Hear the Call

Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 (Isaiah’s call)

Connecting Question

Tell about a spam you call you received.

Tell about a phone call that prompted action from you.

Prayer for Illumination

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Context

Our series, HEAR THE CALL will look to Old Testament stories of Abram, Moses, David, Esther, Isaiah, and Jonah, each one had a calling and each one heard in their own ways. We can take heart knowing that they had difficulty with what God asked. We know God is calling each of us. What is your call? When we look at Easter, how do we know what God’s call is for Easter? How far will God call us to go? Let’s Hear the Call together.

From Dr Fred Gaiser at EntertheBible.org:

At 66 chapters long and covering hundreds of years, the Book of Isaiah is about many things. It bears witness to a God who judges and saves, condemns and restores, empowers and stymies. It speaks messages of comfort and challenge to hearers of its own time (eighth to sixth centuries BCE) along with memorable promises of hope to future generations.

Look at the Book

Open to Isaiah 6:1. What has just happened? Why might that kind of event be significant?
Tell about a time you experienced the death of an important national figure. How did the community respond? You?
What is the image that Isaiah sees? What does that communicate about the one on the throne?
How is the person on the throne dressed? What is that image trying to communicate?
Seraphim in verse 2 are angelic helpers. How are they described? How does that add to the image of the throne room?
Tell about a room that speaks to you when you have been inside it.
Notice the shift from story or narrative to verse/song. What are the seraphim singing?
What does it mean that the Lord is holy? Does that speak to you or not?
How is the atmosphere in the room described in verse 4? How does that add to the imagery of the throne room that has been building since verse 1?
How does Isaiah respond to all the majesty he is experiencing? How does he describe himself? Why?
Isaiah’s call will have him speak comfort and challenge to the Israelites. Read Isaiah 11:1-9; what kind of word is this? Why does this vision matter?
Who are prophets today? Are they hard to hear? Why?
What is a contemporary issue that needs a prophet? What, as a society, are we struggling to talk to one another about in a way that we can hear?
How does this scene end? What is the significance of it?
What would you like to talk about that we have not yet?

Taking it Home

Read the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Choose one and write down as a word for your week.

God of the promise, you call your people together into your one mission in Christ’s name. Make us brave, grant us peace, challenge our expectations, and empower us to truly follow your Spirit’s lead. You are our one God who calls us together as one people, and we thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Grow Guide | Oct 6, 2024