Prayer of worship
Creator of all, Lord God, we struggle to build our lives to be reflections of perfection, but we do not always hear your call to be present with you and the world around us. We fill our time with our phones, but put you on hold or do not answer the call when we see it is you. We think we are too busy trying to live when all we are doing is avoiding life to have order and comfort. Bless us to have truly open hearts and allow us to hear your call in our lives. Today and always, amen.
First readings:
Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Second reading:
1 Corinthians 2: 1-4, 3:10-15
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power…
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Hello… God Calling!
Key Verse: Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
You’ve probably heard about the famous Minister who once visited the Pope in Rome. While waiting, he noticed a bright red phone on the desk. You know the kind of phone Batman uses to call Commissioner Gordon? That kind.
The minister asks, “Hey, what’s that red phone for?”
The Pope says, “Oh, that’s a direct line to God.”
The minister said, “Wow! What does a call like that cost?”
“Ten thousand dollars a minute,” says the Pope. “But it’s worth every cent.”
A few weeks later, that same minister came by the church here. And lo and behold, there's another red phone.
The minister said says, “Let me guess—that one also calls God?”
“Yes indeed,” says the I told him.
“And how much is it per minute?”
“It’s free.”
He looked at me stunned. “How can it be so cheap?!”
I said, “From here, it’s a local call.”
I have often found it difficult to say goodbye, in fact my daughters know I will likely more often say see you later than goodbye. A lot of times we will say we are just a phone call away, this time, though, it seems like more. But it is important to understand how to let go of one thing to embrace another. This week and next, that is what we will be doing.
You see, sometimes, answering God’s call and letting go of what you think you control feels a bit like trying to understand your smartphone settings after a software update. You’re poking buttons, then all of the sudden you are wondering if you just accidentally sent a group text to all of Galilee.
But here’s the deal—God doesn’t ask us to understand every twist and turn. God just asks us to pick up the phone when it rings.
Exodus 14:14 reminds us:
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
That’s right. God’s not asking for your résumé. God’s not looking at your credit score or checking how many spiritual push-ups you can do. God’s asking you to be still. To be present. To be available.
Kim and I had our life beautifully planned out. Retire in comfort, maybe a hammock involved, possibly with a little umbrella in our drink. We were even thinking maybe about Mexico in 5 to 7 years…But God said, “How about Now?”
And we said, “That wasn’t in the brochure, Lord!”
And yet—just like Moses—when we stopped trying to control everything, God revealed the path. Moses didn’t know the whole route to the Promised Land. Honestly, he didn’t even have Google Maps. He just had a staff and a calling.
So, when Christian, our supervisor, told us for the first few months: “You only need to be,” we realized:
we are not called to be superheroes—we’re called to be available for the God who already fights for us.
Now, I want you to imagine something with me. Imagine building your dream house. Granite countertops. Heated floors. The fridge that talks to you.
Now imagine putting all of that… on top of a Jenga tower. That’s what life looks like when we build on our own strength, on our own plans.
Paul tells us clearly:
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
You want a foundation that holds in the storm? Then you need Jesus.
You want a church that stands through change and transition? You don’t need perfect programming or artisanal coffee in the foyer. You need the Rock—and I don’t mean Dwayne Johnson.
Jesus said to Peter, in Matthew 16:18:
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
That’s right. Not termites. Not budgets. Not even that one church member who always has a suggestion. Not even the gates of hell.
We’re Not the Builders—We’re the Bricks
Paul humbly wrote:
“I came to you in weakness… not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”
I don’t know about you, but that gives me hope. Because some days I show up to church and feel like I’m just barely keeping it together, especially lately—coffee in hand, sock colors mismatched, and wondering if I remembered to put deodorant on. And God says, “Perfect. You’re exactly who I want to use.”
We are not the architects of the church. We are not the foundation. We are not even the blueprints.
We’re the bricks.
Living bricks, forming a temple where God’s Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16). Each one of us. That’s why gossip and judgment within the church is like throwing rocks at your own living room walls. We’re all sacred. We’re all under construction.
It’s Not a Missed Call, It’s an Ongoing Call
So, let’s stop acting like we have to audition for God’s plan.
Let’s stop trying to be spiritual superheroes.
Let’s stop thinking that the call is a one-time event, like jury duty.
God is calling every day—and God’s already gone ahead of us. Our job isn’t to perform, it’s to participate.
You might feel like your skills are more "hay and straw" than "gold and silver." That’s okay. God specializes in fireproof miracles. God will test it, refine it, and rebuild what needs rebuilding.
So here’s the Good News:
You are being called.
You are being sent.
You are being built into something bigger.
And the call?
It’s free.
No roaming charges.
Just a heart ready to say, “Yes, Lord. I’m here.”
So, here’s my Blessing for you today:
May you be still enough to hear God's voice,
brave enough to answer God’s call,
and bold enough to trust that the One who fights for you…
…already knows the way.
And don't forget to check your spiritual voicemail! I will see you later! Amen.