If only things could be simple like they were back in the good old days of the Bible, it would be a whole lot easier to be faithful. Just think of it -- God actually communicated directly with people. They knew God was real. They knew what God wanted them to do. There was no room for doubts or questions. Just think of it! Faith would be transformed.

I used to have thoughts like that when I was a kid and I guess if the truth be told there are times when I still do. But the reality is that things weren’t much different back in the “good old days” of the Bible. You have only to scan the highlights of scripture to begin discovering a pattern in the ways people respond to an encounter with the presence of the divine. From Moses at the burning bush to Isaiah with his vision of the heavenly court to the shepherds on the hillside outside of Bethlehem to Peter in the boat with Jesus to Paul on the Damascus road, the response is always the same. It is actually a two-part response. First there is fear. Throughout the Bible, almost without exception, whenever anyone encounters the divine presence, the first message they receive is “Be not afraid.” I think they probably cover it in angel basic training -- “When you first show up, expect that people will be terrified. It is what people do. Get used to it. Before they will be able to hear what you came to say, you will first have to calm them down, so begin by saying ‘Be not afraid.’ ” There is something about coming face to face with the reality of God that leaves people quaking in their shoes. And the second part of their response flows directly from the first part. No one ever seems to feel they are worthy of such divine attention. They protest and try to claim that they are not up to whatever task God is trying to call them. Moses says, “Get someone else, God. I’m no good at public speaking.” Isaiah says, “I’m no good and my people are no good.” Peter says, “I’m a worthless sinner, Jesus. You shouldn’t even be hanging around with me.” Paul says, “I’ve done terrible things to God’s people and I don’t deserve to be chosen by God.” Everyone is afraid and no one thinks they’re worthy.

When you look at it that way, it doesn’t sound like faith was very much easier way back in the good old days of the Bible. In many ways things haven’t really changed a lot between then and now. Today when we hear about people conversing with God in burning bushes, or having visions of heavenly throne rooms, or being with Jesus in a boat, or hearing God’s voice on the street, we tend to think they are a little bit crazy. But we still have access to an awareness of God’s desires for our lives. Through prayer and scripture reading and participation in a community of faith, it is still possible to experience the presence of God in significant and sometimes even dramatic ways. If we listen carefully, it is still possible to gain a sense of God’s voice offering direction for our living. And when we do, our response is very much the same now as it was for the people we read about in scripture. We frequently are still afraid and we still feel unworthy of such divine attention. So maybe we have more in common with Isaiah and Peter and Paul than we thought.

And thus it is that the outcome of our encounters with God’s call in our lives has more in common with them as well. You see, God doesn’t choose us and call us because we’re worthy or up to the challenge. God chooses us and calls us because that is how God has elected to work in the world. So when folks respond to God’s call with fear and with protests of unworthiness, God doesn’t let that get in the way. God didn’t say to Isaiah, “You’re right, you are a man of unclean lips and you do live among a people of unclean lips. What was I thinking, trying to work through you? I’ll be going now.” Jesus didn’t say to Peter, “You’re right, you are a sinful man and I’m not going to have anything more to do with you. You’re on your own from now on. I’m going to go find someone perfect to work for me.” Paul didn’t encounter Christ on the road to Damascus, only to be told that he had been slated to be named an apostle, but upon further review of his record, the nomination was being withdrawn. And it is no different with us. When God calls us, through whatever means and for whatever purpose, God knows and understands who it is that is being called. It is not a matter of being worthy. It is a matter of being willing to allow God to work through us, empowering us to become who God has called us to be. We don’t have to believe we’re up to the task (because often we’re not). We only have to believe that God has chosen us to do important work on God’s behalf. We only have to believe that those whom God has chosen God will also enable.

Whether it is some dramatic, face to face encounter, or some subtler, more mundane experience, being called by God can be a frightening and overwhelming experience. May we, like those who have gone before us, hear both parts of the message from God -- “Be not afraid.” and “I will make you my people.” May we hear God’s call in our lives and respond with trust.