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DonateFebruary 7, 2010 Commentary by Bruce G. Epperly |
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Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
I Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
Today’s readings connect mysticism and mission. Isaiah, Peter, and Paul experience God in dramatic and life-transforming ways that call them to become partners in God’s planetary mission. The world in which we live is an interdependent web of relationships in which certain moments of time may become “thin places,” as the Celts say, where the divine and human are transparent to one another. In the world of process theology, every moment can become a “thin moment” and every space a “thin place” when the divine call and creaturely response are in synch with one another.
For most of my life I imagined that Isaiah’s vision took place in solitude similar to my own morning meditation practices. Recently, I’ve pondered the possibility that Isaiah was worshipping in the Temple with a prayer minyan or with hundreds of worshippers during Sabbath prayer, but only Isaiah among the worshippers that day experienced dramatically the God to whom they prayed. Annie Dillard suggests that most of us expect far too little from our worship services. If we believed that we could truly encounter the Living God in worship, Dillard asserts, we would strap on head gear and tie ourselves to the pews.
Regardless of the context of Isaiah’s vision occurred, there are a number of points to consider. First, Isaiah’s vision had political and contextual overtones. Former Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill was fond of saying that “all politics is local.” This is also the case of revelation; revelatory moments, and theophonic encounters occur to concrete persons in particular settings. Isaiah’s vision occurred in “the year that King Uzziah died,” no doubt, a time of political, military, and economic uncertainty as the nation faced a challenging international future without proven leadership.
Second, God’s visitation to Isaiah was part of a much wider movement of divine revelation in which Isaiah hears the angelic hymn, “the whole earth is full of God’s glory.” Perhaps, only Isaiah among the worshippers that day experienced an opening of the “doors of perception” (Aldous Huxley) in which everything was infinite and filled with possibility.
Third, some commentators see a liturgical thread woven through Isaiah’s mystical experience. Grounded in an experience of glory and praise, Isaiah confesses his sinfulness, receives graceful affirmation (forgiveness) and then a call to mission. Isaiah’s mystical experience was not intended merely for his own spiritual enlightenment but for the transformation of his world.
The Apostle Paul’s resurrection narrative from I Corinthians 15 indirectly refers to his own mystical experience on the road to Damascus. Though he persecuted the first followers of Jesus, Paul experienced himself as chosen for a new pathway, a new name, and a transformed faith as a result of his encounter with the Living Christ. Paul’s “blinding” mystical experience is a prelude to God’s call to global discipleship. As many commentators note, Paul’s mystical experience transformed the persecutor into the proclaimer of the gospel. Although Paul experienced his encounter with the Risen Christ as pure grace, not dependent on his efforts, he committed himself to “working out his salvation with fear and trembling,” excelling the other apostles in ardor and faithfulness, at least according to his estimation.
Peter’s transformational experience occurs amid the challenges of the workplace. Completely unsuccessful, Peter is ready to go home when Jesus tells him to fish in deeper waters. Peter’s - and his companions’ - faith is rewarded by a tremendous catch. Like Isaiah, Peter protests his sinfulness in response to his new awareness of Jesus’ identity. In the cases of both Peter and Isaiah, the word “sinfulness” refers to their experience of awe before the divine rather than primarily a condition of moral imperfection. Still, despite his protest of sinfulness, Jesus calls Peter to follow him on a new adventure, the adventure of “fishing for persons,” awakening them to God’s emerging reign.
Psalm 138 continues the tapestry of mysticism and mission. The One whose glory is proclaimed by and through all things, the One who inspires our praise and adoration, is concerned for the well-being of the vulnerable. “Although the Holy One is high, the Holy One regards the lowly.” The God of the universe cares for the microcosm of human experience, of justice and injustice, as well as the macrocosm of galactic evolution.
A number of themes arise from today’s readings. First, the reality of mystical experiences that call us to seek deeper dimensions of ourselves and others. Second, the readings affirm that mystical experiences arise from the interplay of surprise and effort. Although the time and the place of transformation was surprising to Peter, Paul, and Isaiah, it was not accidental, but - I suspect – the result of a dynamic call and response, occurring at both the conscious and unconscious levels of life. To paraphrase Carl Jung, bidden or unbidden, God is here. Isaiah’s experience was surprising and earth-shaking but it occurred in the the context of prayer at the Temple. Paul did not expect a mystical encounter with the One whose followers he persecuted, but his whole life of studying God’s law and trying to protect his tradition’s understanding of faith prepared him for just such an experience. Peter was amazed by his amazing catch of fish, but I suspect Peter had already been in conversation with Jesus prior to his epiphanic encounter. Third, each one’s encounter with the Holy came with an invitation, perhaps even a command, to choose a new way of life – to become a disciple, to share the good news with the Gentile world, to claim the mantle of God’s prophetic messenger. In an interdependent universe, our spiritual experiences are intended to shape the lives of others as well as ourselves.
Today’s scriptures call preacher and congregation alike to awaken to deeper dimensions of reality. Could it be that someone in your church today will experience the movements of God, dramatically enlightening and empowering them? Could it be that someone will hear God’s call to prophetic service or ordained ministry and respond with a life-changing, “yes”? Perhaps, we should expect greater things in worship – a vision of possibilities and the promise of energy to achieve them as we claim our roles as God’s partners in sharing good news in our time.
Bruce Epperly is Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Continuing Education and co-pastor of Disciples United Community Church in Lancaster, PA. He is the author of sixteen books, including Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living and Tending to the Holy:The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry (with Katherine Epperly).
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