January 29, 1995	Hill or Will?	Jeremiah 1:4-10

Luke 4:21-30

Our Old Testament passage for today is about the call of Jeremiah by God to be a prophet. And when I say the word "prophet," I am not referring simply to someone who has a talent for foretelling the future. Rather, when I say "prophet" I mean those persons who (1.) have the God- given gift for reading the signs of the times, (2.) who also hear God's voice speaking in their heart, and (3.) who then convey God's message to the people of their community in their day and time.

Unfortunately, the modern use of the word "prophet " has become distorted from its original meaning by so called astrologers and the cult spiritualists of our day. When we hear the word "prophet" we may think of "psychic" at the same time. And then "The Psychic Friends Network" comes to mind, a cable T.V. program you can watch if you have the time to waste on such things. And you can now call several 800 numbers to get "psychic readings." But, needless to say, this is not what God or Jeremiah had in mind when they used the word "prophet." For the biblical use of the word "prophet" is more akin to the word "preach." For all a prophet really did was proclaim the Word of God to the people of his or her community.

Most prophets are those who have the ability to read the signs of the times. In other words, they're in tune with what is going on around them. And that is a quality that all of us should strive for. And I guess the question is, "How can each of us be better aware of what is going on around us?"

I know some people who have CNN on all day long and think that because they do they're well informed. And there are others who read Time Magazine from cover to cover and think that makes them well informed. And then there are those who even think that reading the newspaper keeps them in tune with what's happening in the world.

Unfortunately, however, if all you depend upon is CNN for your news all you're going to know about the world over the next few months is what's going on in O.J.'s trial; and in spite of the non-stop rhetoric you hear about this thing, there are definitely other things going on in the world, I hope	! And if you take Time Magazine or Newsweek that's wonderful. But even reading each page of those magazines won't keep you up on what is really important. Not even the local newspaper has everything you need. There may be a lot there, or maybe not, but it's only the "tip of the iceberg" as far as information is concerned.

If we really want to be up on the times, we're far better off turning off the T.V. with the CNN and going out into our own local community and getting involved with something. If you really want to be up on things be a volunteer at the hospital and listen to what people are saying as they bring folks into the emergency room. Or if you want to know what's going on in the world form a neighborhood club, or join a Bible study here at the church, or help fold the church newsletter on Thursday morning. Or be a Big Brother or a Big Sister or a Girl or Boy scout leader if you really want to find out what's happening to people in your community. Take an adult education class at the high school or community college, or become a volunteer fireman, or make time to listen to your children, if you want to be in the know about things. You'd be surprised on how much better informed you'll be.

All too often we think our best source of information is electronic or centralized in some way, but when we rely on T.V. or radio or newsprint for all our news what we are actually doing is isolating ourselves from the rest of the world, which in reality is the community around us. All we have to do to be in tune with what's happening in the world is to talk with the folks next door and down the street and spend a few moments each day with the people we meet in the barber or beauty shop, or babysit someone's children, or just walk (not drive) down the street where you live. Do as many of these things as you can, and you will have completed step number one in what it takes to a prophet.

But, my, it is hard to do these things. There is a terrible temptation for us to be isolated. How many of us get up in the morning, grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee, get in the car, go to work, come home from work eight hours later, turn on the T.V., eat something, watch some more T.V., go to bed and then get up eight hours later to do it all over again? We isolate ourselves. In general we don't even know our neighbors anymore. And we won't unless we make a concerted, purposeful effort to get to know them. And, as I said, that's step number one in having what it takes to be a prophet.

But step number two is a little more difficult for some of us. In order to be a true prophet, you need to be aware of God's voice speaking to you in your heart. In the book of Jeremiah we are told that Jeremiah heard God's voice. It says, "Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying. . ." You know, most of us wonder what that must have been like. I mean, did Jeremiah actually hear the sound of a voice speaking to him out of the clear blue when he heard the word of the Lord? Somehow that's what many of us think when we read these words from the Old Testament prophets. But, is there any reason for us to think that God didn't speak to them in much the same way as God speaks to us, today?

I've heard God speaking to me many times. But, most of the time God's voice speaking to me was something that came out of an experience that I was led through that taught me something important. From having gone through that experience, whether it was a time of sickness, or a time of joy, or a time of suffering, or a time of learning, usually after a time of prayer about that experience, I was able to say with some conviction, "This is what God is saying to me."

Most of us could really benefit by just meditating about the experiences we have had. I really believe that God can use those experiences to teach us and speak to us. But, we have to take the time to listen and we have to have the faith to hear, as well.

When I was of high school age I remember a man named Bruce who lived down the street from me. He'd been through a lot in his life. His wife had died and he lived alone, but he was always taking things to his neighbors, mostly things he had made in his woodworking shop behind his house. He was a regular church goer. He had a neat rock collection. And he always seemed to have something interesting to say. Just before I was to go off to college I paid him a visit in that shop of his. He was molding something on his lathe and wood shavings were just flying when he asked me, "What are you going to do after high school?"

"I'm going off to college," I said.

"Are you going to be an 'educated idiot?'" he asked, half-jokingly.

"I don't know," I answered. "Maybe that depends upon whether I'm an idiot right now."

Bruce stopped the lathe and looked at me and said, "Well it doesn't matter what you learn, it's how you use what you learn that proves whether you're an idiot or not."

Most of us sitting here today have had some wonderful, deep, rich experiences in our lives. We've been through all sorts of educational processes. But have we allowed God to speak through them? Do we regularly take time to listen to what God is trying to say? Do we pray more than occasionally? Do we read the scriptures and engage in regular Bible study? Do we go to church as often as we can? If you do these things, then you are accomplishing step number two of what it takes to be a prophet. Not only must we know what is going on in our world (that's step number one), but we need to be able to hear God's word speaking in the midst of that world.

The third and final step towards becoming a prophet is the actual proclamation, the prophesying. And that's often easier said than done. For words of prophesy are often words of warning, words of change. And such words as these are not usually welcomed by the people who need to hear them the most and sometimes these are the people we love the most.

In our Gospel lesson for today, it is interesting that as Jesus was starting his ministry some of the first people he went to were the people of his own home town of Nazareth. Getting up before the people, many of whom had known him as a boy, he read a scripture passage from the book of Isaiah and then told them that there were Gentiles who were more ready to be God's people than some of the people who were standing there, that day. As they heard Jesus' prophetic words, words of change, words of warning, they didn't like what they heard. So, they did what is natural. They quickly found a reason to reject his message. They found one fast: Jesus was just Joseph's boy, the son of a carpenter. What did he know, anyway? And they took him to the edge of town so they could throw him down a hill and out of their lives.

Prophets. God calls us all to be prophetic, to tell the truth, to share God's message with those around us. And it's not always easy. But, if we find ourselves doing it, even in the face of rejection by friends and family, then we've completed number step three of what it takes to be a prophet.

But, if we're not to step three in our lives, if we're only working on step one or two, at least we can be open and listening when God's prophet comes along. For it is then that we have the choice to do God's will or take and throw him down a hill, or at least out of our lives. What will we do when God's prophet comes along?

Amen.