Genesis 12:1-9; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26; Romans4:13-25, Psalm 33

During my seminal years, still a theological student at Queen’s University, an older Malayali nurse who worked at the Kingston General Hospital , one day asked me: “How did you end up as a theological student?” Obviously with a dosage of smugness he, a father of four daughters, had thought that he had done exceptionally well in his life. I would not answer his query! If I were interested in one of his daughters, probably I would have been gracious or at least polite enough to respond but my wife Joyan at that time was completing her internship at the Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. I would like to think that his intentions weren’t bad at all; perhaps he would rather have me engaged in something dynamic and gainful. I learned from my devout mother that through her own prayer of dedication, I was ‘called’ by God before I showed up on this planet! Therefore, I couldn’t run away from the call of God; in fact, I am glad I never tried to hide or escape.

I joined The United Church of Canada in 1974, during the dying the days of the former western Christendom. When you are a newcomer to the fabricated Christian west, it is not easy to find a Christian fellowship of your choice, especially in my case with my precious eastern Christian spiritual legacy of the St. Thomas heritage and a bit of skewed colonial credence through my casual adherence to the Christ Church. As a newcomer to the city and a student determined to excel, I wanted to listen to sermon delivered by Prof. Samuel Mathai, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala – one of the three great Indian Christians I always looked upon with exceptional admiration at this Church of South India congregation in Thiruvanthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. The hour-long worship service attracted me much more than the tediously long worship services in other older and native denominations. This obviously provided me with certain chutzpah to study theology in Edinburgh without any ecclesial blessing from the hierarchy. So, following my Scottish exposure, when I showed up in Canada, I was assured by teachers and classmates at Queen’s that people in the United Church of Canada were kind, polite, thoughtful, warm, nice and sweet, until you try to sit in their pews!

I love the church – both my native and my adopted denominations. With my first-century, ancient Christian roots, I chose to serve a younger denomination, which is only 83 years old this week! The United Church of Canada officially became a reality of national ecumenism on June 10, 1925 – union of Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists. The Evangelical Brethren church joined us in 1968. Similar unions realized in several parts of the world; for example, The Church of South India, The Church of North India, The Uniting Churches of Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the USA. Our theological foundation for this unity is recorded in the Gospel of St. John 17:20:”That they all might be one” (ut omnes unum sint); these words are seen on the official crest of The United Church of Canada.

Most young people these days would tell us that “I am spiritual but not religious”; meaning they are spiritual drifters trying whatever is on the market or in the media like kites floating with no flying line or grounding. For me, consecrated Christian formation of one’s disposition is all about growing in the grace of God, becoming more like Jesus, learning to live a holy life and increasing in love for God for all God’s creatures. As John Wesley put it, “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field”.

The story of Abraham, the founding ancestor of three major religious traditions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is fascinating. He is our ancestor of faith and promise. The word for faith (pistis) is the same root contained in the word trust. It is essential to grasp the word trust, for example the trust of a child, in order to understand the precious legacy of Abraham. He came from one of the celebrated cradles of civilization -- between the Tigris and the Euphrates, which is today’s Iraq.

Abraham was called an Ivri, from the Hebrew word Eber, meaning ‘the other side’, as he found himself living in the midst of an idolatrous community of people he chose to live in Haran, ‘on the other side’ of moral and spiritual chasm. Eventually, the Jewish people also came to be known as Ivrit, or Hebrews meaning a people from the other side, who responded to God’s call to adhere to God’s laws. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”—Hebrews 11:8.

These days we are enthralled by a deep sense of angst over the shortage of rice in Asia, a global demand for gasoline with emerging economies lumbering 24X7, natural disasters in China and Myanmar, devastating lay-offs in Canada and the USA with coveted jobs gone elsewhere etc. The church is not immune to such disturbing experiences either. Poor church attendance, the absence of youth and children and their parents, aging population, and the disgraced baggage of residential school legacy debilitate the once mighty and wealthy church that sang, “Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war..” in the post-war years.

The ancient couple Abraham and Sarah were no different from us. They were worried about their future. As soon as they arrived in Haran, Abraham’s father died. Imagine, an old couple with no future, no relatives, no children in a foreign land! Into these depressing circumstances, God said, “Go”. An amazing promise came with this command. God promises, “I will make you a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. I will bless hose who bless you. I will curse those who curse you.” You and I know the rest of the story as Abraham and Sarah were blessed with prosperity and prominence, family and friends, health and wealth. Having completed twenty five years of ministry at St. Mark’s United Chrurch, I begin to believe what Mark Twain said, "Even when we are on the right track, if we are not moving, we’ll be run over”. Perhaps that’s why my situation resonates the words of the song ‘Destination Unknown’ by The Smashing Pumpkins are appropriate here:

“Life is so strange when you don't know
How can you tell where yore' going to
You can't be sure of any situation
Something could change and then you won't know.”

Seneca once said, there is no such thing as a favorable wind for a man who has no idea where he’s going. People often pose: What made you go into the Christian pastoral ministry? While I believe every person is called to a particular task comparable to one’s gifts, hardly anyone who accidentally shows up in the church to lead in worship, to engage in theological issues and spiritual concerns, to be a role-model and to be of service to others. I often wonder about my classmates in seminary in Scotland, Canada, US and England. In particular one theological college I attended, out of the fifteen or so, for the past several years I have been the only one left in active ministry. One committed suicide within six months after ordination, three quit and joined other well-paid regular jobs, the rest retired or died! That disconnect between academia and ecclesia made me a bit queasy about the depth of theological training we received in order to participate in the life and work of the church as leaders and also the indispensable function of the traditional ‘call’ of God.

A similar kind of faith grounded in an exceptional kind of trust in God is present in the Gospel stories of a tax collector Matthew, a well-regarded community leader Jairus, his sick child and the women with an incurable long-term affliction. What an astonishing trust these people demonstrate? And no one is disappointed; in fact, they are overjoyed with new life, new vision, new energy and new lease on life.

This is the community that Jesus expects for his disciples – a gathering of healed people blessed to enjoy an abundantly dynamic life. Unfortunately following the commanding post-war spiritual conquests of church growth, almost all mainline denominations in the former Christendom have turned out to be spiritual wastelands with no people, no resources, no mission but old desolate, depressing sanctuaries and plentiful real estates in most cities and towns of Europe and North America. The demographic, theological and missional centers of world Christianity have shifted from the North Atlantic to the global east and south. The fading image of the once glorious Constanteanian left-over Christianity is indeed a dreadfully tragic thing to watch! On the other hand, no empire or hegemony can claim to hold on to the presence of God. Didn’t Jesus say, “ Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going”(John 3:8)

It is a missional imperative that we return to the faith of Abraham and Sarah, the discipleship of the apostles, the healed and healing community of Jesus, which we call the church today in response to God’s empowering invitation. Today, as we celebrate the beginning and work of the United Church of Canada, let us remind ourselves of the ancient truth that God has been faithful and we have not been faithful with our wrong agenda of social issues of sexism, racism and marginalization of the voiceless, such as the native people of Canada, new and old immigrants with older Christian pedigree.

What is your understanding of God’s call for you? Are you a full-time follower of Jesus?

What makes people follow Jesus these days? I have been watching some politicians with great interest. Others follow athletes. Some may diligently follow religious leaders such as swamis, gurus, rock stars etc. My son used to follow the New Nicks in his teen years; he knew all of them by name; how tall they were; how much money they made, etc. Thankfully, he grew out of it. What are the captivating dreams and goals you pursue? Aren’t you flabbergasted by Matthew’s irrationality in this story? How quickly he left his trade? All he ever had and followed Jesus? Maybe he was an unhappy man in need of a career change! Or was Matthew like one of those who suffered from MLC (mid-life crisis) – lying awake during the ungodly wee hours of the night taken over by deep thoughts of despair, regrets, sadness, personal sighs of failure? Life was slipping by and it was too late to catch up? Hundreds of men and women sit in the pews week after week searching for something deeper, something more meaningful and profound than what they have been busy with. Isn’t it calming and comforting that Jesus will show up as he does for all of us, sooner or later, through a word or phrase in a prayer, a line in a hymn, an endearing hug from a friend, a kind word spoken before, during or after this service of worship.

Jesus’ words “follow me” mean much more than being here this morning! It also means taking up our crosses, which we know too well. We suffer in our own very quiet and personal ways. Don’t believe those who tell you that life is just wonderful when we decide to follow Jesus. When children grow up and leave home and never turn out the way we hade hoped – they do and they will, when our spouses, friends, parents or children die and leave us alone – they do and they will, when an illness frighten all our cherished dreams of a happy life, we suddenly realize that Christians are not immune to disappointments, failures, sorrows and tears. No matter what, when suffer alone, be assured that we are not alone for the cross never expunges the pain but it puts flesh on the words “God-with-us”, Immanuel.

“I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.” (Ira Stanphill)

May our trust in God through Jesus Christ find healing and new life for us all.