The Bible has a way of commenting on itself. The first books of the Bible—particularly Genesis and Exodus– those that hold the creation myths, and where Israel becomes a nation as it escapes Egypt through parting seas— those two books have some wild stuff. In those books are many of the miracles and things that many people, even those who are professed Christians, may not believe, or believe only with caveats. And then, in the beginning of this story which is often referred to as the Call of Samuel, the text reads, “The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” As if to say, we know sometimes stuff with God is unbelievable or at least like Princess Bride, “Inconceivable.” I, for one, like this very honest approach. It feels really relatable to today’s events. Most days in our present time, dire as things seem, it feels like “the word of the Lord [is] rare… [and] visions [are] not widespread.” And I don’t know about you, but sometimes things can even feel dark in the face of this virus and the politics of this country.
And then, just as things seem all dark, this past week, a young man for whom we have been praying, who had been in a coma since Thanksgiving, with no detectable brain activity of higher function just woke up. And suddenly the potential for miracles seems very much possible and even plausible again.
Now call and miracles are different, but they are related: they are some of the ways that we see God actively involved in the world and in our lives. I think more often than not, God calls each of us, maybe even calls us often, and we often don’t hear.
One time when I was teaching the first Samuel story to a bunch of kids, I had them lie down on the carpet, and have one “wake” another, “Debbie, Debbie”, and answer “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” And then that kid would wake another, “Jordan, Jordan” “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Maybe some part of not hearing the call of God, is not having ears to hear. Not knowing for what you might be listening. Maybe we need to practice our listening, practice our expectation to hear. I can say, from the biblical point of view, that one should always pay attention when you hear your name twice. It happens a lot in the Bible. As the Psalmist says, “once you have spoken, twice have heard it.” Maybe that’s why in the Bible a person’s name always seems to be called twice. Maybe we get confused or don’t listen for God because we think that God is going to give us a “yes” or “no” answer and God has no intention of being pinned in. Maybe the point of call is actually that we be in relationship with God….
We are each called by God who knows us intimately. “Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.”
If God were a person, that might be creepy. And yet God knows us, each and every one of us, completely. God knows us before we know God or when we don’t know God. And God hears us before we hear God.
So, bear this in mind. You don’t just happen to stumble upon God. God is always calling you, even when it feels that visions are not widespread and the word of the Lord is rare. Even in our crazy time. You may not know why you tune into church. You may come to church out of guilt, or you have been fed before, or you have always been fed at church, or you found this church home, or you love the people and long for them. There are so many ways church may have an impact, an attraction, and not just AT church but in your daily life too….you may carry one little morsel from this sermon with you. But in all these things, whatever the reason you are here, listening at this time, know that God has heard you, heard your longing, knows your desires, knows your need even beneath your desires, before you made a sound, or formed a prayer – have no doubt.
And be aware when you answer the call of God, with something akin to “speak Lord, for your servant is listening,” sometimes as in this story, God leads you to do uncomfortable things— like speaking truth to power, like loving those who are unlovable, like changing what you have been, to be something new – something God knows is the deeper you anyway, and you just haven’t awakened to that yet… or said yes to it yet.. Uncomfortable is just that—it is only uncomfortable… but, if it’s God-called it’s still good and it is what the world needs.
Because …and here’s the deep truth of it… you have no existence apart from the purpose that God has for you and no deeper fulfillment than the presence of God with you, and through you, to others. Like the Corinthians, you do not belong to yourself or your spouse or partner or your parents or your children—you belong to God.
You are known because you are God’s. You have been formed like clay, knit together in your mother’s womb. God knows your rising up and your lying down. God knew Samuel, in his youthful enthusiasm to answer. God knew Eli, even in his loss of vigor. God, in Jesus, knew Nathanael, idling under the fig tree. Nathanael is astonished at Jesus’ knowledge. It is this knowledge that leads Nathanael (and us) to the conclusion that Jesus is the Son of God, because only God could have such knowledge: the one who knows us first, loves us first, calls us first, calls us again and again until we are clear that God is calling. And with God’s own help, in whatever era we live and challenges we face – we have only to answer.