Reflections on "Partners in a Call" I Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1: 35-42

The lectionary text from the Gospel of John was actually the second part of the call story, which includes the conversation between Philip, Nathanael, and Jesus. In fact, the same conversation between Peter and Andrew in the passage I read is had between Philip and Nathanael.  But, the second passage’s dialogue with Jesus shifts the focus from what I was looking for from the Samuel story.  it would be fun to preach on Jesus’ question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth,” but that will have to wait for another day (I have preached it previously in another sermon).

the sermon seemed to trike a chord with people, but I find that that call stories often do.  I suspect many of us have questions about what God is calling us to do, so the call story sermons will capture people’s attention.

I also shifted the focus from the person being called to the person helping them discern the call.  it made for a little bit different approach to the texts.

I also was looking through some MLK, Jr. stuff as I thought about his life and witness and found the snippet of his final speech that I included here.  I hope it fit with the theme of the sermon, and did not seem like a forced illustration.

“Partners in a Call  SAPC, January 14, 2018; I Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1: 35-42

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:  We often use language for call in ways that suggests the only call people hear is to be a minister or to serve as a ruling elder or deacon.   

God’s call should not and cannot be limited to church activities.  in fact, Tom Are, Jr., minister of Prairie Village Presbyterian Church in KS, makes that point that “When Jesus calls, you don’t get a new job; you get a whole new life.” Tom Are, Jr. 11/11/12 Sermon “It's a Whole New Life” FPC, 9/1/13; Chapel

As we reflect on the call stories this morning, think about call in terms of what God is doing in your life and in the lives of others.

I also am not focusing on Samuel’s willingness to hear God’s call or Peter’s apparent desire to hear God’s call.  Both powerful stores, but I want to reflect on a few other aspects of call we discover in the stories this morning.

Move 1: The story of Eli and Samuel not only speaks to Samuel hearing God’s call,  but how Eli acts as a partner to Samuel.

a.  We often need help in identifying our call, that is someone to guide us as we listen for what God might be doing in our lives.

a.  Three times Samuel heard the voice in the night.

1.  Three times he did not understand or recognize the voice in the night.

2. three times he goes in to awaken Eli to see why Eli is calling him.

3. too bad Samuel did not live in our time.  Instead of a voice in the night, he would have gotten a text or a phone call, and the caller id would have said “God,” and he would have known without a doubt.

4.  But Samuel does not recognize the voice in the night.

5. Fortunately, Eli does.

6. It takes him three times to figure it out, but finally Eli gets it — God is calling Samuel.

7.  Samuel needs Eli to identify for him that God is calling him in the night.

b.  Look at the story in the Gospel of John. How does Peter, arguably one of the top disciples discover the Messiah?

1. His brother Andrew, the one for whom this congregation finds its name, brings Peter back to meet Jesus.

2.  Peter needs Andrew to connect him to Jesus.

c.  In both stories, we see the importance of someone choosing to help someone else recognize God’s call.

1.  I am reminded of an author of book on youth ministry, who writes: “When I'm honest, it irks me that God called Moses through a burning bush, and God has sent nothing of the sort in my direction as far as I can tell.”  The Godbearing Life:  The Art of Soultending for Youth Ministry, Kenda Dean and Ron Foster (74)

2.  If there is no burning bush with the voice of God speaking from it, how will we hear God’s call?

3.  From someone who sees in us the possibilities for what God might be doing.  

d.  not easy being a good partner in helping someone hear God’s call.

1.  I learned a great lesson about helping someone discern God’s call from a man named Jerry Houchens.  He was from KY and had a thick, Eastern KY accent.  He told me he had been a “tar” salesman before going to work for the church.  I knew him for a year before I realized that he had sold tires that go on cars instead of tar that goes on roads.

When Jerry said, “God” it was a three- syllable word;  

I met him when he was working for the General Assembly.  he oversaw the ordination process for ministers.  after I had received word that I had passed my ordination exams and could look for a call, he called me up.  “Richard, do you remember me?”  the truthful answer was, “Not really,” but I didn’t tell him that.  

He asked me, “Richard, do you want a solo pastorate or an associate pastorate.  I got one of each.”

After I hung up, I hightailed it up to see the dIrector of Vocations at the seminary  and  told him about Jerry Houchens; and asked if I should trust or believe him.  

Absolutely,  and here’s why.  Jerry does not just look at who his favorite people are or who his favorite church is, he considers the gifts of the people and the needs of the church. 

4. Great lesson for us as we think about our role in helping others discern their calls.

5. To be faithful to God and to the person with whom we are helping discern God’s call means moving beyond “you’re wonderful,” and really exploring with someone what God might be calling them to do.

6.  A friend and member of the congregation I served in OH was not satisfied that he was doing what God had in mind for him.  he asked me to help him discern God’s call; we spoke and prayed; thought about career changes; what other career might be where God was calling him; he thought he might like teaching, but he could not make that work; so he changed jobs; not quite there; still listening for God’s call;  found a job where he was doing something that fulfilled him; a process that took several years, lots of conversations, and lots of risk. 

7. scary to be apart of it.  both the fact that someone was taking God’s call for his life so seriously, and that he needed a partner to work with him.

8.  as some of you know, Lisa Patterson, our associate pastor has a reputation for being really good at identifying gifts in people and how God might be at work in their lives.  

9.  I would say be aware when she starts talking to you, but really, “listen, because she may have some ideas about what God might be doing in your life.”

Move 2: you often have to give something up to accept a call.

a.  Ok, I can’t guarantee you have to give something up to follow a call, but that seems like how it works in the biblical story.

b. Consider Eli

1.  A priest for God’s people.

2. A priest with sons, which meant he probably had an expectation that his sons would carry on the priestly tradition.

3.  part of helping Samuel hear his call meant giving up his dream for his sons

2.  With that came the acknowledgement that his sons had failed — perhaps he might see himself a failure as their father.

b.  Or go back before Eli.

1. Hannah, Samuel’s mother.

2.  Perhaps you remember her story.

3. She had been unable to get pregnant and pledged to God that if she were to get pregnant, she would turn her child over to God.

4.  She does have a child, and she is true to her word.

5. she takes her child Samuel to the Temple where Eli is the priest and offers him for God’s service.

c.  Samuel

1. Had to give up his anonymity and minor role.

2. He had to give up what he had in mind and embrace his role as priestly leader of God’s people.

d.  As you listen for God’s call in your life, what are you willing to give up?

Move 3:  God is going to do something - do you want to be a part of it?

a.  “I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle” 

1. that sounds pretty exciting, and maybe a bit scary, but don’t you want to be a part of what God is doing that will make you tingle?

2.  That is what is at stake when we talk about hearing God’s call.

2. Do you want to be join with God or keep on doing your own thing?

b.  MLK, Jr.  April 3, marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech to the Memphis sanitation workers in 1968 — his last speech before he was assassinated.   he begins the speech by imagining what period of the world history he would have liked to live in:  Time of Moses; Roman Empire;  time of Luther; Civil war ere with Abraham Lincoln; dealing iwht the depression; Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.  (Milton Brasher-Cunningham; “Martin’s Last Words,” April 3, 2011; http://donteatalone.com/lenten-journal-martins-last-words/

2. What a powerful opportunity:   to help someone hear God’s call so they can be a part of what God is doing.

Conclusion:  Samuel’s response to God was:  “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

A response Eli taught him.  

whom are you helping hear God’s call?

Reflections on "Making Room" Christmas Eve, 2017

A little late in posting the sermon.  the "knock, Knock" part was done from a little room outside the Sanctuary.  Not sure if that added to the sermon or not.  The sermon worked ok, but it could have been better.

During Advent we have been telling stories and reflecting on stories, stories that shape and form us.  Each week we’ve had a little story time at the stool.

Tonight we read a familiar story;  it is THE story.  the one that give shape to our lives; the one the forms our hope.

“Making Room”  SAPC, Xmas Eve night service, 2017; Luke 2: 1-7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Knock, Knock, Knock

Who is it? Who is knocking at the door?

Knock Knock

Okay, okay, I'm coming. Just a second.

I know honey. I know it's going to be that young man and his pregnant wife. Who else would be banging on our door again.

I was hoping they would find somewhere else to stay.

I know, I know, there is no place else to stay in all of Bethlehem; the census has overwhelmed everyone.

but I thought they might get lucky.

Yes, I told them to come back if they didn't find anything else.

No, I did not have a plan for if they came back.

I”m just going to send them on their way.

Knock, Knock.

There is absolutely no place we can put them. The only room left is our room. WE could give them our bed, but our kids are already sleeping in our bed with us.

I don't know. If they're desperate enough we could let them use the stable.

At least it would give them some shelter for the night, and it would be a wind break.

Okay, I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to help get them settled.

Yes, I’ll tell them that you can come help if she starts to have her baby.

Knock, Knock

I said I'm coming.

Move 2: I think the innkeeper gets a bad rap.

The Innkeeper's Union ought to have hired a better public relations dept.

You know, the innkeeper isn't even mentioned in Luke. We're just told that there was no room at the inn.

But who gets to tell Mary and Joseph every year that there's no room at the inn at the annual Christmas pageant – the innkeeper.

I saw a Christmas pageant just las week - here came Mary and Joseph to go up the aisle of the sanctuary, presumably to head to Bethlehem;  but there was the innkeeper with his hand out like a stop sign shaking his head “no.”  he does not even have to speak - we know what he’s telling Mary and Joseph.  “No room for you here.”

Lately I’ve been thinking we have it wrong about the innkeeper. 

Someone had to help Mary and Joseph out when they were wandering around Bethlehem.

Someone had to help them find this place where they could put their new born in a manger.

Maybe the innkeeper, maybe the innkeeper's wife, maybe a neighbor.

I'm going to go with the innkeeper.

move 3: We may not know much about the innkeeper.

But we do know about the God who came in Christ that night.

The God who chose to come and live among us.

That's what God coming in flesh means – that in the midst of all the issues and problems we have – Christ arrives.

when the inn is full and there is nothing we can do about it, no more space to find even if we wanted to – Christ still comes.

 In our world where terrorism and war erupt daily, where racism appears, political division seems greater than ever before;  into this world God chooses to live among us.

When are lives seem overwhelming and we do not know where to turn – Christ arrives.

Into our difficult medical journeys; into the face of tragedy; Christ appears.

Into our every so busy lives where we risk losing ourselves to the things we do, Christ arrives.

When are future seems so uncertain we are scared to take the next step forward, Christ shows up.

The innkeeper discover the God who will not be stopped from living among us.

Move 3: We remember the innkeeper, or whoever it was who helped make room out with the animals for Mary and Joseph, we are reminded of God's great desire that we give ourselves over to Christ. 

That we make room in our lives for Christ.

The innkeeper only has a stable – and that is enough for the Christ child.

Some of us arrive here tonight feeling like we have so much to offer.

We're in the job we like; our lives are falling into place.  wE in that sweet spot in our relationship. We have a lot to offer – Christ wants to be a part of all you have to offer.

Others of us arrive here struggling. We count ourselves among the broken and the brokenhearted. The future seems uncertain and full of problems.

It's not that we do not want to give ourselves over to Christ, but we do not feel like we have much to give. Christ wants to be part of your life as well.

It does not matter how much you have to give or how little you have to give; 

what matters is receiving the Christ-child whom God sends for you.

move 4: Wally – 4^th grade age, but in the 2^nd grade; he looked like a big, clumsy giant among the second graders; his mind worked like he looked – clumsily and slow.

Well-liked; participated;

Christmas pageant – he waited to hear what part he would play. Very excited when he discovered he would pay the innkeeper. The teacher had carefully chosen this part for him because it had very few lines, and because Wally’s imposing figure would make it believable when the innkeeper turned Mary and Joseph away.

Rehearsals went very well. Wally learned his lines: “Go somewhere else.” There is no room for you.” Go away.”

The pageant was going smoothly. Soon the dramatic knock on the door of the inn. “We need a place to stay”

“Go somewhere else.”

But, sir, we have looked everywhere. We have traveled a great distance. Please let us stay.”

“There is no room for you.”

“But, my wife is tired. She’s about to bear a child. Please, let us stay.”

Long pause, Wally looks forlornly at Joseph and Mary. The prompter from off-stage loudly whispers, “Go away.”

Wally’s rehearsal kicks in and he says, “Go away.”

As he watches Mary and Joseph turn and walk away, Wally, the innkeeper, suddenly blurts out, “Don’t go Joseph. Bring Mary back. You can have my room.”

conclusion:  Christ has arrived. Do you have any room in your life for him?

Reflections on "Sharers in the Promise" Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 13-20

We were ordaining and installing ruling elders and deacons in worship, so I began looking at the texts with that in mind.  My first thought was a simple sermon with two points - the Matthew passage as a reminder that the world into which Christ comes is not perfect and the Ephesians passage to discuss the role of the church in responding to what we discover in the world. somehow, my study of this passage in Ephesians did not lead to an easy sermon.  If I preached it again, i would begin with the third point and the image of Paul praying, and then work out the rest of the sermon from that vantage point.

Perhaps working with Paul's letter was a bit more challenging since I'd preached on narrative texts for all of Advent.  Preaching Paul's letters has a very different feel than preaching narrative texts (at least for me!).

“sharers in the Promise”  SAPC, January 7, 2018; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 13-20

Ephesians 3: 1-12  This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ²for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, ³and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ⁷Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; ¹⁰so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Introduction:  as you may remember, we spent Advent and Christmas telling and reflecting on stories. We finished last week with the wise men traveling to find baby Jesus with their gifts and Brandi’s sermon on the gift of love.   

Wise men make a great story; we finished the Christmas cycle on the high notes of gift-giving and love. We finish the Christmas cycle on a high note.

Typically, we skip over what’s next and move into the new year.

But the Christmas story as told in Matthew has a few more verses.  Verses that move from the joyous exchange of gifts to King Herod lashing out in fear and anger to bring fear and death to God’s people and cause Mary, Joseph and Jesus to flee to Egypt.

the joy of Christ’s birth met with the harsh reality of the world.

We live in this world with its hope and promise as seen in the gifts and love people share and also its fear and anger we see lived out.  

If I asked you to write down three clear examples of the love of God in your life and three examples of fear and anger in our world, I imagine you could do both rather easily.

Even as we see glimpses of heaven in our midst, we also recognize the complete transformation of our world into the kingdom of heaven is not quite complete!

this the world in which we live; that was the world in which the Ephesians lived.

Into that reality, Paul writes the church in Ephesus a letter.

 the portion of the letter we read this morning describes how Paul sees the church’s role in this hopeful, but broken world.

Let’s look at a couple of points Paul makes.

Move 1:  The church binds us together as sharers in the promise.

a.  Paul understands his faith in Christ to be an extension of his Jewish faith.

1.  A radical departure perhaps, but still his faith in Christ is connected to the God of Abraham, whom he already knew.

2.  But Paul celebrates that this faith in Christ is not limited to those of the Jewish tradition, but extends to all people including the Gentiles.

3.  their common ground is their faith in jesus Christ.

b.  that is who we are as the church.

1.  Our common ground is not our nationality, or our political views, or our family pedigree — our common ground is Jesus Christ.

2.  As you look around the pews (go ahead and do that), notice the people around you - some look different than what you see when you look in the mirror; yes, that person who posted that crazy comment on FB is sitting right behind you; 

3.  But, we are bound together in Christ Jesus and the promise he sets before us.

Move 2:  Paul also reminds the Ephesians and us that we have a particular task as the church — we are called to make known the wisdom of God.

a.  What we do as our part of the body of Christ matters because the world is looking for answers, looking for hope, looking for God to be revealed.

1.  On this Sunday when we ordain and install ruling elders and deacons, we lift up the leadership of our church.

2.  In some ways, it reeks of structure and process, and administration (we are Presbyterian, after all).

b. But the tasks before us are not administrative tasks — the tasks before us are to be a witness in the world to who God is.

1.  the vision the ruling elders set before us ought to be a vision that invites the world to recognize the living God through the actions of St. Andrew.

2.  the pastoral care the deacons live out in our congregation and community ought to reveal the love of Christ. 

3.  The ruling elders and deacons are being called to lead this congregation so that the love of Christ stands against the King Herods who continue to try and impose their anger and fear.

Move 3: A final thought — Paul’s comments to the Ephesians that we read this morning are a brief excursion as Paul tells the Ephesians that he is praying for them.

a.  Look at vs. 1.

1. paul writes, “This is the reason that I paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -“

2. then, a dash; he is about to go off subject with his comments about the church.

3. then, vs. 14 begins, “for this reason,” which draws us back to what Paul was starting to do in vs. 1.

4. That is, “for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name…”

5. Paul is praying for the Ephesians.

b.  Paul can dare to proclaim the Ephesians are sharers in the promise, Paul can dare to call the church to reveal God’s wisdom to the world, because Paul prays for them.

1. the power of prayer to guide and sustain us.

2.  As we ordain and install our ruling elders and deacons, notice that one of the questions they are asked is:  Will you pray for and seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

3. at the heart of their commitment to serve this  God through this congregation is their willingness to pray for you.

4.  Likewise, the congregation will promise to pray for those being ordained and installed.

Conclusion:  As you see those being ordained kneeling before us while we pray over them, remember Paul on his knees praying for the Ephesians, and be reminded of the tasks to which God calls us, tasks that can only be accomplished by the power of prayer.