Tuesday Sermon: Named

          A friend of mine recently posted something online about how difficult it could sometimes be to just be yourself, which didn't necessarily mean fitting in with those around you, but rather accepting you might have unique qualities that weren't exactly socially PC.  I told her about a lesson that I'd learned from my mom, who has probably regretted it ever since.  She made me aware that God doesn't make two of anything - every single bit of creation is unique, down to the smallest snowflakes. As a result, if I were to be someone other than myself, I'd be insulting God, rejecting His gift to me of being the very best me that I could be. God always trumped everyone else, so I was always weird, and perfectly comfortable in my weirdness, 'cause it was a gift.

          Today's Old Testament lesson is reminding us, once again, to be aware of all those things created by God.  It reminds us to look up, and open our eyes, to realize that not only is every single creation unique, but God knows the name of every single one – not just humans, but animals, creatures, mountains, rivers, stars, planets, every grain of sand and drop of dew. 

          And yet, with each generation, we read in the Old Testament, each prophet reminding God's chosen people to look up, and be aware.  And with each generation, the past is forgotten and mistakes are made yet again, and we make gods of political correctness and sameness and how each person should be unique only in societally acceptable ways.  We neglect to elevate our eyes to see or our hearts to listen and comprehend God's presence all around us. 

          Paul reminds us that since the prophets were obviously not working to convince each successive generation the importance of remembering God's authority and power and dominion, He sent His only Son to teach us, once and for all, "God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come."  Christ knows the name of each and every person that He calls to be a part of His body in the Church.  He knows those who are found, those who are lost, and those still striving to discover their path.

          So when we become like Jacob, and think that any part of creation is hidden from God, we practice the foolishness of the generations that repeatedly forget who God is, and what He has done.

          God asks in Isaiah, "Have you not known? Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth."  If you haven't heard, then hear and be aware; if you have heard, then remember that the "ends of the earth" include everything in between; and if others have not heard, then our responsibility is to spread the good news!