God's Call-Rev. Jennifer Burgoyne
The stories about how Jesus called his disciples are all
well known, well worked over, and so is the story of how
God called Samuel to be his prophet in Israel.
But I am also aware many people do not hear the call of
God in their lives.
Why? Why do so many people, who already believe in
God, believe that God does not speak to them personally?
That God does not reach out to them?
Think about the boy Samuel for a minute.
He was a special boy - a special gift from God to his
mother Hannah. He was dedicated to the Lord by her
upon his birth and sent, when still very young, probably
around 3 years old, to live with the Priest Eli at Shiloh.
The scripture says that he lived in a time in which the
word of the Lord was rare, a time in which visions were
not widespread. Nevertheless Samuel lived in a holy place
and in the holy presence. He witnessed the sacrifices
made at the alter in Shiloh, and even as a boy he wore
the linen ephod and ministered in the house of God.
We are told that he did not yet know the Lord, God had
never spoken directly to him before. So at first, Samuel
confused God's voice with Eli's. But God persisted and
eventually, after the third time, Eli recognized God was
speaking to Samuel. Miracles and visions did not seem
strange to Eli. An old man of great faith, he knew God
could speak, and he knew the sound of it.
So with Eli's direction, Samuel went back to listen for
God's voice and Samuel finally heard what it was that
God wanted to say to him.
Samuel learned the fate that was to befall on Eli. Eli's
house would be punished because of the evil doings of his
sons over Israel. Both his sons and Eli would die.
It was then, Samuel learned that he was to speak the
word of God to others. This was the beginning of the
next great prophet of Israel.
God calls us in many ways. God speaks to us in many
forms. Almost all of them are gentle, almost all of them
subtle, almost all of them can be mistaken for something
else - that is until we recognize those calls - then we
discover the power of God is in them and behind them.
That is what happens in today's gospel lesson. The power
behind the call of God is discovered by one who decides
to listen to it.
The gospel lesson tells us that shortly after his baptism
Jesus decided to go up to Galilee. He had already
received Andrew and Simon Peter as his disciples.
As he prepares to leave Bethany to go to Galilee Jesus
goes out and finds Philip - he seeks him out -as he sought
out Samuel, and as he seeks out us - and he says to him,
"follow me".
Philip responds to this call and as he prepares to join
Jesus, he goes and locates a man called Nathaniel, telling
him,
"We have found him about whom Moses in the law and
also the prophets wrote, Jesus, son of Joseph from
Nazareth"
It is obvious from the text that both Philip and Nathaniel
were men who were seekers, men who were looking for
the promised one of God, but Nathaniel is not prepared
to accept that the call of God he has heard through Philip
is in fact from God and replies to him: "Can anything good
come out of Nazareth"
Still, Nathaniel goes along with Philip, he goes to check
out what he has been told, and in doing so discovers that
Jesus knows - without being told where he was the
moment before Philip called him.
Jesus says to him: "Do you believe because I told you
that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater
Epiphanythings tan these. Very truly I tell you, you will see
heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man."
In one of Bill Keane's "Family Circus" cartoons, the yard
is filled with children playing as only children can. They
are yelling and screaming, blowing horns, and crying. The
dog is barking, a jet flies overhead, and two boys are
beating on a drum. Inside the house, the mother of one
of the children says to her husband, "Listen. That's PJ
crying!"
As mothers, we know a mother's ears are conditioned to
hear the sound of her child's voice, even above the chaos
of noise. Can we hear the sound of God's voice above all
the chaos.
God is calling each of us by name - just as he called
Samuel by name. He is calling us not just to follow him,
but He is calling us to walk a particular path with him, a
path that is similar to, but not identical to the path of all
the disciples, and apostles before us. He calls to us to
listen to him. How are we doing?
We will be polling the congregation this coming week. The
third question we are asking is this:
3) What challenges in the fulfilment of mission does
our church face and what can we do to bring about
that new thing God wants our church to be?
• Where do we feel God is calling this church at this
time?
• What is God calling us to do about that?
• What is God saying to me about that?
We are in January and our leadership are looking again at
the difficulties facing St. Thomas.
1. Doing ministry with too few hands,
2. Finding enough money to keep the doors open,
3. Reaching out and finding new members,
4. Telling the world the Good News - like Philip, bringing
Nathaniel to Jesus, and like Eli rejoicing to find that
Samuel would follow in his footsteps.
God is calling us to prayer, to fasting, to obedience and
hard work, to taking most seriously the future of our
parish, and the work of God among us.
The path forward is more than just about planning, it is
about our hard work and perseverance as a parish. Many
of the things needed are obvious - hospitality to
strangers, care and attention in everything around us,
and a strong sense of mission and ministry.
The other way forward for us is to revisit our faith, and
the reasons that St. Thomas really has something special
to offer the world - and that the Gospel really is Good
News. Are we ready to listen?
May God help us this spring as we answer these special
questions about our place in Chilliwack, our reason for
being, our worth in the eyes of the Lord our God.
Let us pray - Dear Lord - we know that you do call us -
help us to listen for your call, help us to be able to
recognize it, to accept it and to do your work . Help us
discover your word for us - your demands upon us - your
will for our lives. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
