"Signs of Our Future" Isaiah 35:4-7a
Sept. 6, 2009
Metairie, LA
Every time we baptise a baby, every time we share communion we engage in the imaginative exercise, knowing that the future is open, that a new day, a brand new reality is coming, that our future is NOT predetermined. In the language of the prophets, God makes a way where there was no way.
This is a major theme of the Bible- God has something new in mind for God's people. In the case of Isaiah's people, defeated politically, crushed as a nation by a superpower, its leaders enslaved (again) in a foreign land, Isaiah speaks to them a radical new vision of cosmic restoration. And that vision prompted hope, which prompted courage, which prompted confidence, which prompted trust in the Lord's plan for the people. And it came to be.
"Without a vision the people perish", says another prophet.
In another century lived a saint, St. Joan, an illiterate peasant girl, who everyone predicted would be nothing more than all the other illiterate peasant girls- a farm and household laborer, a young wife, a young mother, an early death, likely from childbirth or a farm accident.
Against all reasonable predictions Joan because a charismatic military leader and then later was imprisoned by the Inquisition, ultimately burned at the stake. There are all sorts of imaginative legends about St. Joan, but in addition we have very detailed records of her conversations with the inquisitors, who kep faultless records of their work. And I warn you that these meticulous records are not for the squeamish!
During one interrogation by an inquisitor, who is particularly disdainful that such a low class girl would be granted voices and visions, which were revelations from God, a remarkable exchange occurred. Contemptuously, the inquisitor dismisses the possibilty that these voices come from God; on the contrary, he insists, "they come from your imagination."
Joan replies, "Of course! that is how the messages of God come to us."
Joan, in the simplicity and clarity of those who are close to God, stakes her life on the startling assumption that God speaks through our imaginations. She knows that what we imagine can be real and precious and sacred.
Joan's claim- that God speaks to us through our imaginations- is reflected throughout our Bible stories. God speaks to Joseph through dreams. God calls Elijah in a dream. God speaks to Sarah and Hannah and Elizabeth through angels who bring the vision of unexpected blessings that the barren one will conceive. Just so, Isaiah predicts that the lame shall walk, the blind shall see, the desert shall blossom.
Why? Because God is not done with us yet. God is not done with creation; God is not done with defeated nations or enslaved communities; God is not done with us as individuals. Our future is open to blessings we have not even conceived, if only we will open our eyes and unstop our ears to the new things that God intends for us.
Today we celebrate that God does a new thing for Good Shepherd UCC. God has brought us a baby girl, a unique and promising baby girl, Lacey Michelle, for us to cherish and to enjoy. And lest we forget, God has brought us Lacey's young mother, also to cherish and to enjoy.
We don't have trouble imagining new experiences, an open future for them, do we? They are young. Who knows? Lacey may become an opera star- there are musical genes in her family. She might be a chef, or a firefighter, or a nurse or a geologist. She has an open future; we are sure of that.
Yes, true enough, but God has also opened a way for the elderly- a pathway for those blind with glaucoma and those lame with canes or wheelchairs. The oldsters like myself with wobbly knees- God is not done with us yet, either.
Sometimes we let the stark realities of the morning newspaper- the murder last week of an Indian immigrant who provided space in his hotel for the homeless and also for our newest church start, Freedom Fellowship UCC- the affront of Mose Jefferson conniving with a school board member for graft which only further debilitates our public schools- or the degredation of our marshlands because of greed and incompetance- these discourage us, oppress us into a world weary philosophy that "nothing ever changes", "that's just the way things are", "it's always been that way".
Religious imagination challenges that scenario- "There is nothing new under the sun". The crooked politicians, we can hold them accountable! Our terrible immigration systems, our broken prison systems- they can be reformed in a Christ like manner.
God has something new and better in mind. God is not done with us yet. The deciding work has been done in Jesus Christ who defied death, who defied evil, and thereby became God's ultimate sign of victory.
When we participate in communion, we re-member with our imaginations, our friend, Jesus. We bring him among us and welcome his personal presence to our gathering. We remember though visionary stories that there are no barriers to God's grace. NONE.
As we initiate our search for a new minister, we will be engaged in an imaginative exercise about our congregational future. To what great call are we challenged, in the name of Jesus? To what great vision, guided by the Holy Spirit, will we orient our efforts?
Today we welcome Lacey Michelle, full of hope and promise for a fresh new start. Can we also imagine that for ourselves? As a church? As individuals?
Can we say, "God is not done with us yet!" and "God is not done with me yet". God sends us a vision of who we might become and let us pray that we are not blind to God's vision or deaf to God's word which promises the restored commonwealth governed by Lord Jesus.
Let the people say, "Amen".
