Hot Coals & A Hot Summer Mission Trip

The lectionary for this week offers the dramatic account of the prophet Isaiah's re-commissioning. Up to this point in his prophetic ministry, or rather I should say, according to the order of his oracles in the canonized version (chapters 1-5), Isaiah's preaching addresses social issues but after this re-commissioning his preaching addresses political issues - the ongoing relationship between Israel and Assyria and the prospects of war. I don't particularly like dividing the description of his preaching, before and after chapter 6, in this manner but there does seem to be a clear change of direction in the prophet's focus. For the sake of this forum, I'm leaving alone the questions of 1st Isaiah, 2nd Isaiah, and the possibility of 3rd Isaiah.

As the prophet worships in the temple, he has a vision of the heavenly court and overhears the singing of the seraphs and feels the world beginning to shake. "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips..." (6:5). Isaiah is silenced or paralyzed by the whole experience. But then one of the seraphs flies to him and touches his mouth with a live, hot coal. It is a cleansing experience for the prophet - one that is life-changing for him. It is as if the touch of the live coal gives him a new mouth, a new tongue, new lips, and a new message to proclaim. This experience gives him the ability to respond to God's call, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (6:8). When God's call comes, it can be a daunting thing to hear and even harder to respond to it. This encounter prepares the prophet to hear the message and respond to the call.

This next Sunday, our congregation will be sending out the first of three mission teams. They are going to UrbanSpirit in Louisville, Kentucky, for a poverty immersion experience. The group is a mix of adults and youth. The kids on the trip range from middle school to early high school age. The folks at UrbanSpirit describe on their web page the experience this way, "We will engage your group by leading you through an experience of living poverty. From the moment you arrive, you step into the world of the working poor -- those tens of millions of Americans who work hard and never really get anywhere. Poverty isn't just about money; it is about what you eat, where you stay, how you work, how much or little control you have over your circumstances, what surprises and anxieties you encounter day-to-day, and how it never ever ends...In addition to experiences, activities, studies, and games we've developed, you'll also work with our partner agencies, to shape your simulation experience with a real payday and real-life stories from the neighborhood."

I suspect that those going on this mission trip may utter the same words as the prophet, "Woe is me! I am lost..." They may wonder what they've gotten themselves into as a part of this trip. My guess is though that like the prophet's encounter with the seraph this experience will be life changing. It will be life changing because it will challenge fundamental beliefs and ideas about poverty, the church, neighbor, and the purpose of life. The changes maybe imperceptible at first but they will continue to percolate within each participant. Over time and with continued emphasis in such areas, we will see and benefit from these changes that will impact the participants and eventually all of us as we interact with these we have sent out for us.

I'm envious of them and wish that I could go along. But I'm able to do that this year. So it leads me to think about the experiences that I've had that have changed my life. It leads me also to wonder about the experiences you have had that have changed your life. Would you share those with others who read and participate here?

I invite you to post those experiences as a comment, anonymously or otherwise.