Who is this Guy, Anyway?

Ezekiel 2:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-6

Our scripture lesson for this morning from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel was is one of the readings from the United Methodist three year lectionary for this Sunday. As I looked at this reading I could hardly believe my eyes because the scripture is an account of God's call to Ezekiel to go to preach to a certain people, namely, the people of Israel – God's chosen. And you can imagine why I was amazed. For the scripture describes how God told Ezekiel what his congregation was like. Of course, not every new pastor is as lucky as some. I mean, as a pastor, serving churches for the past 20 years or so, I have been fortunate to pastor congregations that were very attentive and receptive to what I had to say. But, then there have been one or two who have been a little more like what Ezekiel had to contend with as God told him to go preach to the people of Israel. For God told Ezekiel that they were a nation of rebels, transgressors, impudent and stubborn. And Ezekiel was told by God to say to them, "Thus says the Lord God." And he was told, "Whether they hear or refuse to hear, they shall know that there has been a prophet among them." And Ezekiel was told not to be afraid of them, nor of their words, even though preaching to them would be like being surrounded by briars and thorns and scorpions. He was told not to be afraid of their words, nor be startled by their looks – but to simply speak the word of God to them, whether or not they heard the words that he spoke.

Well! What an interesting scripture with which to start one's ministry off in a parish! It is probably not a scripture that I would have chosen if I had been simply looking for a scripture to preach on here on this first Sunday in the pulpit. I might have chosen something more soothing, like the 23rd Psalm or perhaps Jesus' parable of the Sower, or something like that. But, I decided not to do that because I'm committed to preaching from the lectionary. And the reason I do that is because the lectionary keeps pastors away from their favorite, easy to preach scriptures. But, not only this: I've seen how the Holy Spirit uses the lectionary in amazing ways. So, this morning, as strange as it may seem for both me, the preacher, and you, the congregation, we're going to take a closer look at Ezekiel's call to preach to the people of Israel.

First, of all, I would think that as Ezekiel answered God's call to preach to the people of Israel there were those who wondered about his authority to preach as he did. After all, the people Israel knew who he was. They were all familiar with Ezekiel's family. They all knew where he came from. He was just like them. And who were they? They were a people in exile, a nation without a home, living in Babylon. So, they were all sojourners. And Ezekiel was a sojourner, as well. So, Ezekiel was faced with the problem of trying to convince these people to listen to what he had to say. Somehow he had to convince them that the words that he spoke were inspired by the word of God.

In much the same way, a new preacher comes to a new church and is faced with the same problem. After all, I'm not much different from you. I grew up in Flint, only a few miles to the north of here. And I grew up going to a church that is was a lot like this one was back in the '50's when I was a kid. And I went to schools in Flint that were a lot like the schools here in Pontiac, and even graduated from Flint Central High School. And, indeed, I remember some of those football and basketball games that were played between Flint Central and Pontiac Central back when I was in High School. And then I went to Eastern Michigan University – just like quite a few kids from Pontiac did. So, like Ezekiel, who was a lot like the people God called him to preach the word of God to, I'm a lot like most of you. So, as you're sitting there in your pew asking things like, "Who is this guy, anyway?" can you believe (and, in fact, can I believe) that God has called me here to preach the word of God and to be a pastor to you? Can you or I possibly believe such a thing as that?

Of course, there are some things that make me a little different, I guess. I've been married to another minister for the past 24 years. I guess that makes me a little unusual. And back in 1972 I ventured from Michigan to attend Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. for three years. And during that time, for two years, my wife and I served a student parish among fishermen and crabbers on Upper and Middle Hooper's Island, a community on the Chesapeake Bay along the Eastern Shore of Maryland. And then, after that, the two of us went out to Iowa where we served several churches in agricultural communities over a period of 12 years. During that time we suffered through the farm crisis and sat with weeping families as they had their farms sold out from under them.

Over the past 24 years that I've been under appointment in the United Methodist Church I've joined over 200 couples in marriage and baptized or confirmed or conducted the funerals of at least as many. In the past quarter of a century I've visited in more homes and hospitals and care centers than I can remember. I've attended over 500 Administrative Board meetings. I've preached over 1100 sermons and conducted over 3,000 worship services. And I can honestly say that through all that time, in all those churches, in all those places, in spite of frustrations and peril, I have always felt God's hand leading me and heard God's voice calling me to preach the word of God. Can you believe that?

So, here we are, today. And I'm sure you're asking, "Who is this guy?"

Of course, you should know that I'm asking a similar question, as well: "Who are these people?" Are they like the people that Ezekiel had to go preach to – rebellious, impudent, and stubborn? Or are they just the opposite: warm, receptive, and cooperative? Or are they somewhere in between, sort of like the little town out in Iowa that has the sign along the road that says, "Welcome to Granger, Iowa – 311 friendly people, and one old grump"?

My family and I are still unpacking boxes. Moving is an awful thing to do to a pastor. I can't get my cars into my garage, yet, because of the boxes that are blocking the way. And I know that it will take me at least another week or so to get that under control and probably the rest of the summer before we've made the house into a home. My golden retriever, Abby, still doesn't know which door to use to go out into the backyard. And I think my 18 year old son must feel a bit lonely because he doesn't know any of the kids around town. But, we'll get through it. And we'll make a ministry here – all of us, together, working for the Lord, building up the Body of Christ.

I'm reminded of a story that I heard several months ago. There once was a little town of about 1,000 people or so. And one day a husband and wife drove through the town thinking that they might buy a home and settle there. And as they drove down one of the streets they spotted a man out in front of his house, trimming his bushes. Stopping at the man's house, the husband poked his head out his car window and said, "Hello, Mister! We're thinking about moving to this town. Are there any unfriendly people here?" Immediately, the man stopped trimming his bushes and looked up and replied, "You bet! There are lots of unfriendly people here." Hearing this, the husband and wife drove out of town never to come back again. Later the same day another car drove through town. Again, it was a husband and a wife thinking that they might move there. And, coincidentally, they went down the same street and stopped at the same man who was trimming his bushes. "Mister!" shouted the husband from his car, "Does this town have any friendly people living in it?" Immediately, the man stopped trimming his bushes and looked up and replied, "You bet! There are lots of friendly people here." Hearing this, the husband and wife moved to the community and found it to be a very friendly town, indeed.

The same is true with pastors and churches. They are simply what we make them out to be. For the most part, a pastor is as good or as bad, as effective or as ineffective as we allow or perceive him or her to be. And a church is only as good or as bad, as involved or uninvolved, as faithful or faithless as a community wants it to be or perceives it to be. It really is up to us to make the best of who we are, and of where we are, and of the people that we meet.

Ministry is something that we all must share. It is true that I have been appointed to serve as pastor of this parish. But all of us are ministers with a mission from God. And this is my personal mission statement: "As a Christian I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, called upon to love others, visit the sick, the lonely and bereaved, and to share the gospel with all the world." Ministry isn't something only for the clergy to do, but is the work of everyone who calls him or herself a follower of Jesus Christ.

In the time we spend together in the months and years to come, I hope we will take some time to learn more about what it is that God is calling each of us to do. And in the process I trust that we will constantly seek to live out that call in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.