Isaiah 6:5-7 (ESV)

[5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

[6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah 6 is a harsh denouncement of God’s people, but it flows out of a revelation of God’s holiness. God doesn’t judge sin because he is an angry God. He doesn’t judge sin because he is grouchy. He judges sin because he is holy and sin is contrary to his created purpose for us. He is angry with sin because it has defaced his highest and greatest creation. In reflecting on this chapter, three thoughts stand out to me. They have to do not with judgment, but with ministry. The word ministry means service.

First, Isaiah was overwhelmed by God’s holiness. This caused him to see his own sinfulness. An encounter with holy God exposes our own brokenness. Years ago, we had a grease fire on the kitchen stove. It left the white ceiling streaked with soot. When we began to clean the ceiling, we realized that the ceiling wasn’t as white as we thought it was. It was dirty and grease caked from years of cooking. It looked white until we swiped a clean cloth across it. Then we saw what white really was. Similarly, we tend to think of ourselves as pretty good people. We know we have our issues, but we’re not nearly as bad as a lot of people. It is only when we get a clearer view of God that we begin to realize how broken we really are.

Second, Isaiah realized not only sinful he was, but how God had cleansed him and prepared him for service. Cleansing had to precede ministry. That wasn’t something he had to do, it was something God did. That is the Good News! When we begin to recognize our own sin, our first response is either despair or self-confidence. We either give up, thinking we can never be good enough, or we think that we have to fix it. We make promises. We work harder. We look for solutions, programs, and fixes. The bad news is that we can’t fix ourselves. The good news is that God has already provided the fix in Jesus. When the Seraphim touch Isaiah’s lips to cleanse him, he doesn’t respond by saying, “Let me have those tongs. I don’t think you got it all.” He responds, “Here I am! Send me.” Understanding and believing God’s cleansing leads us to ministry.

Third, ministry does not usually look like what we expect. For Isaiah, it meant giving an unpopular message to people that didn’t want to hear it. Sometimes we develop unrealistic expectations of what ministry is. “Children’s ministry? Sure, I love children!” Do you love children when three of them are all screaming at the same time? Do you love children when one has pulled his dirty diaper off, a second is crying for her Mommy, and a third is eating the crayons? Do you love children when unholy parents are complaining about how little Sally didn’t get enough attention today, or little Johnny should not have been given a snack because now it will ruin his lunch? Do you love children’s ministry when you begin to suspect that abuse is going on in the home and you need to do something about it? Ministry is hard. Ministry is uncomfortable. Ministry is not all chocolates and roses.

So how do we do it? Ministry is done by going back to where this passage began. Ministry flows out of being overwhelmed by the presence of Holy God. Ministry flows out of an understanding that we have been washed clean by the blood of Christ. Ministry is not about seeking self-fulfillment. It is about falling down broken before a holy God and rising purified, grateful, willing, and equipped by his grace. We are all called to ministry. The real question is not so much whether we are willing, but whether we have encountered God. Willingness flows out of relationship.

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”