, that is the job of the Holy Spirit and if the people don’t listen, they cannot ever have the grace we are so desperately trying to communicate to them. 

But bless Isaiah, he knows that he will speak of God’s grace and no one will listen.  He knows that the blame for the outcome of his work is not on him.   

 

I almost hear the sigh or resignation that comes along with the next question, “For how long, Lord?”  Isaiah 6: 11 NIV 

 

The answer is not encouraging.  It is a list that devastates the heart of Isaiah, and frankly the heart of God as well.   

Speak until the land is devastated, deserted and ravaged.   

Speak until the people are taken into exile and left forsaken.   

Then speak some more.  

 

Finally  comes the word of hope: 

Speak until the seed in the stump of the land comes to redeem the people.   

By which is meant the seed from the stump of Jesse.  

 

The other call story that we encounter today is when that very seed in the stump confronts Peter, who is still known as Simon. 

The words of the prophets are being fulfilled in Jesus.  So much of what Isaiah spoke of pointed to his coming, and now he is here; but not everyone, well almost no one, recognizes him.  

 

This is not the first that Peter knew of Jesus.  Luke points out earlier that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.   

So, when Jesus asked Simon Peter to put out his boat a short distance into the water, he was already aware of the grace, mercy and power that Jesus possessed.  For that reason, he was glad to do as Jesus asked.   

 

When Jesus finished speaking, he directed Simon Peter to put out his net and catch some fish.   

Do you hear Peter sigh?   

He had been fishing all night with no luck.   Yet, with all that discouragement his response was reluctant, and still faithful.   

“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  Luke 5: 5  NIV 

 

The catch was so large that the nets on Peter’s boat were breaking and he needed to call his partners in the other boat to come and help out.   

Simon Peter is completely and totally humbled in the face of the abundance of grace.   

We read of his response, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.  Luke 5: 9-10 NIV 

Do you recognize the pattern from Isaiah’s call. 

Repentance followed by forgiveness, which leads to a call… 

And note that Simon Peter wasn’t the only one to respond. 

 

We read, Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.  

So, the provocation of the questions that God is laying before us is pretty simple and likely very frightening. 

Have you confessed your sin? 

Have you been forgiven? 

Take up your cross and follow me. 

God knows that he is asking us to lead the blind and speak to the deaf.   

God knows that he is calling us to announce grace to people with calloused hearts and dull ears.   

Or stubborn people with stiff necks.   

Or even a brood of vipers.   

God knows they won’t listen until they finally hear the Holy Spirit speaking within them.   

And until then we are simply to speak grace, proclaim love and bring mercy. 

Easy peasy, right? 

Amen. 

 

 

Hymn:  634  Will you come and follow me

Offering and Doxology 830

Offertory Prayer
 

Loving God, Deliverer of compassion, you call us to share our treasures and talents, and the work of our hands. With hearts filled with hope, we praise you for our bounty. Forever shall we sing of your generous ways, Holy One. Amen.  

 

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

O God, You are holy, and deep within ourselves where our being meets your being, we are on holy ground and your holiness surrounds us and calls our name.  We praise you and thank you for this miracle of grace. 

We are grateful that You wait to meet us, to make us holy with your holiness, to make us loving with your love, to make us hopeful with your hope. 

In your presence we bow our heads and bring before you our praises for your mercies, and our prayers asking you to extend that mercy to others.   

JOYS 

 

 

 

CONCERNS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORLD 

 

 

 

California rebuilding
Santorini earthquakes and evacuations 

Cease fire in Gaza hold/be the beginning of restoring the people to their land and being able to rebuild their homes. 

Canadian  government as it serves the population and seeks to provide for us in the face of problems coming from other countries. 

 

And now we thank you for your presence in our lives and for the calling that showers us with your glory.  You have set us free to be holy.  You have given us a place where we know sacredness, joy, and peace. Now  let us be a sacred space for others and bring them into the holiness of knowing you and being known by you. 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord who taught us to pray saying,  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever.  Amen 

 

 

Hymn:   592  I, the Lord of sea and sky

Benediction  

Go forth, recognizing God’s grace on your journey. Go forth, discerning the Spirit’s calling in your life. Go forth, identifying the Christ as your guide. In this season of light, experience the steadfast love of God and sing the ways of our merciful Creator.
Be filled with mercy, grace and power from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit now and forevermore.  Amen 

Blessing Song:  445 Open our eyes Lord

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch him, and say that we love him.  Open our ears Lord ad help us to listen
Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus 

1976, PCC 

3 Fold Amen