08/24/2025 ~ Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 16 ~ Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17 ~ YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozV4N9dxTjs ~ VIDEO OF THE FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/1113263936

Qualifications

“…Yahweh said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” Go to wherever and to whomever I send you. Say whatever I command you. Do not fear anyone, for I am with you to protect you,….’” — Jeremiah 1:7-8

I probably need to start my comments with an apology because I’m going to talk about theater and, of course, I have this background in professional theater. But Bonnie and I have season tickets to the Maine State Music Theater. We attend on the first Sunday night of the run. So two weeks ago today we experienced the last show scheduled for this season, West Side Story.

I have seen at least, and maybe more, three professional productions of this classic theater work. And I think the folks at Maine State did a very good job.

All of the people behind the original production are thought of as giants in this art form but they are now all deceased. I want name just three of them. The music is by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the direction and choreography is by Jerome Robbins.

Something struck me as this Maine State version unfolded I had not thought about a lot before. The score could be called “through composed.” That means in the course of the play the music both tells the story and moves it forward.

As the play unfolds we hear musical references about what has already happened but the music does not really repeat itself. Hence, each piece of music seems to build on whatever we’ve already heard.

But what also struck me is how much of the musical is driven by dance. It’s an intragil part of the score.

In the opening number of West Side, the Prologue, this dance/music connection is evident. The choreography of Robbins is underlined by the music of Bernstein but there are no lyrics. With no words the music and dance alone sets up the play, offers a subtle foreshadowing, prepares the audience for the tragic story which follows. (Slight pause,)

Now, several years later Sondheim wrote the music and the lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In an out of town tryout this show was at first a total dud. People were walking out before the end of the first act.

Why? The first song people heard was Love Is in the Air. Jerome Robbins was called in to consult and asked the writers a key question: what is this show about?

Answer: it’s not about love in the air. This is farce, a comedy. The writers then realized the audience needed to be told what this story was about.

So Love Is in the Air was ditched and Sondheim wrote: “Something familiar / Something peculiar/ Something for everyone— a comedy tonight! // Something appealing / Something appalling / Something for everyone— a comedy tonight!”

That song was not at all subtle. It told the audience to be ready to laugh, be ready for a comedic story. Overnight the show suddenly worked. At times we do need to know what to expect, whether it’s subtle or blunt, in order to understand what something is about. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Jeremiah: “…Yahweh said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” Go to wherever and to whomever I send you. Say whatever I command you. Do not fear anyone, for I am with you to protect you,….’” (Slight pause.)

The first chapter of this work is often labeled as the “Call of Jeremiah.” That means, specifically, the summons of God to Jeremiah. But is that what this is about, simply a call to the prophet, or is there more going on?

I think it may help us if we try to look at the big picture. I say that because of the admonition of Yahweh, God, to Jeremiah (quote): “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’”

The writing is clear. Jeremiah’s complaint is about not being able to do the will of God because of inadequacy, not being qualified. But Scripture is riddled with people who feel inadequate, unqualified or just unable to do the will of God. These range from Moses who claims to be insufficiently glib to speak with the Pharaoh to the plea of Jesus who asks God to let the cup pass.

One might loosely call these reasons for not wanting to acquiesce to the call of God a lack sufficient qualifications or a lack of will or even trepidation. But we need to remember two things: God does not call the qualified. God qualifies the called. And of most importance, God walks with us. (Quote:) “I am with you to protect you.” (Slight pause.)

In many ways this passage is, for me, personal. I know something about giving God reasons for not wanting to do the thing to which I was called. Over time a number of people suggested to me— no they did not suggest; they directly told me— people told me I should go to seminary.

After I reached a certain age— my early 30s— I insisted the reason for not going to seminary is I was by far too old to do that. Graduate studies— that’s for younger folks.

But I did enter seminary and it was at the age of 44. Yep— no doubt about it— I was too old. And now I’ve been in the pulpit for better than 30 years. How did that happen? (Slight pause.)

Not going to seminary earlier may have been a poor choice or a good one. But this is clear to me: answering a call is about the choices we make. I first made a choice to not go to seminary and then I did. I’m sure we all have days on which we feel like we’ve made poor choices and we feel we’ve made good choices.

But I think the choices we make are less important than the relationships to which we hold fast. And it’s relationship— singular, one on one, and relationships, plural, with many people— which have seen me through my time in ministry.

So this is my take: if we go about the work of building relationships with one another, God walks with us. So I maintain the message offered in this passage is if we strive to be about relationships and continue to build relationships, God walks with us no matter what choices we make. (Slight pause.)

There are many writings which open by telling you what they are about. Some, like West Side Story, do it with subtle foreshadowing. Some, like a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, are just blunt, no foreshadowing.

When it comes to Scripture the first words of the Gospel of Mark, for instance, are not subtle. (Quote:) “Here begins the Gospel of Jesus, the Christ, Child of God.” That bluntly tells you what this work is going to be about.

I think the opening chapter of Jeremiah is not just about the call of Jeremiah. It is subtlety engaged in foreshadowing. It tells us what the rest of this scroll is about— walking with God. And the life and ministry of this prophet illustrates the journey. But you’ll have to read the rest of the scroll to understand that.

In fact, the basic message in the entire scroll of Jeremiah says God wants us to be in relationship with God and God wants us to be in relationships with each other. And that is the real the call God has for all of us— relationships matter. Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
08/24/2025

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “To follow up on my comments today, I am convinced of this. God calls each of us as individuals and all of us collectively to a community of faith. Once we choose a community of faith— note: this is our choice— then God leaves it up to each of us individually and all of us collectively to ask what is the task, the work of each of us individually and all of us collectively— what work will we be called in the context of that community of faith. So, to what in the context of this community of faith are you being called by God? And what action are you prepared to take to strengthen relationships as you answer that call?”

BENEDICTION: May God bless us and keep us. May the face of God shine upon us and be gracious to us. May God look upon us with kindness and give us peace. May the God of joy fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may abound in hope. And may we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe of God, that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.