Our common call…

March 1, 2026

Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17

So…there is this plan ‘B’ that is underway. A plan to fill the earth with goodness, to once again make it back into a garden of grace. A new plan to erase the stain and struggle of humanity’s first decision to walk away from God’s ‘garden’, and to live apart from the abiding presence of our Lord of love. A plan that takes into account the emergence of ‘self’ with all its qualities, both good and not so good.

And this is a plan that has been within the heart of God from the very beginning, before that selfish moment…a plan that was of necessity visited by God in our reading from Genesis this morning. A plan to seek, to find, and to call one good person to Godself in order to start the process of God’s revelation of love and grace to humanity again. That call was issued to Abram, a herdsman in the hill country of modern day Iraq and Turkey. And as we hear in the passage, this was a call for him to stand in a place of receiving a blessing from God…

…receiving a blessing from God so that…

…in order that…

…for the purpose of…

…expressly to…

…be a blessing to others. 

A call to start a chain of goodness that would spread from one person to another as each one chose to follow this call to love, as God first loved us.

And that plan, a plan calling for a new way of being entirely…had a rough start, as God surely knew it would. And in turn, that difficult start and working out of the call to love and to be a blessing to all others, brought about the fulfillment of Abram’s initial blessing in the incarnation of God’s love found in Jesus of Nazareth. A moment, a flash of divine revelation that was direct and present among us, a moment that could not be denied by those who witnessed the awesome power of God’s love, as shown through the words, actions, and lived-out example of this one man.

But God was not done equipping humankind to be able to love and to pursue this kingdom of grace that was the original vision for Creation. And so, in the incarnation of love in Jesus, there was also the gift of the Holy Spirit…an amazing gift of grace offered to humankind so that truth, and a holy indwelling love might be there for each one who sought it. In this we see the fulfillment of God’s original gift and call to Abram, ‘to receive a blessing, so that the one who received it could then extend that portion of holy love and blessing to another’. 

The Holy Spirit was given in order to fulfil and to complete God’s call to Abram, to make it crystal clear that God’s plan and desire from the start was for all of humanity to be blessed by one another and, in so doing, to find the way back to living and dwelling in the original harmony and balance that was, and one day can be again, God’s good Creation.

And that…is where we come in. We too are a part of that call first issued so long ago…we too have a part to play in this unfolding journey back to the original plan for Creation. This, is ‘our common call’. 

I know over the past couple of months that the Council and I have spoken to you about both the blessings we all have received, as well as an invitation to each of you to find your own place, your own little niche within which you could be both a part, and a partner in this work our Lord has placed before us.

And I have also heard over the years a goodly number of reasons why individuals felt they had to say, ‘thanks…no seriously thanks…but no thanks’…or, ‘not right now…’. And on occasion I think those reasons had merit…but at other times I think they just needed a little more imagination. For if I have learned anything about our Lord’s ‘plans’ so to speak, it is that in most cases God has far more confidence, and a much higher view of our own abilities, than any of us do ourselves. In other words, following in the footsteps of our Lord, has room for every one of us to be a part…a common call, to perhaps a common role. But in each and every case a vital and important call and role as well.

In thinking about this during the week, I imagined several scenarios, several ways to picture what I am trying to share. The first, was the notion that each of us is in some sense ‘key’ to what God wants to do with us as in the greater scheme of things. Our own ‘own-ness’, our gifts and talents to be sure, but all of our own journey-to-date, figures into how God can use us…in fact, our individual and personal ‘story’ just may be perfect to fit into another’s story in a way that can shed light or hope for them. In this ‘picture’, somewhere out in the plans and purposes of God, there is a ‘keyhole’ with our name over it, into which we alone are the perfect key. 

In another illustration, our Lord is busy putting together a jigsaw puzzle…a picture of a glorious vision for all of Creation…but a puzzle in which each piece must find its own way to its appointed place…and, there happens to be a jigsaw puzzle piece shaped just like you…it is unique, special, and only you…and a piece that waits only on our willingness to find our way into the picture that is slowly being revealed.

And as I thought about all this I was reminded that we are not necessarily talking about some individual ‘earth-changing role’, some monumental world-changing assignment we each have to somehow pick up and shoulder all on our own. Rather it’s more like a collection of little decisions that are made by all of us together, all moving in the same blessed direction, step, or even half-step by half-step at a time. A whole bunch of folks responding to a ‘common and holy call’…together.

Merriam Webster defines ‘common’ as either an adjective or a noun, and I found that the meanings listed were both fascinating as well as illuminating…especially for this discussion.

As an adjective, ‘common’ was defined as; of or relating to a community’, or, ‘public work for the common good’. Other sub-definitions include, ‘belonging to or shared by two or more individuals’…‘having a common friend’, or, ‘having common interests’. Also interestingly, ‘characterized by a lack of privilege or special status’, or, ‘lacking refinement’. And I wonder, have we seen ourselves yet? Do we fit into this picture? I think we might!

As a noun, ‘common’ was defined as, ‘a common people’, or, ‘a piece of land subject to common use…an open public area’, or, ‘a religious service suitable for various festivals or celebrations’. And here again, I find this whole notion of having a ‘common call’ actually not only appealing, but strangely inviting as well. I am telling you, this ‘common’ idea fits in with the notion of ‘our Lord’s plans for us’, quite nicely.

And to further the point, to be, or to have a ‘common, perhaps quite less extraordinary call’ as followers of Jesus, puts us in good company with the rag-tag bunch of his earliest followers. Surely they were quite common, quite human…and quite often! And additionally, being ‘common’ gives us a unique ability to relate to everyone else, with no need to be special (In fact, to truly be humble and honest, is to already be aware that you are quite ‘common’). 

The Lord’s call to Abraham, and again through Jesus, was a call to the common child of God, to each of those who would be willing to take who they are, what they know, and what their story has been (and is), and offer it up in fullness for the purposes of our Lord. For in truth, and especially in the times we now find ourselves, our Lord is very much in need of the person we each are, and the person we each can be…both our past life story, as well as our willingness to be formed into a new vessel of special and divine purpose, each of us called to be part of spreading the real good news of our Lord.

In every sense of the word we have been given a most common call, a call issued, and waiting to be taken up into our hearts, our minds, and into and through our ‘publically lived-out lives’. For it is only in truly surrendering, seeking, and following after the guidance of the Spirit in this way that we can begin to see as our Lord sees, to hear as our Lord hears, and to then respond with love towards our every brother and sister in need.

Allowing oneself to enter into and take on our own quite common call…through the intentional and holy surrender of control over one’s own life, is the path to true freedom, the deepest of joy, and the most noble and holy of purposes.

so…let our Lord find, and then use the piece of the ‘divine jigsaw puzzle’ that is shaped just – like – you…

…common…

and yet so precious in the eyes of our Lord…

…amen