Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11–20), Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18, 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, John 1:43–51
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, January 14,2024
I think it is a reasonable assumption to make that we have come to church with some vague purpose in mind. Maybe it’s a good habit we have got ourselves into on Sundays. Maybe this place is somewhere special to us because it contains much of our history and hopes. Maybe we are searching, or maybe we are thankful for what we have found.
Whilst we are all here for differing reasons there should be a sense with us all that the religious aspect of life is something that is worth developing and nurturing.
Yet, in spite of all our good intentions, we may not be expecting much this morning. Though involved in a spiritual journey, we would probably be more than a little surprised if we were to encounter God in some undeniable and powerful way that threw our expected life’s course into jeopardy.
The Call. The Call of God. That's what I want us to think about. Our bible passages today spoke about God calling Samuel and about Jesus calling Philip and Nathanael to be His disciples. In both instances we are given the distinct impression that those God called were not expecting to encounter God in the way that they did. Nor did they expect that encountering God would turn their lives upside down.
In both accounts, to use the Old Testament words, "The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread". Although the light of God’s revelation had not completely gone out, it was burning pretty dim. There were reasons for that. In Samuel's day it was due to disobedience and sin. At the time that Jesus came, it was because God was about to do a new thing… establish a new covenant and a new relationship with humankind through God’s only begotten Son.
There are reasons why our lights burn dim. There is sin in our lives. There is throughout society a disrespect and disregard for the things of God. This is not a holy nation, and we are not a holy people. We worship around the throne of many different idols. The idolatry of materialism and consumerism. The idolatry that suggests that we are the center of our own self constructed universes. The idolatry of half-truths and divided commitments.
For many of us, we say prayer is important, but when we don’t see the expected answers, we start to doubt. We say God's Word is important to us, but in the daily routine, it can be hard to find room for personal bible study or reflection. We live in a nation that suggests religion and politics and education and so many other things should be kept in separate containers, having different standards to govern them; "one rule for you, one rule for me.”
No wonder that we sometimes feel, to apply Samuel's words to ourselves, that "The word of the Lord is rare in these days." No wonder that, as we come to the house of the Lord, our expectations do not soar on eagle’s wings.
Young Samuel is in the house of God, at a time when visions and messages of God were at a premium. Then one night, a voice, heard clearly by Samuel, is calling his name. So unexpected is this experience, that Samuel has to run to Eli the priest to work out what is going on. Thankfully, Eli has the spiritual maturity to discern what is happening. "Therefore, Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:9).
Then, and I just love the way this translation puts it, when God addresses Samuel and Samuel decides to listen... "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." I've often read about spiritual experiences that are described as a "quickening "or a "moment of deep insight" or a "soul refreshing" - but have you ever heard such moments described as "A tingling"?
I think that "a tingling" was what Philip and Nathanael and all the other disciples felt when they knew Jesus was calling them to be on His team. When Nathanael heard about Jesus, at first there was no tingling. He was positively despondent. So rare were messages from the Lord that his only reaction to Phillip, who told him that he had seen the Messiah, was, "Oh. Yeah. Right. Like anything good is going to come from a town like Nazareth!"
But then, when he encounters Jesus, and Jesus smacks him a few words that hit right between the ears... Nathanael is tingling. "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
Many times, in Scripture - God moves and the result is - a tingling - a goose-bump encounter. Jesus had that sort of effect on people. On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came, there was a tingling spreading through all Jerusalem. Ask me to define a tingling? It's when God moves, in the power of God’s Spirit, to bring home in our hearts a purpose that Jesus is calling us to.
The Call, the tingling – it’s important to recognize that this is an act of grace, an action of God. It's not something we can manufacture or fake. It's not just another religious experience. It is something profound and shaking that changes us. In a general way God, is calling us all. The tingling is an indication that God is calling us to a specific purpose.
There's a wonderful story about jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald (in“Sid Collins, The Life and Times of Ella Fitzgerald”.) It was amateur night at the Harlem Opera House (now the Apollo Theatre) in New York.
A skinny sixteen-year-old girl timidly walks onto the stage. The M.C. bellows, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, our next contestant is Miss Ella Fitzgerald, who is going to dance for us...Hold it, hold it. Now what's your problem, honey? ...Correction, folks. Miss Fitzgerald's changed her mind. She's not gonna dance; she's gonna sing!" Ella Fitzgerald gave three encores and won first prize. Initially, though, she had truly intended to dance.
There it is. An example of a tingling - a call - a moment of realization that we have a specific task to do. A sense that you just have to take a particular course of action at a particular time or else the tingling will go away. A sense of direction that is - well - especially for that moment.
Some of you have had "tinglings" at conferences, in certain times of worship, when going through particular problems. You've just known that God was calling your name and God was going to get you through and in the end, that if you didn't treasure that moment it would be lost forever.
Some of you have felt that tingling at moments of commitment. When you knelt in prayer in some private moment and turned your life over to Jesus. When you were baptized or confirmed or commissioned or accepted some new insight or some new opportunity that opened up right before your eyes.
There is of course another side to this call, this tingling. God calls for a purpose. Where there is a call, there is also a cost. Put yourself in Samuel's shoes. Imagine, you get a direct message from God. Wow! You are excited. This is something new. These sort of things don't happen every day. At least not to you or anybody you know.
Then the reality of what you are called to do, dawns on you. You are asked to go to - one who is older and wiser than you - the same holy one who has helped you discern the voice of God - and come to him, not with a message of blessing - but a message of judgment and rebuke.
Like the disciples and Samuel, we live in a gray and ambiguous world – not unlike like that of Israel at the time of Eli. In fact, we would be crazy to respond to such impulses were it not for one thing.
The call comes from God. And those God calls, God also equips and empowers for service. The call is God's initiative. It is not something we conjure up in ourselves, but something outside of us that we respond to. The call is something that helps us realize who we are and what we can do and where we should be focusing our time and energy.
For most of us that call is not going to come in the midst of a restless night. For most of us it will be the voice of a person of flesh and blood that gives the words. It will be a situation or circumstance that we feel we just must respond to or do something about, because it has got us tingling. It will be some bible verse or something else that we have heard or seen that moves us to make a response.
Often times we may not even have recognized that it was a call. It will only be further down the road, when we look back, that we see... well, this happened and that happened... and though I couldn't see it at the time…the hand of God was at work... and I am so glad that I responded.
The Call. It's an essential part of Reformed theology. We believe that we are all here for a reason. That God calls us to particular tasks and duties in the world and the church. That the things that come our way are not random acts of chance, but that there is a purpose and a meaning, even though that purpose and meaning may be shadowed in mystery.
Our response to these things should surely be that of Samuel. "Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (Samuel 3:10).
Are we listening? Are we tingling? Are we ready for those tasks God is calling us to? Are we prepared to see it through - whatever it may cost - for we know that we walk with God, in the will of God, responding to the call of God? Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
I pray for all of us, that as we learn to discern God's purpose for our life, we will also discover the faith that carries us through.
To God’s name be the glory.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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