by Unvirtuous Abbey
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1–10 [11–20]
For Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012: Year B – Epiphany 2
My infant son, who is named after this story (his name is Eli Samuel), does not sleep. And when he does eventually sleep, he always jumps and throws his arms in the air as if he is falling, which makes him wake up, crying.
We go to him. We touch him and offer words that soothe him back to sleep.
Falling
The fear of falling is a very human instinct. And reaching up for someone is just as human.
Night time comes for a lot of us with many things calling our name. Many things lay claim on us. Just as back then, these days "the word of the Lord" is rare. We can all relate to a time and place when the soothing word of the Lord was no longer heard. When we’re falling, reaching, wondering who or what will catch us…not the least of which, God.
Supposed to Hear
In fact, if anyone in this story is supposed to “hear the Lord” it is old Eli, the priest whose sight has grown dim. Instead, it is to Samuel, who has no idea what it is that he is hearing, who hears. But, initially, only that something is calling his name.
To Eli’s credit, he helps Samuel to understand his call by helping him to articulate a response. “Here I am.”
Who helps you to articulate the response to the calls in your life?
How do you do that for other people?
What is it about call that lays claim on us?
How is God speaking to you? How do we not let such words “fall to the ground?”
Ears to Hear?
So often in the church, we move ahead with vision statements and meetings with consultants, or making motions and voting on them, we decide what to do, all without considering where God is calling us to be.
The problem with all of this today is that we live in a post-Harold Camping prediction world, and anyone who claims to hear the voice of God is suspect—especially suspect (except, maybe, the ancient Mayans). Profits, power, influence and control seem to be the motivation rather than what it is that God has in store for Samuel (meaning “one who hears”) and for us.
The Hardest Question
The hardest question is: Is “call” a fulfilment of self?
Does it come from within? In this passage, are we getting a chance to hear Samuel’s inner dialogue? Or is call something that comes from God? And if so, how do we discern it?
