Recognizing God's Call
By Rev. Julie Yarborough
July 11, 1999
1 Samuel 3:1-18; Mark 1:16-20
"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.
In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and
gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of
it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life
itself is grace." 1
the
the ancient days of Eli and Samuel, the Word of the Lord was rare,
and visions were not widespread. In fact, messages from God were so
rare, that it took the high priest Eli quite a while to recognize that
it was God who was speaking to Samuel that night in the temple. We
might say that the Word of the Lord is pretty rare in our day and age,
and that visions are not very common. Yet, Frederick Buechner reminds
us that all moments in life are key moments, and that if we listen to
our lives; if we really pay attention, we will recognize the presence
of the Holy speaking to us in the ordinary. God speaks to us in many
different ways, through many different means.
In her book
Traveling Mercies,
Annie Lamott recalls an old story about a man sitting at a bar
getting drunk in Alaska. Hes telling the bartender about how he
recently lost his faith in God after his twin engine plane crashed in
the tundra. "Yeah," he says bitterly, I lay there in the wreckage
praying with all of my might and crying out to God to save me, and he
didnt raise a finger to help me. I'm through believing in a God who
doesnt care about what happens to me."
"But youre here talking to me," says the bartender, "You
were
saved."
"Yeah, that's right," says the man, "because finally some Eskimo came
along. . ." 2
God appears to us through many different people and speaks to us in
many different ways. If we have a preconceived notion of what God
looks like, or sounds like, we just might miss her when she appears!
The voice of God does not always sound like Charleton Heston in Cecil
B. Demilles, "Ten Commandments." Even Samuel confused the voice of God
with the voice of his mentor, Eli. God calls each one of us, but we
may not recognize God's voice.
When I say that God calls each one of us, I simply mean that the Holy
Spirit has a desire to lead us and guide us throughout our lives. I
dont mean that God is like a great puppet-master sitting up in heaven
pulling the strings and making us dance around. But the one who
created us all gave us different gifts and desires, and we were given
those gifts and desires for a reason. When we dedicate our lives to
following Christ, we are choosing to live as God would want us to live,
and to use our gifts for the greater good. God calls us to be who we
are
to live as authentically as we can. When we follow God's direction for
our lives, we are being who we were created to be.
The word vocation is derived from the Latin word
Vocare,
which means, "to call." A vocation is a calling, which sets it apart
from being merely a job. Frederick Buechner puts it this way: "The
place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the
worlds deep hunger meet." 3
God can and does call us at different stages
in our lives. For some people, the call is very clear and there is no
question about following it. Simon, Andrew, James and John did not
hesitate to drop their nets and follow Jesus, leaving the lives and the
work that they knew well. For most of us, however, God's call is not so
clear and it takes a while to discern just what we are being called to
do.
When Parker Palmer was a young man, he was trying to figure out his own
calling. He was trying "to find a vocation that seemed real and
right." 4
At the time, he was living in a Quaker community outside of
Philadelphia. It seems that whenever he tried to talk to any of his
Quaker friends they told him, "Have faith, and the way will be made
know to you." He was getting very discouraged, because he had been
praying and listening and nothing seemed clear to him. One day, he
went to visit an older member of the community whom he admired.
"Ruth," he said, "I've tried many different kinds of work, but nothing
seemed right for me. My friends keep telling me that the way will open
if I have faith, yet I've been praying and the way is not being made
clear to me. Way may open for other people but it sure isnt opening for
me."
After a moment Ruth responded, "I've been a birthright Quaker for
sixty-plus years, and way has never opened for me, " she responded.
She paused and Palmers heart sank. Could it be that the Quaker concept
of God's guidance was all a lie?
Then Ruth spoke again, "But a lot of way has closed behind me
and that has the same guiding effect."
Together they laughed aloud and in that moment Palmer realized a simple
truth that re-framed his spiritual life. He writes: " There is as
much guidance from God in what does not happen and cannot happen in my
life as there is in what can and does happen. Maybe more." 5
One way that we can determine call is if we are sensing a way opening
before us, or a way being cut off behind us. My husband refers to this
as looking for signs and blocks. When Jeff was trying to determine if
God was calling him into the ministry, he went to a wise woman for
spiritual direction. She told him that if he wasnt sure, he should try
doing something else for a while. If God were calling him into the
ministry, he wouldnt be able to avoid it. When God calls us to be our
authentic selves, nothing else will bring a sense of satisfaction or
fulfillment.
Before I came to serve Christ Church, I spent a year working as an
assistant manager of a bookstore. I liked my job, but something was
missing from my life. Over time, I became more and more restless. I
missed working in a church and if I had ever had any doubts, my call to
be in ministry was confirmed for me that year. God not only called me
into ministry: God called me to this church! And I say that with
confidence. After the Christmas rush when I started looking for church
positions, a friend suggested that I call this pastor named Chuck Rush
for advice about networking with American Baptists in New Jersey. We
talked on the phone for a while, and decided to meet for lunch. Then
he said, "I dont know if youd be interested, but we do have an
Associate Pastor position open here at Christ Church . . ."
And you know the rest of the story.
If we want to recognize the Divine call in our lives, we must first
pay attention.
We must look for God in the ordinary, in the every day, and recognize
that all moments are holy and that life itself is grace. We must be
open to the possibility of the
Holy
in our lives. We must be open to the possibility of the Holy in
our
lives! Samuel was tuned in to the Spirit. He didnt recognize the
voice of God because he didnt yet know the Lord, but he did know that
the voice that called him was a voice to which he should respond.
The first key to recognizing God's call is to
pay attention
to pay attention to whatever is going on around us on the outside, and
to listen to that still small voice within. When our lives are not
fulfilling, or we dread going into our jobs, or even when we get fired,
there may be something better lying ahead, and the boredom, or the
dread, or the fear and anxiety may be just what we need to push us in a
new direction.
A second key to recognizing God's call, and one that is closely linked
to the first, is to
listen to other people.
Samuel didnt recognize God's voice, but Eli perceived that the Lord was
calling the boy. Eli gave Samuel instructions about what to do the
next time that he heard the voice. Often other people have more
clarity about what is going on in our lives than we do, because they
can step back and look at the situation more objectively. At times in
our lives, especially those times requiring discernment, its important
to seek out wise counsel. Friends, family members and even strangers
can be messengers for the Divine, often without realizing it!
Listen to other people.
Thirdly, when attempting to discern whether God is calling you to act,
pray about it.
After going to Eli a third time, Samuel went back to his mat and
followed Elis instructions: "Speak Lord, your servant is listening,"
he said. What a wonderful prayer! If youre at a loss for words this
will suffice: "Speak Lord, your servant is listening." If you dont
feel comfortable asking for something, just sit quietly and listen for
the word of God. After praying for clarity, go back to step one and
pay attention.
Look and listen for the answer. Be open to Holy possibility. Notice
your thoughts and feelings. Be aware of signs and blocks. Look for Way
to open before you, and notice when Way closes behind you. Know that
all moments are Holy moments.
Finally, know also that
sometimes God calls us out of our comfort zone.
Quoting Micah 6:8, South African United Methodist Bishop George Irvine
has said, "If its loving, if its just, if it promotes right
relationships, and if it scares the hell out of you, it just might be a
call from God." Samuel was afraid to do what God told him to do. He
didnt want to bear such bad news to Eli, the man who had been like a
father to him. But Eli knew that whatever Samuel had to say must be
said. God called Samuel to be a prophetic priest, and for the rest of
his life, he brought news from God that the people didnt always want to
hear. Samuel was called out of his comfort zone, yet scripture also
tells us that God stood by Samuel for the rest of his life. When we
follow God's call, we can be assured that God will guide us every step
of the way. God often calls us to step into the unknown and do things
that require courage and faith on our part. When we are open to the
leading of the Spirit, and allow ourselves to s
"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In
the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and
gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of
it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life
itself is grace." 6
Amen.
1
Frederick Buechner,
Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner,
(New York: Harper Collins, Publishers), 1992, p. 2.
2
Anne Lamott,
Traveling Mercies
(New York: Pantheon Books), 1999, p.117.
3
Frederick Buechner,
Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner,
(New York: HarperCollins, Publishers), 1992, p. 185.
4
Parker J. Palmer, "On Minding Your Call - When No One is Calling, " in
Weavings, Volume XI, Number 3, May/June 1996, p. 16.
5
Ibid.
6
Frederick Buechner,
Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner,
(New York: HarperCollins, Publishers), 1992, p. 2.
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