Isaiah 6:1–8, (9–13) (also the O.T. reading for Trinity Sunday, Year B)
Marc Chagall, The Prophet Isaiah, 1968
Musée National Marc Chagall, Nice, France.
The Odd and Overwhelming Otherness of God
The odd and overwhelming
otherness of God
—In which Isaiah stands as if
he's some divining rod
Who's found the source of life
and all creatIon's power—
Is followed by so deep a self-
awareness, he just cowers
In his inadequacy:
Woe! Lost! And unclean!
And he is doomed, for all
the majesty that he has seen;
But God has means, it seems,
the doomed one to reclaim,
The coal in tongs atones,
and guilt departed is proclaimed.
But lest we think the prophet
basks in holy bliss,
All-glowing with what must have seemed,
with such an act, God's kiss,
The one who's touched, looks up,
and from his bended knee,
And knowing what he's called to do,
says, "Here I am; send me!"
Such odd, persistent grace
comes when and where it will;
To you, to me, and everyone,
So love its name fulfills.
Scott L. Barton
(The phrase "the odd, overwhelming otherness of God," and other ideas in the poem come from Walter Brueggemann's Isaiah 1-39 in the Westminster Bible Companion series, pp. 57-60.)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.
And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
+ + +
Luke 5:1–11
Christ Calling the First Disciples
San Pedro Bautista, Candelaria, Philippines
photo, Ramon Velasquez
Winning Combination
He had the winning combination
That’s known by every congregation
When it’s alive and full of spirit
That shows when someone comes to visit;
They found that he was energizing
By doing two things quite surprising.
He simply knew what went unheeded,
And simply did what people needed;
For news from God is what they hungered—
In words both brave, and full of wonder!
Thus he proclaimed, his words the blessing
They then received upon their pressing.
And next, he showed them such astounding
Largesse around them, so abounding,
The efforts of th’entire gath’ring
Were needed to haul in, so stagg’ring
The bounty each and all provided
When by his steering they were guided.
Perhaps belief is overrated,
And God’s providing, understated;
So if you feel you’re catching nothing,
Announce the news that’s still so stunning:
Through all our hunger, wealth and sighing,
To each and all, Love’s here! Supplying!
Scott L. Barton
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
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