confessional prayer

Imagine the prophet Isaiah standing in awe and wonder at the sight of the Lord seated on a throne whose robe train filled the temple. Imagine seraphs [angels ablaze for God] each with six wings—two covering their faces, two coving their feet, and with two they were flying. All the while, the seraphs were calling aloud, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” And the Bible says at the sound of their voices the whole temple was filled with smoke and the doorposts and thresholds shook.

So, here stands Isaiah in the midst of an amazing and awe-inspiring vision of the glory of the LORD filling the temple while blazing seraphs call aloud, “kadosh, kadosh, kadosh is the LORD Almighty…” And what was his response? Isaiah cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (6:5).

When Isaiah is drawn into the heavenly realm and into the presence of the Wholly Other—the Transcendent One, his response is mind blowing —”Woe to me,” said Isaiah, “I am ruined!” Isaiah is completely overcome by the sense of God’s holiness—God’s wholly otherness, and he recognized that in God’s presence he was unworthy, unclean and “utterly ruined.” And so it is with us...we are utterly ruined in the presence of the Almighty. But the story is not over. What happens next is vital to our understanding of the Transcendent One. Isaiah says, “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ’See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for’.” In an amazing act of grace, God forgives Isaiah for his uncleanness and restores their relationship so much so that God enables Isaiah to receive his word and live (Reinstra).

So, let us be aware of who we are in relation to the Holy One who sits on a high and exalted throne and together confess, “Woe to us! We are an unclean people! We are ruined!” Then be ready to receive forgiveness and be restored into right relationship with the One who then says, “Whom shall I send?” And we can respond with confidence, “Here we are! Send us!” Amen.