THE DECISIONS WE MAKE

A sermon by the Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk

Harundale Presbyterian Church

Glen Burnie, Maryland

June 15, 2003

Text: “Here I am; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

First Reading: Romans 8:12-17

Second Reading: John 3:1-17

During one of the commencements I attended these past weeks, the speaker made a very profound observation. She told the students that the measure of their life will not be the sum total of their talents and abilities. Rather, the measure of their life and its success or failure will depend on the decisions they make. Our scripture this morning is a classic example of that very point. All of the drama, Isaiah’s seeing the Lord high an lifted up, the seraphs calling to one another, the house filling with smoke, and the coal touching his lips, all lead up to one thing: God’s call and Isaiah’s decision. It would change his life. The sum total of his talents and abilities would assist him in crafting what would become his prophetic message and ministry; yet his life would be measured by that moment he replied: “Here I am; send me!”

The students at the commencement probably didn’t realize the profundity of what they were hearing. All they wanted to do was to get their diploma and get on with the party. Nevertheless what she told them would be true throughout the rest of their lives. Some had already decided to go on to further education. That would take care of the next four or five years of their lives. Some had already decided to seek work. Their next years would be involved in earning a living, handling debt and credit cards, being responsible and accountable to their bosses. Some had already decided to get married. Their lives would be shared with another person with all of the compromises, arguments, joys, and possible childbirth that would involve. Some were notably undecided about what they were going to do. That in its self proved the very point the speaker was making, such a simple, yet profound observation. The measure of your life will not be the sum total of your talents and abilities, but rather will depend on the decisions you make.

God was saying to Isaiah, just as God had done with Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and all those who had gone before him, now is the moment to decide. About four years ago Florence Brown asked me if I would be her power of attorney if anything were to happen to her. I said “yes” and thought nothing further about it. You know how it is when someone asks us to decide something, we think it’ll probably never happen and we forget about it. Well, when I got home from our trip, one of the first things I heard was that Florence was in hospital and I had to make all of her medical and financial decisions. It seems that Florence had taken my decisions very seriously and had gone immediately to the lawyers and had the proper papers drawn.

Being a power of attorney was a completely new experience for me. When my dad died my mother took care of everything. Then when she died my brother was there and managed her estate. Prior to Florence I’d never been asked. So, the past weeks have been a learning experience, first with the hospital. Right away I had to start making medical decisions for Florence. When was she going to be released from the hospital and where was she going to go. What would she need in the way of rehabilitation and where would be the best facility to get that done. Then it was off to the bank. I had to have my name put on her account so that I could pay her bills and keep her financial house in order. Speaking of the house, that had to be cleaned. There was food on the table and dishes in the sink. The refrigerator needed cleaning and things thrown away.

What God was telling Isaiah was to be God’s power of attorney. Not so much that Isaiah would accomplish what God was unable to do, but rather that Isaiah would be God’s arms, legs and voice with the Israelite people. It’s the same sort of decisions God calls us to make. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The same as what Florence asked me to do. We are to care for sick, clothe the naked, offer financial assistance to those who are strapped for funds, empower the powerless, all those things that we hear and see in Jesus of Nazareth and Paul’s letters. The measure of our life will not be the sum total of our talents and our abilities, but our life will be measured by the decisions we make.

Today is Trinity Sunday. It’s a day in the church year when we continue to highlight the Pentecost experience, and concentrate on the work of the Holy Spirit. Shirley Guthrie, in his book, Always Being Reformed, gives what I think is a very good definition of the Holy Spirit. He writes, “the Spirit is not just the agent or instrument of the Father and the Son but does something that is the Spirit’s own unique work. I think that it can be summarized with the word new. The Holy Spirit brings new creaturely life that is stronger than sickness and even death itself. The Spirit makes possible new beginnings in the lives of people whose lives seem to be at a dead end…When the Holy Spirit breaks in, old ways of thinking and living are left behind and new ways of thinking and living begin to take over…It may not happen all at once, but when the Holy Spirit comes, a new day dawns, and with it hope for a different future not only for individual Christians and the Christian community but for the world, with courage and strength to move toward it.” (Page 83)

Do you hear how old ways of thinking and living are left behind and new ways of thinking and living begin to take over. That’s the same sort of thing that happens when we make decisions. Decisions let the Holy Spirit into our lives. Decisions let new things happen to us. When we decide to do God’s will we become powers of attorney and actually act as God’s agents in whatever we do. The Seraphs made sure that Isaiah was filled with God’s Spirit as he began his prophetic ministry. We, too, will be filled with that same Spirit as we answer whenever God calls, “Here I am;send me!”

Thanks be to God,

Amen