“Responding to God in our lives”- The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

“Responding to God in our lives”- The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Year B, The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 14, 2024                                                                                                            

  1 Samuel 3:1-20, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51

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“Responding to God in our lives”

The Very Rev. Kathleen Murray, Rector                                                     
Historic Beckford Parish, Mt. Jackson & Woodstock                                   
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B                                           

January 14, 2024                         

This week’s Hebrew scripture and Gospel readings are often called “call narratives,” stories about individuals who received a call from God. In First Samuel 3, a little boy, Samuel, is called to become a “trustworthy prophet of the Lord,”[1] and John’s Gospel tells the story of Philip and Nathanael leaving everything behind to follow Jesus when they realize that he is the one “about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote.”[2] Two of the more famous phrases of scripture, “Here I am Lord” and “Follow me,” are part of these passages.

A “call narrative” in a religious or spiritual context is a story that describes an individual’s experience of being called by God or a higher power to undertake a specific role, task, or mission. These stories, separated by time and tradition, converge in a profound exploration of God’s call and our responses to it.

The story of Samuel is pivotal in the Hebrew Bible. It recounts the young Samuel, who is serving under the priest Eli in the temple at Shiloh. At this time, “visions were not widespread,”[3] and communication from God was rare. One night, Samuel hears his name called while lying down in the temple. Assuming it is Eli calling him, he goes to Eli three times, but each time, Eli tells him he did not call and instructs Samuel to return to bed. Finally, after the third time, Eli realizes that the Lord is calling the boy. Eli instructs Samuel to respond with “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” if he hears the call again. Samuel does so, and this marks the beginning of his prophetic ministry.

God’s voice breaks the night’s silence, but Samuel, unfamiliar with this divine whisper, runs to Eli. It’s a scene that mirrors our own lives: amidst the noise of our world, the constant barrage of social media and emails, and the relentless pace of life, how often do we mistake or even miss what God is saying to us? Like Samuel, we need the wisdom to discern the essentials from the noise, the divine voice from the everyday chatter.

We also see in Samuel’s story the importance of guidance and the community around a person. In Samuel’s story, Eli plays a crucial role. He guides Samuel towards recognition and response to God’s call. This highlights the importance of spiritual mentors and communities in our lives. In our faith journey, we are not solitary wanderers but pilgrims walking together, learning from those who have walked before us. In a world that often celebrates individual achievement, we must not forget the power and necessity of community.

In a starkly different setting, we encounter Philip and Nathanael in the Gospel of John. Jesus, walking by, simply says, “Follow me.”[4] Philip responds immediately, but Nathanael is skeptical. However, he certainly has a transformative encounter with Jesus. Nathanael’s skepticism, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth”[5] (that’s another whole sermon), turns into faith, his doubt into proclamation: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.”[6]

In our own lives, we often encounter moments akin to Nathanael’s skepticism. His words, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” resonate with the doubts that shadow our faith journeys. Nathanael, a man of his time, grapples with a common human tendency: to judge and doubt based on preconceived notions and biases. In his eyes, Nazareth was an unlikely place from which anything significant, let alone the Messiah, could emerge. His skepticism isn’t just a reflection of personal doubt but mirrors a broader societal attitude.

It prompts us to ponder – how often do we, in our lives, dismiss the possibilities of greatness emanating from places or people we deem insignificant? Nathanael’s initial reaction is a mirror held up to our biases and preconceived judgments, challenging us to confront and reevaluate them in the light of God’s unpredictable ways.

Yet, the beauty of Nathanael’s story is not captured solely in his skepticism but in his transformation – a journey from doubt to faith. When he encounters Jesus, his doubt melts into a profound proclamation.

This transformation is the essence of our faith experience. It reflects the power of a personal encounter with Christ to change hearts and minds. Just as Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree before they physically met, God sees us in our entirety, beyond our doubts and skepticism. God invites us into a relationship that transcends our preconceptions. Nathanael’s declaration is a testament to the power of Christ to turn skepticism into faith and doubt into proclamation. It encourages us to remain open to transformative encounters with the divine, reminding us that faith is not a static state but a dynamic journey, often beginning where we least expect it – in the Nazareths of our lives.

Each encounter and experience can transform us, reshaping our understanding of God and our place in God’s creation.

In these two readings, we see the spectrum of our responses to God’s call: some of us jump at the opportunity, ready to embrace the unknown, while others, like Nathanael, need proof and need to see to believe.

So, what does responding to God’s call in the 21st century mean?

For starters, I think it means cultivating a heart and mind attentive to God amidst the clamor of our times. It means cherishing and leaning on our communities, drawing wisdom from those who have gone down the path before us. It means being open to transformation, to having our certainties and doubts challenged and reshaped by our encounters with God, especially as manifested through our day-to-day encounters – with a kind stranger who offers unexpected wisdom, a friend who offers an ear, or a challenging experience that tests and strengthens our faith. Our certainties and doubts are challenged in these everyday moments, and we find ourselves growing in our understanding of God ourselves and our place in the world. This journey of transformation is about seeing the divine in the ordinary, recognizing that every interaction, every challenge, and every moment of awe is an opportunity to deepen our connection with the sacred and reshape our path forward.

But, how much are we like Samuel – thinking that the voices we hear at night come from another room or are just a figment of our imagination? Maybe we’re like the famous ending to Bob Newhart’s second show when he wakes up in his Chicago apartment thinking that his seven years in Vermont are all a dream, and Emily tells him no more Japanese food before dinner.

Or maybe we’re like Nathanael and allow ourselves to be dissuaded that great things can come in the most unexpected places. Nathanael’s initial unwillingness serves as a poignant reminder of how easily we can dismiss what doesn’t fit our expectations, even when it concerns something as significant as the arrival of the Messiah.

The reality of our lives is that God calls us in many ways. God speaks to us in many forms. Almost all are gentle and subtle, and nearly all can be mistaken for something else until we heed those calls. Then, we discover that the power of God is in them and behind them. Almost all of them are like the loving, caring people God sent to me in life.

In wrestling and accepting a call from God, we must look at our lives and come to terms with what God calls us to do. Jesus is with us where we are: at home, at work, and daily lives. It is there that we must listen to Jesus’ voice. If we ask Jesus, “What do you want of me?” Jesus will say, “Come and see,” which is the message we sent at the Shenandoah County Fair.

The most important thing we can do as Christians is to grow closer to God as Samuel did. We are not all called to be priests or deacons. But we do all have calls that we can live out.

Fifteen years ago tomorrow, January 15, 2009, I watched in horror as US Airways Flight 1549 went down on the Hudson River. I was sure no one would survive that icy water. But Casey Sullenberger, or “Sully,” was always called to be a pilot. He was a “pilot’s pilot”. I still choke up when I see the video of 155 lives being saved on the icy Hudson River. Every one of them survived because Sully was living out his call.

So, the important thing for all of us is to find what God is calling us to do and do it with great love and integrity each day. We may not save 155 lives, but we will impact lives meaningfully.

Here’s one final thought.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote the poem “Who am I? Much like Saint Paul writing from a prison cell, Bonhoeffer was writing from a Nazi prison cell. In the final line, Bonhoeffer entrusts his identity to God, surrendering his doubts and fears.

In the final line of the poem, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s moving poem “Who Am I?”, the culmination of his introspective journey in a Nazi prison cell, he wrote, “Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine!”

Bonhoeffer entrusts his identity to God, surrendering his doubts and fears to a higher understanding. His ultimate surrender and trust in God, especially amid trials and tribulations, reflect his understanding that one’s true identity is found in one’s relationship with God.

May it be so for each of us. Amen.

[1] 1 Samuel 3:20, New Revised Standard Version (“NRSV”)

[2] John 1:45, NRSV

[3] 1 Samuel 3:1, NRSV

[4] John 1:43, NRSV

[5] John 1:46, NRSV

[6] John 1:49, NRSV