Wake Up to God’s Call

7.5.2026

[Texts] Zechariah 9:9-12 ▪️Psalm 145:8-14 ▪️Romans 7:15-25a ▪️Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

The 4th of July blessings to all who live in this land, and deep gratitude to the ancestors of this land who were here.

It is always bitter and sweet to celebrate historical victories that involved wars and terrors. Throughout human history, invading the land of others became normalized among tribes and nations, and eventually the concept of nations was adopted throughout the world.

And part of holding this bitter‑sweet celebration is remembering that long before the United States existed—and long before any nation in this world existed—this land was already home to Indigenous peoples. It was tended, loved, and shaped by communities whose stories go back thousands upon thousands of years. Remembering this is not about guilting or blaming; it is about humility, gratitude, and honoring relationships with those whose ancestors cared for this land long before our arrivals.

And humility, gratitude, and honored relationships are exactly the posture God invites us to take as we ask, “What is a faithful way of celebrating what we claim to have today?”

We all carry responsibilities and gratitude handed down from ancestors who fought with someone else. That’s a heavy yoke — one we often don’t realize we’re still carrying, until Christ invites us to lay it down and receive his gentler one.

So, what is a faithful way of celebrating what we claim to have today?

As I contemplate the scriptures we have today, with a deep intention to discover God’s calling to each of us in this season, I phrase them as a wake‑up to God’s call.

Zechariah’s Hope

Zechariah 9:9–12 sounds like a wake‑up call to hope. It reminds us that we do not have to be prisoners of our history—hunted, trapped, or defined by our shared past—but that God invites us to reclaim our agency and return to the stronghold of hope. Zechariah speaks to people who inherited violence, displacement, and political turmoil. They did not choose their history, but God calls them to choose how they will respond to it.

Psalmic Compassion

Psalm 145:8–14 sounds like a wake‑up call to mirror God’s character as we live on this land. It reminds us who God is: gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. The psalmist speaks to people who are oppressed and starving for justice and offers us a vision of God’s compassion as the way of living.

Romans’ Honesty

Romans 7:15–25 sounds like a wake‑up call to honesty about our inner conflicts. It reminds us to name the contradictions within us—the saint and the sinner at the same time. This paradoxical identity is precisely where God meets us, not in perfection but in struggle.

Matthew’s Gentleness

Matthew 11:16–30 sounds like a wake‑up call to a generation that wasn’t listening. Jesus invites his disciples to lay down their heavy burdens and learn the way of gentleness, a new way of carrying what weighs them down through his divine companionship. This is the new yoke he offers.

A Spacious, Invitational Conclusion

So, on this weekend of remembering, may God wake us up to the call placed in each of us, not all at once, not in the same way, but in the way that meets us in this season of our lives.

• For some, it may be a call to humility — to be grateful, to be good stewards, to not take anything for granted.

• For some, it may be a call to truth‑telling — to learn history honestly, to understand the cost of wars and turmoil so we do not repeat them.

• For some, it may be a call to compassion — to acknowledge that we all participate in systems we did not choose, and to treat one another with tenderness, especially those who have lost land or homes, past or present.

• For some, it may be a call to rest — to return to Sabbath, prayer, reflection, and the quiet places where God restores us.

• For some, it may be a call to justice — to live in right relationship with God and God’s people. We cannot shout “justice!” while hating those who oppose our positions. Remember Jesus drawing a line in the sand when the crowd wanted to stone the woman.

• And for some, it may be a call to healing relationships — the small, often unnoticed ways we repair what has been strained or broken.

Whatever call arises for you today, even if it is only one, even if it is quiet, may God wake us up to it. And may that call lead us into hope, mirror God’s compassionate character, honesty, and the companionship of Christ.

Prayer

Let us pray.

God of mercy and truth,

wake us up to your call within and around us.

In this land we share, teach us humility

to be grateful, to be gentle, to be good stewards of what we’ve received.

Grant us honesty to face our history,

courage to seek justice without hatred and resentments,

and compassion to hold one another tenderly,

especially those who have lost land, homes, or hope.

When the yoke feels heavy and unbearable,

remind us of Christ’s gentleness and companionship

that your burden is light,

and that rest in you is always offered.

Yes, with your help, O God,

we can live out your calls

in this land we share.

Amen.