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Hot coals, anyone? Isaiah 6:1-8  So Isaiah has this vision, and he sees this great God sitting on this great throne, and there are those multi-winged seraphs flying around and loudly proclaiming the power and glory of this Holiest of all holies, this great God, this immense Creator. In the vision, the whole place is filled with smoke, and is shaking, and I figure that Isaiah himself is shaking and trembling when he exclaims: Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (5, NRSV) Can’t you just hear him say it? Can’t you identify with this man when he thinks to himself: “Oh man, Oh man, what do I do now? I’ve got so many problems, not the least of which is my mouth, which gets me into trouble all the time. I say things which I know are not always right, or proper, or kind. So now what do I do – now that I have come face to face with myself, with truth, with the goodness and  the righteousness which I know to be God, the great, one and only God? Oh, brother – why me, why me?” Well, can’t you just hear him say things like that?  Isaiah keeps on complaining and moaning and generally feeling sorry for himself. Just then, just at the right moment, one of those winged seraph creatures flies over to him and, with a live coal from the altar it touches the mouth of Isaiah, saying: Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. (7) Just like that, Isaiah’s life has changed radically. The hot coal touches his lips, and they are no longer unclean, for Isaiah has come face to face with God and now has to live a life which is acceptable in God’s sight. That does not mean that Isaiah’s life, from this point forward, will be a bed of roses. It will not always be a pleasure for Isaiah to speak the words God provides. He will not win many popularity contests among the people, and he may even be rejected by some of those he counted among his friends. But he has to do this, for he has seen God’s face, he has accepted God’s truth, and when God asks that question: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (8), Isaiah can only offer one answer: Here I am; send me! (8)  Frankly, I imagine that when Isaiah says that, it comes out in a weak, trembling voice. Maybe God even has to ask: “What did you say, Isaiah – I couldn’t hear you!”, and so the second time Isaiah musters up a little more courage when he repeats: Here I am!  There are plenty of hot coals left on the altar, just waiting for more lips to touch. - Pastor Piet - February 4, 2007  (you are encouraged to read the scripture passage in its entirety)