Second Sunday after Epiphany
Sermon
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date 1/18/2009
2nd Sunday after Epiphany – Prayer for Christian Unity – MLK Jr. Day – Year B
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Times were tough, so Ole decided to try his hand at painting. He was hired to paint the Lutheran church and he was doing well until he reached the steeple; at that point, he was running low on paint. So, Ole decided to make the paint last by thinning it out with some turpentine. As he neared the top of the steeple, he witnessed a flash of lightning and rolling thunder, accompanied by a voice from the heavens:
"OLE . . . OLE . . . REPAINT . . . AND THIN NO MORE."
I have had an odd number of coincidences when I was working on this sermon. This month I am finishing my sixth month of internship, in my first sermon here at St. Luke, I spoke of the connection between the Olympic theme of One World, One Dream, and Martin Luther King, Jr’s. theme from I have a Dream, speaking of national unity along racial lines. On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember what Dr. King accomplished in his life, we see how far he was able to take us, but we also see how far we still need to go.
The third part of this mashing of coincidences starts this Sunday as we begin the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Three different occasions, all dealing with unity and peace, one secular, One World, One Dream, one Religious, Prayer for Christian Unity, and one fitting both categories, Dr. King’s dream of racial freedom.
I believe that this amount of what I have been calling coincidence can also be seen as God calling, especially during a time when there seems to be so much pain in the world. I am not surprised that in the wake of warfare and troubling times God would call to all of us asking us to pray for unity and peace. God is always calling for unity and peace. But, I wish all of God’s calling could be seen as easily as this. Like last weeks reading of Jesus’ baptism, it would be nice if when God calls we would see the heavens open up, a dove would descend upon us, and a loud voice would tell us what to do. But this does not often happen, normally we hear God’s call like Samuel does. We may hear God’s call, but we don’t understand what it is. We want a sign.
Samuel is lying down in the temple, and he hears a voice calling him, Samuel, Samuel. Here we reach what I think of as the first of three major parts of hearing God’s call, God calling to us. Samuel gets up and runs to Eli, his teacher, believing it to be him. Here I am, declares Samuel. But Eli simply tells him that he did not call, and Samuel goes back to lay down. Again, the call, Samuel, Samuel, again the response, Here I am, again Eli telling him that he did not call. It is at the third time through that not Samuel, but Eli gets what is going on. Eli realizes that God is calling to Samuel. Often the hardest part of God’s call, is not hearing it, but realizing that it is God calling. This is the second part, after hearing God’s call, answering God. We will hear God calling us, but we will put it aside, thinking it to be something else, a little itch of the neck, a phone call about something we were not thinking of, seeing a sign on the road, the list of things goes on and on. It often takes someone else to point out to us that it is God calling.
Finally, Samuel returns and lies down again. God again calls to him, Samuel, Samuel, and now Samuel answers, Speak, for your servant is listening. God then tells Samuel what he needs to do. But Samuel is afraid, God has asked him to confront Eli over the behavior of Eli’s sons. Samuel has heard God’s call, he has answered God, and heard what God wants him to do, but he does not want to go through with it. This is the third part, and just as difficult as the others. We may have heard God’s call. We may have answered and heard what God wants us to do. But, are we then able to do what God calls us to do. Again it takes prodding from Eli to get Samuel to finish the task. That is an important part of this story often overlooked. Samuel is not on his own, Eli guides and pushes him along the way. In our own listening for God’s call, we need to be alert and work to help others hear God’s call in their lives.
When God calls, we need to be like Samuel, we need to hear God, answer, and respond. But we also need to be like Eli, knowing when others in our lives are being called, and we need to help to prod and guide them along what could be a difficult journey. This week of Prayer for Christian unity, and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we see how it is through unity that we are strong. It is through seeing Christ in the other that we can begin to heal divides and bring peace to this world.
Ole was hiking in the mountains of Norway when he slipped on a wet rock and fell over the edge of a five-hundred-foot cliff. He had fallen twenty feet when he got hold of a bush that was growing out of a rock. There he was dangling, looking down at the deep fjord down below - it was certain death. His hands started to perspire and he called out, "Is there anybody up there to help me?"
Then he heard a reassuring, deep voice ringing out, "I'm here, Ole. The Lord. Have faith. Let go of that bush and I will save you."
Ole looked down, looked up, and said, "Is there anyone else up there?"
Often this is our response as well, God calls to us, and we are afraid to trust. We are on the edge of a cliff, we think that it is us that calls first, but before we cry out, God has called to us, asking us to say what our fears are, what our joys are, what we are thankful for, and what we need. This is an interesting thing to ponder, our prayers not as a calling to God, but as a response. In our Gospel, Jesus sees Nathanael before Phillip even called him. It is Christ who has seen and known Nathaniel first. So it is with us, Christ has seen us when we fear, and calls to us, giving us comfort before we know to ask for it. When we lay in the dark of this world needing God’s voice in our lives, we know that God calls to us, not just three times, but as many times as we need.
Let us pray,
Lord when we see division and chaos in this world, especially in Israel and Palestine, where war rages in Gaza. We ask you to reach out to us, to know us, to call us to peace and unity. For you know us, you encompass us, you search us out, help us to hear your call, knowing that in you, we are safe, we are held. When you call us, your servants, remind us that we are not alone, for you walk with us, you comfort us, you give us peace.
Amen
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date 1/18/2009
2nd Sunday after Epiphany – Prayer for Christian Unity – MLK Jr. Day – Year B
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-10
Times were tough, so Ole decided to try his hand at painting. He was hired to paint the Lutheran church and he was doing well until he reached the steeple; at that point, he was running low on paint. So, Ole decided to make the paint last by thinning it out with some turpentine. As he neared the top of the steeple, he witnessed a flash of lightning and rolling thunder, accompanied by a voice from the heavens:
"OLE . . . OLE . . . REPAINT . . . AND THIN NO MORE."
I have had an odd number of coincidences when I was working on this sermon. This month I am finishing my sixth month of internship, in my first sermon here at St. Luke, I spoke of the connection between the Olympic theme of One World, One Dream, and Martin Luther King, Jr’s. theme from I have a Dream, speaking of national unity along racial lines. On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember what Dr. King accomplished in his life, we see how far he was able to take us, but we also see how far we still need to go.
The third part of this mashing of coincidences starts this Sunday as we begin the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Three different occasions, all dealing with unity and peace, one secular, One World, One Dream, one Religious, Prayer for Christian Unity, and one fitting both categories, Dr. King’s dream of racial freedom.
I believe that this amount of what I have been calling coincidence can also be seen as God calling, especially during a time when there seems to be so much pain in the world. I am not surprised that in the wake of warfare and troubling times God would call to all of us asking us to pray for unity and peace. God is always calling for unity and peace. But, I wish all of God’s calling could be seen as easily as this. Like last weeks reading of Jesus’ baptism, it would be nice if when God calls we would see the heavens open up, a dove would descend upon us, and a loud voice would tell us what to do. But this does not often happen, normally we hear God’s call like Samuel does. We may hear God’s call, but we don’t understand what it is. We want a sign.
Samuel is lying down in the temple, and he hears a voice calling him, Samuel, Samuel. Here we reach what I think of as the first of three major parts of hearing God’s call, God calling to us. Samuel gets up and runs to Eli, his teacher, believing it to be him. Here I am, declares Samuel. But Eli simply tells him that he did not call, and Samuel goes back to lay down. Again, the call, Samuel, Samuel, again the response, Here I am, again Eli telling him that he did not call. It is at the third time through that not Samuel, but Eli gets what is going on. Eli realizes that God is calling to Samuel. Often the hardest part of God’s call, is not hearing it, but realizing that it is God calling. This is the second part, after hearing God’s call, answering God. We will hear God calling us, but we will put it aside, thinking it to be something else, a little itch of the neck, a phone call about something we were not thinking of, seeing a sign on the road, the list of things goes on and on. It often takes someone else to point out to us that it is God calling.
Finally, Samuel returns and lies down again. God again calls to him, Samuel, Samuel, and now Samuel answers, Speak, for your servant is listening. God then tells Samuel what he needs to do. But Samuel is afraid, God has asked him to confront Eli over the behavior of Eli’s sons. Samuel has heard God’s call, he has answered God, and heard what God wants him to do, but he does not want to go through with it. This is the third part, and just as difficult as the others. We may have heard God’s call. We may have answered and heard what God wants us to do. But, are we then able to do what God calls us to do. Again it takes prodding from Eli to get Samuel to finish the task. That is an important part of this story often overlooked. Samuel is not on his own, Eli guides and pushes him along the way. In our own listening for God’s call, we need to be alert and work to help others hear God’s call in their lives.
When God calls, we need to be like Samuel, we need to hear God, answer, and respond. But we also need to be like Eli, knowing when others in our lives are being called, and we need to help to prod and guide them along what could be a difficult journey. This week of Prayer for Christian unity, and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we see how it is through unity that we are strong. It is through seeing Christ in the other that we can begin to heal divides and bring peace to this world.
Ole was hiking in the mountains of Norway when he slipped on a wet rock and fell over the edge of a five-hundred-foot cliff. He had fallen twenty feet when he got hold of a bush that was growing out of a rock. There he was dangling, looking down at the deep fjord down below - it was certain death. His hands started to perspire and he called out, "Is there anybody up there to help me?"
Then he heard a reassuring, deep voice ringing out, "I'm here, Ole. The Lord. Have faith. Let go of that bush and I will save you."
Ole looked down, looked up, and said, "Is there anyone else up there?"
Often this is our response as well, God calls to us, and we are afraid to trust. We are on the edge of a cliff, we think that it is us that calls first, but before we cry out, God has called to us, asking us to say what our fears are, what our joys are, what we are thankful for, and what we need. This is an interesting thing to ponder, our prayers not as a calling to God, but as a response. In our Gospel, Jesus sees Nathanael before Phillip even called him. It is Christ who has seen and known Nathaniel first. So it is with us, Christ has seen us when we fear, and calls to us, giving us comfort before we know to ask for it. When we lay in the dark of this world needing God’s voice in our lives, we know that God calls to us, not just three times, but as many times as we need.
Let us pray,
Lord when we see division and chaos in this world, especially in Israel and Palestine, where war rages in Gaza. We ask you to reach out to us, to know us, to call us to peace and unity. For you know us, you encompass us, you search us out, help us to hear your call, knowing that in you, we are safe, we are held. When you call us, your servants, remind us that we are not alone, for you walk with us, you comfort us, you give us peace.
Amen
Comments