Good to Have a Choice Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Ephesians 3:14-19
“Choose!” Joshua said, laying out the choices before his people.
“Choose!” Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
This invitation to choose rings familiar in our post-election ears
having just this past Tuesday been invited to choose our next president.
Whether you are pleased with the outcome of the nation’s choice
or filled with foreboding
you’ve got to admit it is good to have a choice.
On election day I stood in a line of two at the Afton Fire House,
waited about 30 seconds for Betty Howard to graciously take my name,
officially check my ID, and assign me a number.
Without the slightest trace of anxiety or fear I took my ballot to the nearest table
picked up my #2 pencil and colored in the ovals next to my candidates of choice.
No one was looking over my shoulder to see how I voted.
No armed militias lurked in the shadows to threaten or bully me.
I was absolutely free to vote my conscience.
It is good to have a choice.
“Choose,” Joshua said, and I, for one, am grateful to have a choice.
I think of the women and men on whose shoulders we stand
who made our choice possible:
veterans like John McCain and some of you who served this country,
and civil rights warriors who sat at lunch counters and stood in protest
refusing to let bigotry have the last word
so in 2008 we could elect a black man to our highest office.
Like the Hebrew people who stood before Joshua that day
we know that our freedom to choose has come at a price,
that those who have gone before us endured slavery and armed conflict
and times in the wilderness when the way forward was not at all clear or sure.
“Choose this day whom you will serve,” Joshua said.
The twelve Hebrew tribes had crossed the Jordan with Joshua.
They had engaged in battle with Joshua to take over the land.
And they had each been given a portion of the land as their own.
As the end of Joshua’s life drew near
he decided it was time for one last act,
one last communal affirmation before he departed.
It was time to them to reaffirm the covenant between God and God’s people.
But why now? According to the book of Joshua it was a time of great success.
Hadn’t they, with God’s help, brought down the mighty walls of Jericho
with nothing more than tramping feet and a trumpet blast?
Why couldn’t Joshua just relax and enjoy his final days
strolling down memory lane,
reveling in the fruits of his labors.
Why did he have to get all serious and demand they make a formal declaration,
that they stand and be accountable,
that they verbalize before God and everybody a recommitment to serve God?
You know why.
You know as well as I do that the time of greatest success
is always the time of greatest danger.
The time of greatest achievement
brings with it the threat of greatest complacency.
The champion athlete goes out the day after winning the tournament
and gets arrested for drunk driving.
The generous, comfortable church gets all pleased with itself
and loses its edge in reaching out to those who are hard to love.
In times of achievement and success there are two dangers lurking:
The first is the danger of forgetting that any success we have
is not our own doing, but the direct result of God’s grace.
How easy it is in times of success to rewrite history.
How easy it is to underscore our own cleverness and courage and farsightedness,
and take full credit for a positive outcome.
In asking his people to recommit themselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Joshua makes a point to emphasize
that it was God who first reached out to Abraham;
that it was God who called Moses to lead them out of Egypt
and through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
If there is glory to be given, Joshua told them,
then give it to God.
The second danger of success is the opportunity and temptation success affords us
to follow after other gods.
Hardship has a way of focusing the mind;
helping us decide in our lives what is most important.
Success has a way of clouding our vision;
getting us off track with a swarm of distractions.
In conquering Canaan, the Hebrews under Joshua’s care were exposed
to a bucket full of gods, one for every occasion.
Furthermore, it was possible, even expected, that one would worship many gods.
The more gods you had the better to cover your bases with.
Harvest gods, fertility gods, kitchen gods, gods of art and leisure –
who could tell which one might offer the most protection in any given circumstance,
so you might as well keep them all close.
But Joshua reminded the Hebrews that their God was not like other gods,
their God was a jealous God, the ONLY God
who wouldn’t condone any less than their undivided attention.
Flush with pride and relief that the promises of God’s covenant had been fulfilled,
and eager to please their beloved leader Joshua,
the Hebrews gave and immediate and unqualified “Yes,”
to Joshua’s inquiry about their willingness to commit themselves to God;
his question whether they were ready to reaffirm their side of the covenant.
“Yes,” they cried in answer. “Yes! A thousand times yes!”
But Joshua wasn’t satisfied.
Joshua could see through their superficial agreeability.
He asked again giving them every possible out.
“Now, if you ARE unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you WILL serve.
the gods you left in Egypt or the gods you’ve discovered since you got here.”
This was no time for giddy celebration.
This was serious business
This was a line in the sand.
Don’t make a snap decision, Joshua was saying, give it plenty of thought.
But then, as if to model for them the only response worth giving,
the old man Joshua, who had led them through so many battles
the old man Joshua who had made a habit of seeking God’s direction
said in an unwavering voice,
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
“Choose,” Joshua said. “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
Today is Commitment Sunday,
the day the leaders of this church have set aside
to invite you to recommit yourselves to the God of the coventant,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, AND Jesus.
Unapologetically they invite you to make your commitment tangible
by pledging your financial support for the coming year.
But the opportunity you have here is more than that – much more.
We invite you to choose to adopt a posture of expectancy and hope
knowing that even though temporary troubles assail you,
your God is in charge.
We invite you to choose to follow the most simple of commandments:
to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.
We invite you to choose to adopt a worldview that makes enemies into friends
and allows strangers to join you in your journey of faith.
“Choose!” Joshua said. “Choose this day whom you will serve!”
Isn’t it good to have a choice.
“Choose!” Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
This invitation to choose rings familiar in our post-election ears
having just this past Tuesday been invited to choose our next president.
Whether you are pleased with the outcome of the nation’s choice
or filled with foreboding
you’ve got to admit it is good to have a choice.
On election day I stood in a line of two at the Afton Fire House,
waited about 30 seconds for Betty Howard to graciously take my name,
officially check my ID, and assign me a number.
Without the slightest trace of anxiety or fear I took my ballot to the nearest table
picked up my #2 pencil and colored in the ovals next to my candidates of choice.
No one was looking over my shoulder to see how I voted.
No armed militias lurked in the shadows to threaten or bully me.
I was absolutely free to vote my conscience.
It is good to have a choice.
“Choose,” Joshua said, and I, for one, am grateful to have a choice.
I think of the women and men on whose shoulders we stand
who made our choice possible:
veterans like John McCain and some of you who served this country,
and civil rights warriors who sat at lunch counters and stood in protest
refusing to let bigotry have the last word
so in 2008 we could elect a black man to our highest office.
Like the Hebrew people who stood before Joshua that day
we know that our freedom to choose has come at a price,
that those who have gone before us endured slavery and armed conflict
and times in the wilderness when the way forward was not at all clear or sure.
“Choose this day whom you will serve,” Joshua said.
The twelve Hebrew tribes had crossed the Jordan with Joshua.
They had engaged in battle with Joshua to take over the land.
And they had each been given a portion of the land as their own.
As the end of Joshua’s life drew near
he decided it was time for one last act,
one last communal affirmation before he departed.
It was time to them to reaffirm the covenant between God and God’s people.
But why now? According to the book of Joshua it was a time of great success.
Hadn’t they, with God’s help, brought down the mighty walls of Jericho
with nothing more than tramping feet and a trumpet blast?
Why couldn’t Joshua just relax and enjoy his final days
strolling down memory lane,
reveling in the fruits of his labors.
Why did he have to get all serious and demand they make a formal declaration,
that they stand and be accountable,
that they verbalize before God and everybody a recommitment to serve God?
You know why.
You know as well as I do that the time of greatest success
is always the time of greatest danger.
The time of greatest achievement
brings with it the threat of greatest complacency.
The champion athlete goes out the day after winning the tournament
and gets arrested for drunk driving.
The generous, comfortable church gets all pleased with itself
and loses its edge in reaching out to those who are hard to love.
In times of achievement and success there are two dangers lurking:
The first is the danger of forgetting that any success we have
is not our own doing, but the direct result of God’s grace.
How easy it is in times of success to rewrite history.
How easy it is to underscore our own cleverness and courage and farsightedness,
and take full credit for a positive outcome.
In asking his people to recommit themselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Joshua makes a point to emphasize
that it was God who first reached out to Abraham;
that it was God who called Moses to lead them out of Egypt
and through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
If there is glory to be given, Joshua told them,
then give it to God.
The second danger of success is the opportunity and temptation success affords us
to follow after other gods.
Hardship has a way of focusing the mind;
helping us decide in our lives what is most important.
Success has a way of clouding our vision;
getting us off track with a swarm of distractions.
In conquering Canaan, the Hebrews under Joshua’s care were exposed
to a bucket full of gods, one for every occasion.
Furthermore, it was possible, even expected, that one would worship many gods.
The more gods you had the better to cover your bases with.
Harvest gods, fertility gods, kitchen gods, gods of art and leisure –
who could tell which one might offer the most protection in any given circumstance,
so you might as well keep them all close.
But Joshua reminded the Hebrews that their God was not like other gods,
their God was a jealous God, the ONLY God
who wouldn’t condone any less than their undivided attention.
Flush with pride and relief that the promises of God’s covenant had been fulfilled,
and eager to please their beloved leader Joshua,
the Hebrews gave and immediate and unqualified “Yes,”
to Joshua’s inquiry about their willingness to commit themselves to God;
his question whether they were ready to reaffirm their side of the covenant.
“Yes,” they cried in answer. “Yes! A thousand times yes!”
But Joshua wasn’t satisfied.
Joshua could see through their superficial agreeability.
He asked again giving them every possible out.
“Now, if you ARE unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you WILL serve.
the gods you left in Egypt or the gods you’ve discovered since you got here.”
This was no time for giddy celebration.
This was serious business
This was a line in the sand.
Don’t make a snap decision, Joshua was saying, give it plenty of thought.
But then, as if to model for them the only response worth giving,
the old man Joshua, who had led them through so many battles
the old man Joshua who had made a habit of seeking God’s direction
said in an unwavering voice,
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
“Choose,” Joshua said. “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
Today is Commitment Sunday,
the day the leaders of this church have set aside
to invite you to recommit yourselves to the God of the coventant,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, AND Jesus.
Unapologetically they invite you to make your commitment tangible
by pledging your financial support for the coming year.
But the opportunity you have here is more than that – much more.
We invite you to choose to adopt a posture of expectancy and hope
knowing that even though temporary troubles assail you,
your God is in charge.
We invite you to choose to follow the most simple of commandments:
to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.
We invite you to choose to adopt a worldview that makes enemies into friends
and allows strangers to join you in your journey of faith.
“Choose!” Joshua said. “Choose this day whom you will serve!”
Isn’t it good to have a choice.
posted by David Cameron | 3:03 PM
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