I’ve been thinking a lot about my call lately. Wondering if I should write the events down as I remember them so that someday when I am 90 I can tell my grandchildren the story without leaving the good parts out. I don’t want to forget. It’s been 20 years now since this whole thing started and I am still amazed at how strange and wonderful life is with it’s twists and turns.
This morning’s reading from The Lent Project started me thinking about God’s call and how it comes again. Today’s reading is the story of Moses’ call, coming from within the burning bush. It seems so odd, so unusual for God to connect this way and yet, at the same time it shouldn’t surprise us. Moses is going about his business, making sure the flock doesn’t wander too far. He was observant of his surroundings and he noticed that something was out of the ordinary. Spotting a burning bush, he went in for a closer look and that’s when it happened. God called out to him “Moses! Moses!”.
What I love about this story is that Moses noticed. He noticed and then drew closer to God. Drew closer and found himself taken on a journey he would never have expected. What really hit me today as I reflected on this passage was the fact that God was able to use Moses because he noticed and acted. It wasn’t just about being called. Moses needed to respond to that call.
I am a minister in a time when people of faith need to start noticing and responding. We need to look for burning bushes. We need to listen for the rustling winds of the spirit. Churches are declining, people are searching for meaning and the world is crying out for help. We need to hear God’s call and respond to it. It’s time for us to listen and act.
Often we get caught up in our own issues. There are bills to pay, pews to fill, people to see. We forget sometimes about our missions and we fail to hear when God is calling us on a new path because of these things. Imagine if Moses had been too busy balancing the books to head into Egypt and free his people. What if he said he couldn’t go because he didn’t want things to change, that he liked them the way they were? This would be a completely different story.
All of our great stories require action from us. Without action we would be nowhere.
Moses’ decision to move towards the bush really resonated with me today. I don’t want to live my life wondering if I should have done something, I’d much rather just do it. I want to be more like Moses. I want to see burning bushes and act when God comes calling.
