Monday 2nd March - A Voice Calling

DAILY BYTE

The story is told of when Apple Computers first went public, the young founder Steve Jobs felt the need to appoint someone who could play a role of both CEO of the company and mentor to him. The first recruit on his list was John Sculley, who was then president of Pepsi.

Sculley, although he had no reason to doubt the potential impact of Apple, was understandably uneasy about giving up a good, cushy job with a product that already possessed a brand name, successful connections and an established future. When at first Sculley turned Jobs down, Jobs who was unwilling to taking no for an answer, asked Sculley a question that changed his mind, the direction of Apple and the course of computer history.

Sculley queried: “Do you want to sell sugared water the rest of your life or do you want to change the world?”

Job’s question was ultimately successful because it zeroed in on one of humanity’s most powerful needs – the need to truly make a difference with our lives, to leave behind us an impact that is both lasting and effective.

It is the kind of question God has been asking his people since the moment he first breathed life into us.

“Abram go from your country for I will make a great nation of you. I will bless you so that you might be a blessing.”

“Moses go to your people to free them from the Egyptians because I have heard their cries.”

“Simon and Andrew, follow me. I will make a new fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and woman not perch and bass.”

In fact, as we see from today’s readings, Jesus was constantly preparing people and then sending them out on missions to change the world. It’s as if constantly repeated throughout Scripture is this theme of calling God’s people to make a difference with their lives, to stop selling sugared water as it were, and live an existence with more meaning - to become a part of God’s ongoing creation of goodness in this world.

God CALLS all of us to learn to live our lives according to a divine rhythm instead of the beat of our own sometimes decidedly selfish desires. The story of Moses’ call to free God’s people from Egyptian oppression is only one Biblical story of such call, but it provides keen insight into what it means for all of us to be called. This is why we will spend the rest of this week in the company of this story, allowing its truth to open our ears and hearts to the particular call of God on our lives.

PRAY AS YOU GO

O God of compassion and blessing, we acknowledge that you are a God who calls all your children to become part of your great work of goodness in this world. Help us to hear how we might become part of that. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Luke 9 : 1-6

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.