A blog by Carol Crawford Rowe, originally used as a sermon in December, 1999, at Twelfth Street United Methodist Church, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
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Do you remember how it is to play hide and seek?
The person who is seeking counts – “One…two…three.”
Sometimes the person who is hiding calls out “Start again. I’m not ready yet.”
But, eventually, there comes the final call –
“One hundred…Ready or not, here I come!”
And so it is in every person’s life.
The voice of God keeps echoing down the corridors of time.
“I’m coming. Ready or not, I’m on the way!”
God called to Adam and Eve.
“I’m ready to come and walk with you. Let us fellowship together, as I planned
when I created you. Where are you? Why are you hiding from me?”
They answered, “We’re not ready to walk in fellowship with you.
We like our own way better.
We made a choice to walk in pain and sin.”
God called to Cain.
“I’m ready to be your God, not just the God of your parents. I’m ready to share my love with you. What have you done?
Will you allow sin to master you? Or will you experience my love?”
Cain answered, “I can’t even love my brother, whom I know.
How can I be ready to love you?”
God called to Lot, and to his family.
“I’m ready to establish a great nation through your Uncle Abraham.
Come away from this evil city and share in the blessing of my presence.”
They answered, “We love the social life.
We enjoy the glamour and excitement here.
We’re not ready to give it up to be with you.”
God called to Joseph’s brothers.
“I’m ready to prepare a new way of life for the children of your father, Israel.”
The brothers answered, “We’re not ready to accept new leadership.
We’re not ready to follow someone else’s dream.”
God called to Moses.
I’m ready to show my people great and mighty things.
I’m ready to set them free.
Come, be my voice among, and for, my people.
Speak for me.”
Moses answered, “I’m not ready to speak out for you.
I don’t know how, and your people aren’t ready to listen, anyway!”
God called to King Saul.
“I’m ready to empower a human symbol of my leadership.
Be the channel of my presence with my people.
Let your kingship show the attributes of God.”
Saul answered, “I’m not ready to do things for your glory.
I need the glory and the recognition for myself.”
God called to Zechariah.
“I’m ready to do a great work through you and your wife, Elizabeth.
I’m sending you a son to bear the message of my Son.”
Zechariah answered, “I’m too old to be usable to you.
I’m not ready to believe that you can do this.”
God called to Nicodemus.
“I’m ready to create new life in you.”
Nicodemus answered, “I think I’m ready for new life, but I’m not ready to let anyone know it.
I’ll talk to you at night, but I’m not ready to be seen with you by day.”
God called to Judas Iscariot.
“I’m ready to establish a new world order, a rule of peace and love.”
Judas answered, “I’m ready to accept your kingship in this world
But I’m not ready for this kingdom based on love.
You’ll have to establish your reign in the way I think is best.”
God called to the people of Nazareth and Galilee.
“I’m ready to walk with you and talk with you.
I’m ready to live with you, as was my plan before I formed the world.
Come, share my life.”
The people answered, “You’re too contemporary.
We’re not ready to give up our comfortable religious lifestyle
for such a radical change of life.”
God called to Mary of Nazareth.
“I’m ready to enter the world as one of you
If you will trust me with your life, I’ll trust you with mine.
You’ll bear my life into this world.”
Mary answered, “I’m ready, Lord.
Do whatever it takes to work your way in me,
so you can work your way through me.”
Each of us hears the sound of someone calling out to us.
Sometimes, the call is faint and far away.
We have ignored it for so long that we don’t know that we are actually hearing it.
We’ve called out for so long “I’m not yet ready – start again”,
that we’re not sure the voice we hear is God’s, or ours.
Sometimes the call is loud – demanding and insistent – and we can not escape the sound.
Our name rings out from heaven and finds us where we hide.
But always, soft or loud,
and everywhere, far distant, or closer than the air we breathe,
the sound is present.
The Voice keeps calling us,
and we must choose to answer or ignore
the call of God –
“Ready or not – here I come!”
