Readings for Epiphany
2:
1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 6:11b-20; John 1:43-51
January 19, 2003
The Rev. Mary Blessing
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Listening and Responding to the Call of God
Today I want to talk with you about what it means to hear God's call for your life. God's calling is not just for a few called to ordained ministry. God calls each of us into service; God, like Jesus, calls, asking everyone to "Follow Me."
Last week, at the memorial service for our organist, Jon Soule, Pastor Karen spoke of Jon's gift of music. God spoke to Jon through music. Jon listened to God, Jon followed God. Jon's calling as a gifted organist allowed him to get his first job as a church organist at age 14. After studying organ at Oberlin Conservatory of Music Jon served as church organist in various places. But in his 25 years at St. Jude's, Jon needed a job in the tech world, while following his calling as a church organist on a part time basis. He did this with grace and gratitude for the opportunity to play organ, and all of you rewarded him with your generosity as you helped St. Jude's purchase an organ worthy of his talent. I am forever grateful that Jon was able to realize this part of his calling, while setting us up with this much needed, fabulous new organ.
Jon's calling was clearly a calling from God, which he fulfilled as well as he could, but the circumstances of his life required a certain compromise in his use of time. As I told one of our high school seniors following Jon's service, my wish for our young people is that they hear God's calling, are able to respond and follow. I pray the world will support our young people in fulfilling their call without compromise.
In our Old Testament reading today, we heard of a young boy, Samuel, whose life was completely dedicated to following the call of God. Before he was born, Samuel's mother, Hannah, was devastated because it seemed she could have no children. Hannah wanted nothing more than to bear a son. She wept and wailed at the temple, begging God to "open her womb." Finally, she bargained with God: if you give me a son, I will give him into your holy service as soon as he is weaned. Hannah finally conceived; she gave birth to Samuel. Hannah kept her end of the bargain; as soon as he was weaned she took Samuel to live at the Temple with the priest Eli, who put him into holy service for God. In today's reading we hear that Samuel was obedient to the voice of God. And all the land "knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord." (I Sam. 3:20)
Samuel did not have any choice but to be raised by the priest Eli in the Temple of the Lord . It was expected that Samuel would serve God from before the time Samuel was born. Nonetheless, Samuel still had the choice to listen and follow God or not-Eli's own son's living at the temple did not listen and follow God. By birthright Eli's sons were to become priests, but they did not listen and follow. They chose to ignore God and do things their own way. Samuel, on the other hand, heard God's voice calling in the night and said, "Here I am Lord."
Samuel's choice to listen to God, and to follow God, led to one of the most significant changes in Hebrew history. Samuel was a divinely appointed leader, a prophet who functioned as priest, seer, war leader and judge. He moved Israel into the phase of history known as the monarchy. Samuel was the one to anoint Saul to be the first of the great Kings to lead Israel, followed by David and Solomon.
About a thousand years after Samuel's life, Jesus of Nazareth appears before John the Baptist. Jesus' mere presence causes heads to turn, as people perceive him to be "the Messiah", the anointed one, the "One we've been waiting for." At a gathering with John the Baptist, Jesus meets some rather ordinary people, including a fisherman, named Andrew. Andrew listens to Jesus and hears the call of God. He cannot help but go and get his brother Simon Peter to introduce him to Jesus. Next, Jesus goes and finds Philip. He calls Philip, saying, "Follow Me," and Philip follows. Philip is so excited to find the Messiah, he goes to tell his friend Nathanael.
Nathanael is doubtful at first, perhaps he is a snob. Nathanael is a learned man, he knows the scriptures well. Perhaps he is a rabbi, a teacher of the word of God. In Jesus' day, the tradition of the rabbi's was to sit under a fig tree to teach scripture to their students (Anchor Bible Dictionary, v. 4, p. 1030.) Picture Nathanael, believing he has already listened to God's call, living out his calling as a rabbi. He teaches what the scripture says about the Messiah to come. He knows the prophetic wisdom of the Torah, and could tell you chapter and verse where to find the proclamation of the Messiah to come,Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18, yet when Nathanael is about to meet the Messiah face to face, he begins to dismiss him. Someone that important cannot be from the little village of Nazareth. He seems to have adopted the view that Galilean religion is inferior. When he actually does meet Jesus, he is impressed. In the end, Nathanael hears God's call, and he follows.
What do the call of Samuel, the call of Andrew, Peter, Philip or Nathanael tell you about God's call for you? Not many of us had a mother who gave us over to priestly service before we were even born, as with Samuel. Perhaps some of you showed up at street rallies to hear prophets speak of new possibilities, as Andrew did. Most of us are probably like Peter, applying ourselves to the work at hand, but willing to listen if someone we trust tells us to pay attention. Are any of us a bit like Nathanael? We may think we have responded to God's call, dutifully learning about God, teaching others what we know. But we might stand in danger of belittling the actual presence of God, because God appears in unexpected ways.
What about those who experience the call of God in a combination of these ways? For instance, my parents placed me in an Episcopal day school as a 4 year old. In daily chapel I began to hear the Word of God. Soon a still, small voice within me encouraged me to say "I want to be a priest when I grow up." But, unlike Samuel, I was not the right gender, and was laughed at. As a teen, I had a profound sense of God calling me into holy service, but my gender had not changed, and neither had the church. So I became a bit like Andrew, showing up at street rallies, seeking new ways of hearing God's prophetic word, hoping to hear God's call for me. As I grew into adulthood, I kept my life focused on my secular work, secretly hoping someone I trusted would come along and say, "I have found the Messiah, come follow me." Finally, the church changed, and my gender was acceptable. I took a chance, and entered Seminary with hopes of finding the Messiah in my scriptural studies. Like Nathanael, I must be careful to open my eyes to God's presence before me, to not presume to know in advance what things will look like when I am called to follow Jesus.
Each of you is called by God into His holy service. The question I have for you today, is, will you live that call?
"When asked to follow, will you respond "Hear I am, Lord."?
AMEN
| Updated 1/24/03 |
|