I thought I would enjoy this more because it was mainly telling stories. I had a little fun with it, but when I was done it felt more like a recitation of stories than the telling of stories. Not sure what was happening in the delivery.
When I read the Scripture lesson from 1 Samuel in worship, I ended it at verse 9. I decided in the moment that emphasized Eli's role more than if I read the whole pericope.
We celebrated All Saints' Day, which included the reading of the names of members who died in the past year. In retrospect, I could have built off that and invited people to consider how some of the saints of the church had influenced their lives in years past.
“What I Need from My church: A Call” SAPC, Denton; November 7, 2021; Fall, 2021 series I Samuel 3: 1-18
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”[a] and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,[b] and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” 17 Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”
Introduction: Preaching series on what we need from our church — this week we focus on the church’s role in helping us hear God’s call for our lives.
We Presbyterians have a high sense of call.
Presbyterian 101 class - is God calling you to this congregation at this particular time in your life?
Officer Nominating committee – not necessarily the best skilled or most talented, but who is God calling into leadership at this time in the life of the church.
We sometimes do a disservice to our theology of call by limiting our understanding of call to church work, but our theology of call teaches us that God calls us in all aspects of our lives.
A series of call stories I have heard through the years.
Emphasis on the role of others, often the “church,” in assisting in the fall.
Move 1: wE begin with the Samuel
a. If we go back in the story, we discover that Samuel's call grows out of his mother Hannah's deal with God.
- As you may remember, she promises to give her child to God if God will allow her to bear a child.
- Literally from the womb, Samuel's mother begins the process of helping Samuel hear God's call.
b. In the specific moment, we read about this morning, the priest Eli comes to Samuel's assistance.
1. When Samuel does not recognize the voice in the night.
2. When Samuel does not understand what is happening, Eli guides him.
Samuel needs someone to help him hear God’s call.
Move 2: My story
a. University Presbyterian Church - letting elementary-age children usher.
b. St Andrew - Dr. McCoy, asking
b. Church asking a 22 yr old to teach SS and serve on the CE committee at Westminster
1. Sent me back to SYW with youth after I quit my job to go to law school. While there, I begin rethinking going to law school and instead going to seminary.
2. As I am processing my sense of call, my former Jr. High sponsor at St.Andrew, is now a Sr. High sponsor and is with the youth from St. Andrew at SYW. how convenient for him to be there to help guide my
e. Arrive in Houston for law school.
1. Closest Presbyterian church happens to be where the keynote speaker from Synod Youth Workshop is the minister.
2. Go to worship there.
3. Lazy minister does not write a new sermon. He preaches the same sermon he had preached at the final worship service at SYW. it happens to be on listening for God’s call.
4. went to see him the next morning – you don't know me but were you preaching your sermon to me.
5. I don’t know, maybe.
6. A week later I was in seminary. After SYW was over, I drove the kids back to Corsicana, TX, and then drove to Houston to start law school in a few weeks.
multiple churches played a prominent roles in my hearing the call to ordained ministry.
Move 3: A Ruling Elder colleague of mine tells his story.
a. Over 40 years ago, he was in worship at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church listening to a sermon by Bryan Kirkland.
1. The sermon was about being a servant and was based on the text in Mark where James and John are wanting to sit at Jesus' right and left hand;
2. Kirkland says in the sermon: "Another way to think about this is, if you want to be the chief, first you must be the chef."
3. not a comment on cooking particularly, just a note about serving others.
b. My friend cannot get that sentence out of his head.
1. He enjoyed cooking, but never thought of it beyond doing something he had enjoyed doing growing up with his mother.
2. But that single sentence in the sermon shaped his sense of call.
3. he did not become a minister of cooking.
4. But he began to see cooking as a gift to others. he became the one who invited people over for meals; or cooked at gatherings;
He is not a touchy, feely guy with a warm, fuzzy persona. But he cooks for people; he offers hospitality;
cooking has become sort of the trademark among family, friends, and work colleagues.
He sees his gift as bringing people together around the table.
A calling from God heard in a pew.
Move 4: Priscilla and Aquila
Priscilla and Aquila
1. They'd already been driven from Rome because of their religious beliefs.
2. Now they are in Corinth when Paul comes to town.
3. Paul's a tentmaker, so he stays with them.
4. Imagine those conversations that took place as they worked or hung out at home at night.
5. IN addition to being a fellow tent maker, Paul also happens to be the most persuasive, most compelling, most persistent evangelist in the early church.
6. Before too long, Priscilla and Aquila are packing their bags and moving to Ephesus to help start a church there.
7. I bet some days they wish they had not been tent makers when Paul comes to town.
Move 5: Another ruling elder told me this story.
a. He was preparing to retire and was thinking about engaging in some type of ministry. He looked into going to seminary, but he had too many years of classes (he would need an undergraduate degree before he went to seminary).
b. Next, he thought about mission work; maybe Africa; but, his wife was still teaching and he was not sure he wanted to go to Africa; kids in the area; grand-kid or two already
c. He went to a presbytery meeting. And he heard about a new church development that the presbytery was starting. That caught his attention. It was going to be not too far away from their home.
d. He told his wife about it. Maybe they could help with this new church development. They prayed about it.
e. how he and his wife with their numerous years of experience as both Elder and Deacon in a Presbyterian church continue to play the role of the wise, veterans who help the congregation claim its Presbyterian identity as it welcomes new members with no connection to church or the Presbyterian church.
Hearing God’s call at a presbytery meeting? Really?
Conclusion: Sometimes we need somebody to help us hear God’s call.
Such is the work of the church.
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