Readings

FIRST LESSON

The first lesson is from first Book of Samuel, Chapter 3, verses 1 through 20

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to God under Eli. The word of God was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of God, where the ark of God was. Then God called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 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. God 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." Now Samuel did not yet know God, and the word of God had not yet been revealed to him. God 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 God was calling the boy. 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. Now God came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

SECOND LESSON

The first lesson is from the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verses 43 through 51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathaniel asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathaniel replied, "Rabbi, you are the Child of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Child of God."

This Week's Sermon

Date: January 18, 2009

Title: Who Called You?

Message Delivered By: Rev. Joe Mc Murray

The following is based on an account from Spiritual Direction: Beyond the Beginnings by Janet K. Ruffing

There was a nun in a Minnesota convent, Sister Grace, in her early twenties. Sister Grace was contemplating making her final vows in her community. She was to decide within the next few weeks, and a ceremony was planned for her and for the other sisters in her class.

As the time drew near, Sister Grace felt a bit unsure of making the decision. She felt torn and wondered how the women ahead of her in the formation process could be sure they were ready to make this commitment. She wondered if she was the only one in her class who wavered or felt unsure.

None of the other sisters she saw every day seemed to indicate they would do anything but accept their final vows, but she couldn’t be sure and was afraid to ask for fear she would look weak and indecisive. She felt it would not be appropriate to be indecisive about such an important decision.

One Saturday morning, she finally decided to discuss her feelings with her friend, Muriel, who had made her final vows the year before.

Muriel said to her: “Well, Grace, have you tried asking God about this?” Grace replied, “Well, I’ve prayed and prayed, but I hadn’t thought about actually asking God.” So she left Muriel, and actually went to her room to pray.

Grace began to pray, and asked if God wanted her to make her final vows.
Suddenly, Grace experienced her bedroom suddenly filling with light. But certainly, it was more than the sun streaming through the windows could account for.

Grace felt deeply loved by God in that moment. She felt the palpable presence of God in every fiber of her being.

However, this surprisingly immediate response to her prayer and the intensity of God’s love and presence frightened her and Grace fled the room.

Sister Muriel noticed her pacing one of the corridors and commented, “I thought you said you were going to pray.” Grace responded, “I did, and God is in my room right now!”

Sister Muriel asked Grace the next logical question, which was “Then what in God’s name are you doing out here?”

As if hit by a thunderbolt, Grace rushed back to her room. But when she went in, she noticed that the incredible light that had been there previously was no more.

The overwhelming palpable sense of God’s presence and love was no longer there.

Will you please pray with me:
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Dear God, we never know how you will come to us. We never know what you will ask us to do, or whose voice, or what inspiration, or what vision we will receive that becomes the messenger. Help us to choose wisely. Help us to heed and answer your call. And give us wisdom as we continually discern how you wish us to respond to the mission that is ours to keep. May my words and all of our thoughts be filled with honor and praise to you. Amen.
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In the days of my youth—ten, maybe fifteen years ago—okay, twenty—when I was first drawn to what the Catholic church called a “vocation”—the Protestants tended to use the term “calling”—I was very inexperienced with life. In hindsight, one could say that perhaps I was too young for this manifestation to take place.

God knows I was ill prepared for the way that experience played out at that time. But that was not necessarily my doing—or God’s doing—or maybe it was. But whatever happened, that particular vocation did not come to fruition until many years later.

The irony is that I searched a long time until I found it—or until it found me. My listening and perceptive skills were not particularly attuned to receiving the messages God had for me. Only when I was ready did I receive it, and only then was I able to act on it.
Of course, in the old days, when churched people used the terms “vocation or calling” they usually referred to a specifically religious event. A person responded to a vocation by becoming a nun or priest, or a person felt called to the ministry in any one of several ways: a street corner preacher, a missionary, or the pastor of a country church.

Again, decades ago, these terms were used to describe a somewhat lofty or elevated view of religious life. People who were called to religious life or who answered a vocation to serve God through the ordained ministry often inappropriately revered and were given power and authority that in many cases was not only inappropriate, but dangerous.

That does not mean that those who are called to and choose a religious life do not deserve respect—so at this time, please put down your pitchforks and drop the rotten fruit and vegetables.

It simply means that churched people finally began to realize that ordained ministry was not the only calling or vocation that people were invited to. The Holy Orders were not the only way God asked us to respond.

Likewise, there are many terms we have used over the years to describe our own personal non-religious mission in life. Some call it their life path; others call it their career; others call it a trade or craft; still other use the term profession.

Whichever qualifier we decided to use, what was clear was that we were all drawn or compelled or persuaded through our parents, our teachers, our mentors, our friends, our life experience, the universe, our relationship with Jesus—we were all called by God—sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, and sometimes really indirectly—to participate in this experiment of life—and usually called in multiple ways.

Is “calling” an outdated, outmoded phenomenon? Are people still being called today? Was Barack Obama called to be President of the United States? George Bush said he believed God wanted him to be president. What is the line we draw between a perceived calling and let’s say a misdirected reading of what we think God wants us to do?

We run into the same problem when we try to tell people that we are doing God’s will. Well what does that mean? God’s will as you see it? Or God’s will as God spoke it to you directly? Or God’s will as it came to you in a dream? Or God’s will that you assume is God’s will because it is beneficial, healthy, peaceful and life-giving? We’ve already spent some time on that.

But truly, what is our calling? And are we called only once? Maybe twice? And what if we don’t answer that call but choose something else?

Without getting too thick about this, I think it’s important that we carve out a bit of this subject for our own clarity about ourselves, and also visualize what someone else’s calling might be, and therefore offer them some credit or respect for having chosen what they have for their vocation or life’s work.

Now, just because we are where we are today does not mean that it was one calling from God that got us here. In fact, if someone did a study, which is almost impossible to do unless you’ve kept a very detailed diary your entire life that included all the different twists and turns—all the sordid details—all the different choices that were made based on calculated assumptions or just whimsy—we would see that most of the times we might say we were called are circumstances that were influenced in one way or another but other circumstances or experiences in our lives.

Does that diminish a very important sense of call? Absolutely not, in fact, it enhances it—it illustrates for us the intricacies of life and the multitude of miracles that have taken place in order for us to be here where we are today.

I would suggest, in fact, that we receive multiple callings at the same time. God calls us to things—offers us opportunities—and we use the power of prayer and discernment to determine what we think God wants us to do most—and that thing is quite often what our instinct or sense of overall purpose is in life.

But the key is this: we have choices. Along with all the rest that God has given us, we have the power to choose.

And just who was it that called you? I mean, it was hopefully God but who was God speaking through? Was it your parents, or a friend or neighbor? Was it your spouse? Was it your compulsion or addiction? Was it your sadness or depression? Was it a tremendous sense of joy you experienced when you participated in bringing real change to your neighborhood or your city? Was it from the midst of your grief that you were called? Or haven’t you thought about it? Perhaps some of us don’t even realize we were called?

We have all been called. In the parable from Matthew 22:14, as was said to the man who was not dressed appropriately for the wedding feast, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’

The message of this parable is not about wardrobe choices, but it is about how and what we choose. We are all worthy. But do we answer the call of God and step up to our worthiness? Perhaps I am worthy of being your Pastor. But do I step up to that worthiness every day through my work, my words, and my deeds?

It is our decision whether or not we listen for, accept, and heed God’s calling. It is our decision whether or not we are the chosen ones to carry it out.

God is constantly calling me. Remember that God is constantly calling you, too. And just as it is important for us all to discern our own calling, it is also important that we recognize and respect the calling of others. Calling is much deeper than what we do for a living. It’s how we live within the living the determines our purpose and place in the world—the purpose and place God has called us to.

May it be so. Amen.