Called To Be God’s People
1 Samuel 3:1-20, Psalm 139:1-18, John 1: 43-50
January 15, 2006
Rev. Marcia J. Hauer

Elkanah, Peninah and Hannah were devout people. Each year they traveled to Shiloh to sacrifice and pray. On one such trip Hannah poured her heart out to God. You see, she had no children, the only mark of worth for a woman in her culture. Penina had many children and she taunted Han nah with this face. Elkana told her not to take the taunts so hard because he loved her and said that he was more to her than a whole bunch of children. As Hannah prayed that day, Eli the head priest at Shiloh thought she was drunk and told her to leave. Hannah protested. She said that she was not drunk but that she was troubled and then she told him her problems. Eli backed down and blessed her saying, “Go in peace. The God of Israel grant the petition you have made…�

In due time Hannah conceived and Samuel was born. For the next 3 years, Hannah refused to go on the annual trip to Shiloh saying that when Samuel was weaned, she would take him there and give him to the priest Eli, and that she would dedicate him to God as a Nazirite—a man who would serve God all his life and who would never cut his hair or drink alcohol. When Samuel was old enough for this to happen, Hannah made good on her vow. Each year, when this family went to Shiloh to sacrifice, Hannah took clothing that she had made to Samuel. She was a woman who loved her child and who loved her God.

And so it was that Samuel began to serve at Shiloh. He served well there. He preformed his duties and learned what Eli had to teach him. It was no surprise to Samuel that fateful night when he heard a voice call his name. So he went to where Eli was sleeping and asked what he deeded.

Eli: “What do you mean waking me up? I didn’t call you. Now, go back to bed!�
Samuel: “OK—Sorry—I thought you called.�

Then God called Samuel a second time, “Samuel! Samuel!� So Samuel went to Eli again.

Samuel: “You called? What do you need?�
Eli: Can’t you see I’m sleeping and don’t need anything? Go back to bed!�

Then God called a third time. This time Eli realized that it was God calling Samuel and told him that it was God’s voice that Samuel had heard. Eli told Samuel to go back to bed and when he heard God call him, he should say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening>“ Then he said that Samuel should pay close attention to what God was telling him and then he should tell Eli everything that God had said. What God said, however, was harsh, marking the end of Eli’s priestly lineage and the beginning of Samuel’s authority. Something had changed. God wanted a change of leadership for the good of all Israel.

You know, call is a funny thing. God calls unlikely people:
Samuel was a boy
Jesus’ inner circle were fishermen
Isaiah called himself “A man of unclean lips�
Peter called himself “A sinful man�
Amos was a shepherd—the lowest rung of Judean society
None of these men were people we’d expecting God to call. They were not scholars. They didn’t have much prestige or many political connections. They weren’t rich or powerful. They were people just like you and me. We see them as special only because their stories have been written down.

We tend to think that calling prophets was something that happened only in Biblical times, that God’s voice is silent in our own time. I don’t believe that’s so. We can easily point to people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and to Mother Theresa and to think that they were special—very different from the way we are. They are special people, but no more special than the Israeli woman I read about this week who works tirelessly for peace in her country and who dedicates her work to Palestinian children who are killed by Israelis. Her own daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. She says that she has difficulty recognizing her country any more because of the hatred that has grown, and keeps on growing between Palestinian and Israeli people. They are no more special than Marilyn Ferguson, who wrote The Aquarian Conspiracy some 25 years ago. She now writes that apathy has taken over our country. People believe that experts have all the answers and that their opinions are neither important nor relevant to what is going on. People believe that whatever is going to happen is out of their control, so why bother getting involved. She says that if change is going to happen, we, ordinary, common folks, have to do it. God says that too.

We are all called to the work of the prophet. That is to speak truth to power, to stand up to injustice and oppression. The other evening, Jeanne and I were headed home from different places. She called and asked if I’d be interested in stopping at the Carl’s Jr. that’s near our house. While we were there, two young men came in, ordered food and, while they were waiting, started saying some rude things about us. The young woman who was behind the counter told them that she would make their order to go, because what they were saying made them unwelcome to eat there. She was doing the work of a prophet whether she knew it or not. She told the young men the truth even though it the truth was not welcome.

Our prophetic call is enumerated in our baptismal vows. You’ll find them in the Hymnal on page 34. We are asked 4 questions:
1. Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world and repent of your sin?
2. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
3. Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace and promise to serve him as your lord in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations and races?
4. According to the grace given to you, will you remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world?

If you are a member of the United Methodist Church, you have answered all those questions in the affirmative. You said, “Yes!� to your own call to be a prophet—to build god’s realm in the here and now, to stand up for justice, to oppose oppression, to be the change you want to see in the world. All of this is done with and through the power God has given each of us. All of this is both a gift and a duty to us.

We are called to be God’s people in the world. We are called to be in relationship with God and with each other so that we can be agents of change. It’s a big responsibility—a work of a lifetime, an adventure led by the Holy Spirit that we are called to undertake together. With that leadership and company, we cannot fail.

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