This week in our scriptural journey, we find ourselves in the throne room with the prophet Isaiah, awe-struck by a yards-long royal robe, an enormous throne and seraphim and cherubim flying and scrambling about, some toting hot coals.  It's quite a scene.  It's most likely the place in the Bible where the inspiration for the hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy" came from, and it has inspired a variety of interpretations as diverse as the shape of the snowflakes over the centuries.

Isaiah, this prophet, has been called to stand before God and be cleansed of his sin and brought back into right relationship with the Creator of the Universe by a ritual involving touching a hot coal to his mouth.  More dramatic than any opera or James Cameron silver screen production, this scene leaves us wondering what indeed it would be like to be in Isaiah's place, and also, "What would you do afterwards?" 

Most of us have not been in the exact-same position described in Isaiah, but many have indeed felt the presence of God, no matter how inexplicable the experience might have been.  I would venture a guess that for most people, their experience was small and quiet in its significance, rather than huge and mind-blowing.  How did that presence change you afterwards? What would you have done, said, thought, felt, decided, had you been in Isaiah's place, the next day? Would you have reverted to business-as-usual? Would you have felt changed forever?  Would your decisions have taken a different shape?

How do we start again once we have been touched by the Divine? Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have experienced that touch.  So, what are we to do now? Let's journey through the question together this week and especially on Sunday.