Consider the story of Moses- God gets Moses’s attention with a bush that burns “but was not consumed” and then tells Moses what God wants him to do, giving him some pretty straightforward instructions. At first Moses says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God explains that God will be with him, but Moses is still not convinced replying, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” God replies “go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But again Moses protests, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Three times the great prophet Moses argues with God when he is called to lead his people out of slavery.
I believe that each and every one of us is called. We are not usually called to do something quite as dramatic as Moses, and few of us get a sign as clear as a burning bush, but if we listen carefully to the spirit we start to notice that some choices feel different, feel right, even if they are challenging. This story tells us some very important things about the experience of being called. First, Moses (like so many other prophets in the scriptures) is reluctant to accept his call. “Who am I?” we think- surely there is someone else who could do a better job than us. Surely we’ve misunderstood – the inertial pull of our daily lives is a powerful force, who are we to resist, to change?
We also notice in this story that there is not a single call, “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Instead there is an ongoing dialogue; at each turning point in the journey God gives Moses advice about the next steps. And thank goodness- can you imagine having to figure out how to “bring the Israelites out of Egypt” without some coaching and guidance?
Each time Moses questions God’s calling, God is very clear that God is not asking Moses to do this alone. “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
I believe that if God gives us a job, God will give us the tools to do the job. For example, at one time or another all of us will have a friend, neighbor or loved one in the hospital. Even though I’ve been a minister for almost 20 years, I still get nervous when I make a hospital visit- what if I say the wrong thing? What if they would rather be alone? Even after all those years I know I could still bungle things, but I’ve learned to trust that I won’t be alone. I just have to listen- to the person lying in the hospital bed, and to the quiet movement of the spirit. Not that I’ll do everything right, not that I’ll always understand perfectly - God knows we are not perfect and sends us anyway. The spirit calls us just as we are and our job is simply to show up, and to listen. There is much that is broken in the world -- so many people who are hurting and need our help. We don’t have to be Moses, only to listen for our own unique call, then to trust the spirit will be with us, to help us and to teach us how to follow that call.
