Whom Shall I Send?
I remember back in 2002 going to worship one morning, and the pastor preached from Isaiah chapter 6. He started his message with Isaiah’s words: In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty… And then he shifted and started again. The pastor said: In the year the Twin Towers fell, I saw the Lord standing above the rubble… I could see the nations up in arms… but it was the need and the suffering of the people that called to my heart…
That pastor said that the historical reference to Uzziah to the heavenly throne of God is meant to set us on edge… it is meant to grab our attention.
Years earlier, when he was a boy, he had heard a pastor preach on this text who began his message: In the year the bombs fell on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, I saw the Lord standing above the mushroom clouds and the smoldering ruins…
I’ve thought about this often since… In the year of the COVID-19 global pandemic… Or perhaps today we could say: In the year of the second election between Biden and Trump… in the year the country was divided and the social fabric of the nation was fraying at the edges… I saw the Lord sitting on his throne… And I said, “Woe is me… I am lost…I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips.”
Of course, not everyone gets to see a vision like Isaiah. But we know this vision is true; that God Almighty stands over, and even right in the midst, of whatever historical events are happening at the time. And often, out of this awareness, comes a calling:
Whom shall I send?
Whether you experience that calling as a tug on your hearts or a stirring in your souls – or whether you clearly hear God’s voice like Isaiah, or are moved by the cries of human need… or whether you just sense in your heart: this is one thing I can do right now, these callings speak to the presence of caring God – a loving God – a God whose Spirit is deep at work within us – moving us, compelling us, calling us to reach out to the places where grace is most needed.
Let us pray: Gracious God, open our eyes and hearts to even one small thing we can do, close to home today, to share your love and grace with others in need; in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Joe Albright
Joe began his ministry in Sarasota, Florida as an associate pastor, and it was in this capacity that he worked alongside the Reverend Dr. Roger Kunkel. Roger was a colleague who became a mentor and treasured friend. From Sarasota, Joe was called to Jacksonville, Florida where he served as the Head of Staff at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Currently, Joe and his family worship and serve at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Switzerland, Florida. Full Bio
