Called by God: Hard to Hear

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord 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 the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord 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. The Lord 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 the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord 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 the Lord 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 the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”

Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. --1 Samuel 3:1-21 (NRSV)

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sustainer. Amen.

It’s hard to hear God sometimes, isn’t it? Like Samuel, it’s hard to really hear God, isn’t it? We live in a world that is so full of noise, perhaps even more noise now than before the pandemic began. 

There was a time in the middle of these past many months when things quieted down. During the lockdown in the spring of last year. It felt, at least for some of us that things slowed down just a bit. Were a little less hectic. A time when we were just a little less busy. When we, perhaps, even had time to hear one another. I wonder if that’s why George Floyd’s death became such a turning point for us - because we were all listening. And seeing. And horrified by those 9 minutes of video. 

Yet, doesn’t it feel as though we are slipping so easily back into our old ways. Our old patterns. Perhaps even some of the things we vowed never to return to. The appointments that have us running from one thing to the next. Our work lives, or our retirement lives, that seem to be even busier than ever. When all of that time of listening to one another seems to have, once again, just fallen by the wayside.

I’ve been really stressed out this week, can you tell? There are a lot of reasons. It’s always hard to be away - it seems like the work is doubled up before leaving and doubled up on return. Then, to add to it, I signed up for a doctoral program in the midst of the pandemic. I’m wondering now why y’all of you didn’t step in and stop me from this nonsense.

But, honestly, what did we learn from the pandemic? Or did we learn anything from the pandemic? Did we learn anything about slowing down to listen? To ourselves? To one another? To God?

Listening is at the core of our text today in first Samuel - part of what is called the Deuteronomic history of Israel (say that five times fast). Walter Brueggemann describes this history as the story of Israel’s entry into the Promised Land, beginning in Joshua, through to the story of Israel’s loss of the Promised Land, ending in the book of Kings. We’ve taken a big jump from last week’s reading in the wilderness. Israel’s now entered that Promised Land and organized itself as a tribal nation - divided up into the twelve tribes, each governed by their own leadership. Our story today is in a time of transition from this tribal way of life into that of a monarchy, with only one king as leader. The book of Judges, which precedes First Samuel, ends with these words, “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” It’s an ominous foreshadowing for the beginning of today’s reading, which opens with these words: “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” 

Was God’s Word rare because God wasn’t speaking? Or was, perhaps, God’s word rare because people weren’t listening? Because their lives were so filled by the noise of everyday life and busy-ness and other stuff that they simply couldn’t hear?

Eli - the high priest of God’s sacred tent in our story today - knew what God would ask Samuel to tell him. His sons were evil. Taking the temple sacrifice by force. And, depending on the translation, even raping women at the sanctuary door. Their sins were against God in God’s house. When we read this, it’s hard not to think of all of the stories of clergy abuse that have come to light over these past many years. Eli - like so many others in church leadership in our day - Eli knew his sons were evil. He’d been warned to stop them. But had done nothing. He’d closed his ears to God’s Word. His physical blindness mentioned in our story is nothing compared to his spiritual blindness. Eli isn’t listening. He isn’t seeing. And neither is anyone else. 

So it takes three times. Three calls from God to the young boy Samuel before Eli even recognizes what’s up. Before he is ready to hear and to encourage Samuel to listen. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening, Samuel finally says to God.

Are we listening? Are we prepared to hear what God might be calling us to? Not only in our own lives, but in the church and in our broader world? Are we, perhaps, being called into a new way of being - a new way that, like Samuel’s call, isn’t always easy? A new way that may require some hard conversations? Some hard discernment on our part? Some listening in the midst of the noise of our lives?

We have an opportunity in this moment. An opportunity to not return to that old way of life - that way of life, filled with so much noise that it blocks out the very voice and call of God. God is calling us out of the death of our former lives and into a resurrected and new way of life. A life that gives us the space to hear God’s voice and to live out our calling, as individuals regardless of age or experience, and as a church, in this new place and new way of being. A calling that proclaims to the whole world the amazing good news of life gifted to us by God in grace.

May we be open to this new way of life. And, like young Samuel, declare,” Speak Lord. For your servants are listening.” Amen.

Preached October 17, 2021, at Grace & Glory, Prospect, and Third, Louisville.

Pentecost 21

Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-21; John 20:21-23

Birth of the Church: The Act of Listening

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
    and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
        so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
    Who can describe his generation?
        For his life is taken away from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. --Acts 8:26-39 (NRSV)

How well do we listen? How well do we really listen?

When I was going through my chaplaincy training in Minneapolis, this was one of the primary focal points of our learning. Being taught to listen.

What I knew from my own experience in negotiating labor contracts in my past life, and what was reinforced for me during this clinical training, as well as, what I learned in 2019 in mediation training is that we don’t listen well.

We think we do. But, we don’t. We may talk incessantly and just never listen. We may listen once in awhile, especially if it's something we want to hear. We may often listen fully. But, I would suggest that we don’t listen well. Because, even when we think we are listening fully, most of us are thinking about the next thing we have to say. How we will respond to what we are hearing.

We don’t listen well.

Listening is at the heart of today’s story. It begins with Philip. One of those seven we heard about last week. Appointed, along with Stephen and others, to oversee the food distribution program of the early church. Do you notice, once again, where we are seeing the Spirit at work? In the kitchen?

After Stephen’s death, the persecution of Jesus believers belonging to “The Way” increased, led by Saul, who we would later come to know as the Apostle Paul. As a result of this, the Jerusalem church scattered. Philip travels down (really up) to Samaria to proclaim the good news of Jesus to the people with a positive result. Soon Peter and John join him there. Then, all of them return to Jerusalem. While Philip is in the city, an angel of the Lord speaks to him. Calling him to get up and go south to the city of Gaza.

Now, Gaza is along the southern coast of Israel. Traveling there is not easy. Even our text says it’s a “wilderness road.” It’s a journey through rocky territory that takes you to hills of sand that must be traversed before reaching this coastal city.

Notice though, that in our story, Philip listens. And, then, he acts. And begins his wilderness journey. 

It’s not long before he meets someone on the way. An eunuch. An official of the queen - the Secretary of the Treasury for the Ethiopian nation. One appointed who’s entire focus would be one of serving his nation. One who, in our world today, we might view as “other.”

He’s been to Jerusalem to worship there. On his return, he’s stopped along the road in his chariot, reading from the prophet Isaiah. We read in our text that the Holy Spirit directs Philip to go to him. Again, Philip listens. And acts. When he comes to the Ethiopian, he hears him reading. And inquires whether the official understands. Philip, again, listens to his response and his invitation to Philip to join him in his chariot. The passage he is reading is from Isaiah 53, the same passage we heard on Good Friday, often titled “The Suffering Servant.” The Ethiopian asks a question. Philip listens. Then he begins to answer. To share the good news about Jesus. And about this suffering servant. Once dead, now alive. 

But, notice that Philip isn’t the only one who is listening. As the Ethiopian hears Philip’s witness, he, too, is moved to act. In a way that perhaps is surprising to Philip. “Look, here is water!” he says to Philip. “What is keeping me from being baptized?” Immediately they stop and the Ethiopian is baptized by Philip.

Then, notice, as a colleague has mentioned, notice that once the Ethiopian - this unnamed man - is baptized, Philip gets out of his way. Or rather the Spirit whisks Philip out of his way. One can only wonder how the Holy Spirit continues to work transformation in the heart and life of this stranger. This "other."

Today is Creation Care Sunday. Yet, this Sunday is also set in the midst of an eventful week for us in this country. A verdict. Yet, even in its midst, more shootings of people of color. 

The cries of communities of color have been heard in our country for decades. Even centuries. The warnings of environmentalists and scientists about the damage we have done and continue to do to creation have been lifted up, as we just heard from Lana, for over a century. 

Are we listening? Or are we so concerned about our own needs that we have failed to hear or even refused to listen - and, then, to act? Notice that in our story listening is always connected to action. What are we doing to change how we live? What are we doing to correct the damage and trauma inflicted upon people or God’s creation we have “othered” in our world?

As is apparent from this story, we trust that God through the Holy Spirit is at work in our world to bring about restoration. And new life. But, like Philip, we are called to come alongside this work. To listen. And, then, to act. Because to do otherwise simply cheapens the gracious gift of life given to each one of us in Christ.

Are you listening?

Preached on Sunday, April 25, 2021, online to Grace & Glory Lutheran, Goshen, KY, and Third Lutheran, Louisville, KY.

Easter 4 - Creation Care Sunday

Readings: Acts 8:26-39, Luke 24:44-47