Grace to you and peace from Jesus the Christ, who calls us to leave our homes, who promises us blessing, and who journeys with us in these days. AMEN.
Can you imagine being called like Abram was called? (Just in case--btw--you’re wondering why it’s Abram and Sarai and not Abraham and Sarah, God hasn’t changed their names yet...that’s 7 chapters later. For 7 chapters they’re Abram and Sarai.) Can you imagine being called and asked to move like they were.
The text says that Abram was a young, 20-something, lad, footloose, d.f.w., and up for taking on the world with his new young bride, right?! [pause] No! Abram, like most of our Old Testament characters was up there in years! (in gen’l: OT characters = old, NT = young :) 75 years old: and God calls out to him. Asked him to leave it all and go to a new place!
Good thing God doesn’t ask that of us, right? Good thing God leaves us alone once we’re past the age of 30, right? Just do what you do, God says. Don’t change. Just stay there, where you are.
I met a man this week. His name is Abdullah (which means ‘servant of God’). Abdullah is an Iraqi Christian who lives here in El Cajon, and he is the grandfather of one of our preschoolers here at ABC Barn. I’ve been making coffee in the mornings and sitting outside to visit with preschool parents and grandparents for the past few weeks. Abdullah is from the region of Ur! And -- don’t tell him I told you this -- but I would guess he’s about 75. He had to flee his homeland, not necessarily because God told him to, but because of religious persecution. As many of you know, in certain regions of Iraq, it’s no longer physically safe for Christians to be there.
But he came from Ur! And he drops his grand-daughter off every day at the preschool! So I asked him what the area is like. Desert, dry, hot, miserable...right? I assumed. I figured Abram was a nomad sitting in hot climate and was so quick to leave because there wasn’t much going on where he was from anyway. NO! Abdullah, described the land as rich farming land, green and fertile, the ancient rivers in world -- Tigris and Euphrates, and where many believe the Garden of Eden may have been. Fishing was a huge industry, and plenty of space for cattle and crops to grow together, and make any rancher/farmer/fisherman like Abram very wealthy and comfortable.
Meeting Abdullah was a gift because it made this rich narrative more 3-dimensional. Abram left good things behind in response to God’s call.
Good thing God doesn’t ask that of us, right? Good thing God pretty much leaves us alone after we’re young. Good thing this is just an old, old story about some amazing dude and his wife, and it really doesn’t speak to us today. Good thing God won’t be bothering us like that, challenging us, and asking us move to a new place...and even keep moving (last line: they “journeyed on by stages”). Don’t change. Stay put. Houses not tents. Put your stake down, and stop listening for God’s call. [pause]
No, this is about us too, sisters and brothers in Christ. You see, if we weren’t joined to Christ all of that would be true -- it would just be an old, old story for other families of faith, but not for you and me. But because of Christ (I had said last week, we read these with Christ lenses on) because of Christ this Covenant-making involves us too. Jesus opened the covenant up for all -- it’s not about blood-lines and genealogies that prove we’re connected with Abram. It is through Jesus that we’re connected.
And so this is our story too! These are our patriarchs and matriarchs in the faith too. “I am one of them and so are you! So let’s all praise the Lord!”
This is our call, too: to go to a new place.
Where is God calling you in this time in your life. Is it to move to another part of the country or the world? I don’t think we should so immediately resist considering that, especially when we’re old. Is God calling you to be somewhere else in order to be a blessing for others? [pause] Is it to a new position or a new responsibility? A new job, maybe? And is it God’s call or your desire? We always have to lay that distinction out there -- learning what I learned about Abram’s homeland this week, it could not have been his desire to leave. [pause] What is God calling you to leave behind, and where is God calling you to move? -- That’s your question for this week. (Take devotions home; pray, read.) Because this covenant involves you too. Can’t get out of it; I’ve become more and more fond of saying: “God loves you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” So where are you going, in response to that love? Is it to a new place of understanding or listening -- not always jumping to judgement or retort? Is God calling you to a place of forgiveness. After years and years of living in a land of resentment and pent up anger, and passive aggression, is God speaking to you this day? “I love you, I promise never to leave you, now go, take your things that are important, leave the rest behind, and move to this new land that I will give you.”
It’s definitely scary to leave what we’ve always known. I remember moving out to California when I was 18 for college. And then to Chicago, and then to Orange County.
Those are some literal moves. I think the even tougher ones were more spiritual moves. Without going into detail, I’m still trying to forgive those who have hurt me, love those who hate me, and pray for those who wish ill upon me.
But here’s the thing: As go, God goes with us. Not just in spirit, but showering us with blessing. God blesses us to be a blessing for others. And blessing here doesn’t mean, it should be said, it doesn’t mean rich in material things, it doesn’t mean money. I think nowadays “blessing” is so often referring to having wealth. But Abram already had wealth and power, before he was blessed by God. [pause]
God blesses us with relationship. Connections to others -- connections to family, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors, pets, all of creation, a congregation, a community, and God. Blessing is much better understood as a being-put-in-touch. “I will bless you to be a blessing.” I will put you in touch, so that you can put others in touch. I will connect you so that others might be connected. I will reach out to you so that you might reach out to others. I will bless you and your family, so that you might be a blessing. This is grace, poured out for you this day: God’s blessing. Christ’s presence. It is with you this day, and it will never leave you. Let us go now, to the place our God is calling us today. AMEN.
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