Jeremiah 31:7-14, 1 Peter 2:1-10, John 1:1-18

Jeremiah 31:7-14

1 Peter 2:1-10

John 1:1-18

We Are All Called

January 3, 2010

Christmas 2

Officer Ordination / Installation

Happy New Year!

It is indeed a new year – a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities.

But we have to let it be that for us.

We have to let ourselves take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that God may be laying before us — or this year will not be any different than any other.

You may remember my story about when I was young I used to want to stay up until midnight on New Years Eve and “see the New Year in”.  When I was 4 I decided that I was going to stay up and “see the New  Year in” – for it was not just a new year – but a new decade.  When the clock struck midnight it was no longer going to the 1959 – but 1960 – not the 1950’s – but the 1960’s!  I was sure that this was going to bring great changes – and things were going to suddenly look different.

I was excited! I was ready to stay up to “see the New Year in” – to “see the new decade in” but around 10:30 my tiredness caught up with my excitement. I decided I would lie down for awhile – but slept through the whole thing. On the morning of January 1, 1960 I awoke – disappointed that I had missed the New Year – the new decade — coming in – but raced outside to see how the New Year looked. I expected things to look different. Surely things would look different. Of course, nothing looked different. I told my parents that I did not know what the big deal was – everything looked the same to me.

Is that how the new year will be for us – just the same?

Or – will we see and take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that lie before us?

For us here at Hopewell, today is not only a time for celebrating and thinking about the new possibilities and new opportunities God may be presenting us in our personal lives this new year – but it is also a time for celebrating and thinking about new possibilities  and new opportunities God may presenting us as a Church. Dresden Tucker and Sonny Sandifer have heard God’s call to serve Him and the Church — have responded by saying “Here I am” – and we have ordained them as Elders and installed them to active service on the Session.  Jay Gregg and Jimmy Gregg have also heard God’s call to serve Him and the Church – have responded again by saying “Here I am” – and we have installed them to active service on the Session.

God is laying new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities before us. But – - here’s the thing — we can grasp these new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities – and with God’s strength can do new and greater things for Him in the Church, the community, and the world — or we can just keep doing same old things in the same old ways and it can be “business as usual” – the same thing as always – and wonder why things remain the same.

It’s up to us.

Actually, it’s up to you.

It’s up to you to make the new year – with the new opportunities that lay before us – what you will make of them.

We can take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities God is laying before us – and truly be changed as individuals and as a Church – or we can just keep doing the same old things the same old ways and wonder why things never change.

You remember that Joshua told the people of Israel that they had to choose who they would serve – but as for him – he was going to serve the Lord.

In the same way, you have to choose if you are going to take advantage of the  new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities God is laying before us – and truly be changed as an individual – and if we will be changed as a Church.  But, as Joshua – I want to go on record as saying that – as for me – I want to take advantage of the new possibilities God is laying before us.  I want Hopewell to be the Church God would have us be.  I want us all to say – when God calls us – “Here I am – tell me what You want me to do”.

Anybody with me?

Anybody else want to listen for God’s call to us – and say to God:

“Here I am  – tell me what You want me to do”

Some of you may remember John Belushi’s stirring speech in the movie “Animal House” – and although he got his facts very confused – he ended with charging out the door – by himself.  He then returned and – with the typical Belushi raised eyebrow – looked around the room to see why no one else was following him.

I don’t want to go charging into the year by myself.

I pray that you will follow me – and together we will hear God’s call – and together we will be willing to respond to God:

“Here I am – tell me what You want me to do”

But – here’s another question.

After you choose that you want to take advantage of the  new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities God is laying before us – and truly be changed as an individual – and want to work for a change in the Church – after you decide that you want to respond to God’s call:

“Here I am  – tell me what You want me to do”

How do you do it?

How can you really take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities God is laying before you – and truly be changed?

How can you act on that commitment you make when you say to God:

“Here I am – tell me what You want me to do”

The passage from 1 Peter I read a few moments ago gives us an idea of what God thinks of us:

you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

We are a chosen n race — a royal priesthood — a holy nation — God’s own people

That’s who we are as a community of Christians.

You are a chosen n race — a royal priesthood — a holy nation — God’s own person.

That’s who you are as an individual.

Chosen – royal – and holy

Holy – the Greek word is haggios — which means different – or set apart

That is who we are!

As a Christian, that’s who you are!

Regardless of what we might think about ourselves — regardless of what our opinions of ourselves might be –  this is what God thinks – and what God’s opinion is.

Regardless of what you might think about yourself  — regardless of what your opinion  of yourself might be –  this is what God thinks of you – and what God’s opinion is.

And it is God’s opinion that counts here!

And – God has a purpose for us – a purpose for you — as Peter writes –

to proclaim the mighty acts of him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

So – now you know what God thinks of you – and what God is calling you to do. We are the glorious people of God – called to show to the world the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You are a glorious person of God – called to show to the world the glory of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is who we are – and what we are to be doing. That’s who you are – and what you are to be doing.

A glorious person of God – called to show to the world the glory of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When you say to God:

“Here I am – tell me what You want me to do”

You are saying –

“I’m willing to be live as Your glorious person – and I’m willing to do what I can to show the world Your glory.”

Yea – it is a new year. A year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that God is laying before us. Yea – starting today we have a new Session – this particular group has never served and lead before.

It’s up to us to decide what we are going to do with the new things God lays before us.

It’s up to the members of the Session to decide what they are going to do  with the new things God lays before them and before us.

But – it’s up to each of you to decide if you are willing to truly say to God:

“I’m willing to be live as Your glorious person – and I’m willing to do what I can to show the world Your glory.”

It’s up to you to decide if you are going to say to God:

“Here I am – tell me what You want me to do”

God is calling.

God is calling each of us.

God is calling you.

We like to talk about how members of the Session are “called by God”
– but the truth is we are all called.

We are all called to take advantage of each and every opportunity God lays before us – and to let God truly make this year different – for us as individuals – and for us at Hopewell Presbyterian Church.

We are all called.

How will we respond?

How will you respond?

It’s up to us to decide what we are going to do with the opportunities God is giving us. It’s up to us to decide if we are going to let God bless us – and truly live out our calling to be glorious people – called to show to the world our glorious God

It’s up to you to decide what you are going to do with the opportunities God is giving you. It’s up to you to decide if you are going to let God bless you – and truly live out your calling to be a glorious person of God – and show your glorious God to the world.

One opportunity each of us are going to have take part in what God is doing here at Hopewell will occur next Sunday.  We are going to have a very special day here next Sunday as we gather around God’s Table for the Sacrament of Communion during worship – then gather next Sunday afternoon at 3:00 to share some of the ideas God gave us as we spent last fall in our Prayer Groups. I look forward to seeing each of you at Worship and at the sharing time next Sunday as together we strive to listen to God respond to His call to us.

You heard Dresden, Sonny, Jay and Jimmy respond in the affirmative to the Ordination questions earlier. That’s a way of their responding to God’s call by saying:

“Here I am. Tell me what you want me to do”.

“I want to be Your glorious person – show me how I can show Your glorious will to the world”.

What about you?

How do you respond?

If we truly want this year to be different for us as individuals and as a Church, it’s up to each of us to respond to God by saying – in our own way:

“Here I am. Tell me what you want me to do”.

“I want to be Your glorious person – show me how I can show Your glorious will to the world”.

The members of the Session are called by God.

We are all called by God.

We are all called.

How do we respond?

How do you respond?

I urge you to decide that this year will not be “business as usual” or “just the same” for you – and for us as a Church.

I urge you to commit to making it different.

I urge you to let God change you.

I urge you to let God change us — so we can indeed take advantage of all the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that God is laying before us – and become God’s glorious people – called to show to the world our glorious God. Amen.