On "redeemed, redeem, redeeming."

"So the title," the proverbial you says.

I hemmed and hawed on a title for this blog for years. Of course, the concept shifted and evolved during that time as well. However the essential characteristic that would categorize this blog for seemingly years to come evaded me. In fact, that little elusive title is what has kept me from online self-publishing since the fall of 2009.

During my second stay on the psych unit of a Chicago-land hospital, a pastor friend referred my fears and anxieties to Isaiah 43. I will only cite the first seven verses here, but I highly recommend you look up the entire chapter (here, I'll help you with that):

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth-- everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

(Holy Bible, NRSV)

This passage spoke so beautifully to me then and has continued to.

"So it's a few nice words," the proverbial you says, "what about the title?"

Well first of all, I am redeemed. Hallelujah. God has called me by name, I am his. I am precious in his sight, honored, and he loves me. My people, do you realize who this is we're talking about? The LORD, who has created us. Yahweh, the Almighty One, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Creator God. To be redeemed by this enormous, universal God means the unspeakable (to me at least). I cannot possibly use words to categorize the beauty, absurdity, and wonder of this fact. I am redeemed. You are redeemed. We are redeemed.

God calls everyone called by his name out of captivity and into redemption. This is radical, my people. Let me say it again: this is radical. That "everyone" includes all whom God created for his glory. The two emphases highlighted here are indicative of our consequential call. Let me lay it out for you:

1. All whom God created for his glory. Not all whom we choose, have chosen, or will exclude. Not all who go to church, not all the practicing Christians, not all the straight ones, the white ones, the rich ones. It is all whom God created. Have you got it yet? ... That is, we're not the ones who get to choose who is a part of this redeeming business. It is all whom God created. End of story. (almost)
2. All whom God created for his glory. Not our glory. Not our social ego. We don't get to take the credit for being friends with the non-church-goers, the gay ones, the brown ones, the poor ones. It is all whom God created for his glory. Have you got that one down yet? ... That is, we're not the ones who get the claim to fame in this redeeming business. It is God who created, and therefore for God's glory. End of story.

The very small amount of studying I have done on the context of this passage aside, I believe that if God is calling this radical form of "everyone" out of captivity and into redemption, we as Christ-followers are called to do the same. "Redeem!" God says. He may even be shouting it. "See? Do you see what I am doing, my people? I redeem. I redeem! And so must you. Redeem!"

And God's redemption work does not end. Rather, it is constant, consistent, ever-flowing, ever-growing, snowballing into the massive beauty that is the Kingdom. There is always a future of and for redemption. "When you..." thus says the LORD. When you pass through the waters, when you walk through the fire, when you fall, when you hurt, when you are broken-hearted, when you hook up with a stranger after midnight and go to church a few hours later (or not), when you are depressed, when you refuse communion, when your fiancé leaves you, when you leave your fiancé, when you, when you, when you ... there is a future of and for redemption. God is redeeming.

So I will explore here, with you reading along, commenting when necessary, and reigning me in where appropriate, our redeemed-ness. I will explore that holy call upon us to redeem, and the future of God's redeeming.

Here we go.