Responding To God
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series III, Cycle B
Object:
We are all familiar with the term "late-bloomers." It refers to people who respond later in life to an invitation and manage in the end to accomplish great things. History has known some famous late-bloomers. Fortunately for us, early or late they followed their special invitation offered by God.
Anton Bruckner was a late-bloomer. Many people do not know the name of Bruckner, but those who listen to classical music certainly know him. Bruckner lived in nineteenth-century Austria as a butcher and part-time organist. He was a very simple man. He always shaved his head and wore old clothes so as not to be mistaken for a person of wealth. Although his life was simple, it was full. Yet, at the age of 41 he heard a performance of Richard Wagner's famous opera, Tristan and Isolde. The experience transformed his life. He decided he would dedicate himself to musical composition. By the end of his life he had completed, among many other works, nine symphonies, several of which are still regularly played by orchestras around the world.
The world knows Albert Einstein as a genius in the field of science. This is certainly true, but he did not start out that way. As a boy, growing up in Germany, many people thought him to be ignorant. He failed courses in mathematics; he was very rebellious. As a boy, he showed little evidence of the ability he possessed. Yet, it was Einstein's theory of relativity and similar ideas that brought about the nuclear age in which we now live.
Saint Augustine, one of the finest Christian minds and greatest saints who ever lived, was also a late-bloomer. Augustine wandered about for thirty years trying to find himself. He tried different religions including paganism and the religion of the holy man, Mani, known today as Manichaeism. He was involved in a relationship that produced a son. Eventually, through the prayers of his mother, Saint Monica, he was converted to Christianity. Saint Augustine's response to his conversion is found in a famous line from his autobiography, The Confessions, "Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!" Augustine became a bishop and a great scholar. He was one of the most famous men who ever lived.
Each of these men received an invitation. One invitation was to music, another was to science; the third was an invitation to greater service of God. These invitations were always present, because they were gifts from God. Once the gift was found, it became a permanent part of who these people were. The lives of these three famous people present a good illustration of how it is necessary to respond to God. A sense of openness allows one to hear the call in a spirit of courage and conviction and sends the individual forward to do whatever it is that God asks of the person. Our first lesson today asks us to be open to God's call in order to do whatever it is that God asks of us.
The call of Samuel is a biblical story familiar to many. Samuel experiences the call of the Lord, but being unfamiliar with God he does not initially recognize it. On three occasions, as the passage states, God called the young boy to hear his word. Each time Samuel goes to his master, Eli, and asks for guidance. It seems that Eli was also, at least at the outset, unaware of the call. However, when the Lord's invitation is received for the third time, Eli realizes it is God's call and, therefore, says to his young charge, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening' " (1 Samuel 3:9).
The Lord then speaks a message to Samuel that I am sure was not expected or wanted. God's message was harsh; punishment would come to the house of Eli. Eli's sons had done evil in the sight of the Lord and the old man had done nothing to stop them. Even with such a harsh message, Eli is still able to proclaim to the young Samuel, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him" (1 Samuel 3:18b). In other words, Eli accepts what the Lord has brought his way. Even in difficult circumstances he is able to respond in a positive way to the Lord.
As God called Anton Bruckner, Albert Einstein, and Saint Augustine to do great things, and as the Lord called Samuel to listen to his word, so God calls all of us. The question, of course, is how do we know what God wants us to do? How do we know that it is the call of God and not the call of someone or something else? The only way we can know is to be open to the invitation of God, as were the three men in history and Samuel. We must listen for God's voice.
How does God speak to us? People discover the message of the Lord in various ways. Few people today, I suppose, experience the theophanies we hear about in the Hebrew Bible. People today do not wrestle with God, as did Jacob, nor do they encounter the Lord in a burning bush that is not consumed, as did Moses. None of us has ever seen a person taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, as was Elijah. Even though God does not speak to us in these overt ways, certainly God is calling, but the question is: Are we listening?
God calls us in the events of our lives. Things happen in life, unexpected things, events that bring joy and triumph and those that bring sadness and defeat. The message is not always obvious; we are often confused by what God may be saying. Since the picture is not completely clear, we need to listen as well as observe.
Thus, we need to pray. Most people are quite adept in expressing their feelings to God. We express our praise of God the one who is the source of our strength and sustenance. We give thanks to God for the abundance we have in the many blessings that come our way. We call out to God for our own needs -- material and spiritual. We may express our sorrow for what has happened or petition the Lord for our needs. We may even at times express our anger toward God. Still, no matter how beautifully and humbly we may express our thoughts, petitions, and thanksgiving to God, we must listen for the Lord's response with an equal or even greater effort. Prayer is our daily conversation with the Lord. We can never know the Lord's will unless we openly and frequently listen to God. One day an older, pious woman said, "We have two ears and one mouth and thus we should listen twice as much as we speak." Such wisdom expresses precisely what are prayer should be. Thus, we can know God's call by being open, speaking and listening to God.
Once we hear and believe we know what God is asking, then we must courageously and with great faith go forward and respond. To move from where we presently find ourselves in order to answer the Lord's call takes great courage. When all is settled in our life and we are "in our element," we generally don't want to move. Feeling comfortable is pleasant; why should we change when things are going well? But being too comfortable, if we are not careful, can lead to complacency that draws us into ourselves and takes us away from our Christian vocation to holiness and service to others. Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Amos warned the religious leaders of the northern kingdom of Israel against this tendency: "Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away" (Amos 6:4-7).
Thus, we, like Bruckner, Einstein, and Augustine must be willing to move from our comfortable existence and venture forward, with faith, into the unknown. A certain sense of fear is endemic to the unknown. Few, if any, wish to generate fear for it comes to us too often unexpectedly in ordinary daily life. We do all we can to avoid it. Thus, to overcome the natural fear of the unknown we need faith and trust. Jesus put it well in the gospel: "Do not fear. Only believe, and [you] will be saved" (Luke 8:50). Therefore, to respond to God we must be in conversation with him and open to his call. We must be listening and have trust and faith.
How is the Lord calling you today? Some may be called to take a new job or to move to a different part of the country. Opportunity may be knocking for some and we have the responsibility to respond in some way. Some may be called to a new or changed relationship -- to initiate a friendship or something more serious, or to realize that a present relationship is harmful or even destructive and needs to be ended. We must trust the message we have received and act accordingly. We are all called in different ways to deepen our relationship with the Lord. We are called to get more involved with our church to spend more time in our relationship with God and less on the pursuits of the world.
Yes, the call of the Lord is present in our lives, but are we listening? Anton Bruckner, Albert Einstein, and Saint Augustine each received a special invitation from God. They came in diverse ways and were received a bit later in life, but once received and accepted, they transformed their lives and allowed these men to make very significant contributions to society. They, like Samuel in our scripture reading, heard the call of the Lord and responded. They were able to say figuratively or literally, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening" and then act upon the Lord's words. May we have the faith and courage to do the same! Amen.
Anton Bruckner was a late-bloomer. Many people do not know the name of Bruckner, but those who listen to classical music certainly know him. Bruckner lived in nineteenth-century Austria as a butcher and part-time organist. He was a very simple man. He always shaved his head and wore old clothes so as not to be mistaken for a person of wealth. Although his life was simple, it was full. Yet, at the age of 41 he heard a performance of Richard Wagner's famous opera, Tristan and Isolde. The experience transformed his life. He decided he would dedicate himself to musical composition. By the end of his life he had completed, among many other works, nine symphonies, several of which are still regularly played by orchestras around the world.
The world knows Albert Einstein as a genius in the field of science. This is certainly true, but he did not start out that way. As a boy, growing up in Germany, many people thought him to be ignorant. He failed courses in mathematics; he was very rebellious. As a boy, he showed little evidence of the ability he possessed. Yet, it was Einstein's theory of relativity and similar ideas that brought about the nuclear age in which we now live.
Saint Augustine, one of the finest Christian minds and greatest saints who ever lived, was also a late-bloomer. Augustine wandered about for thirty years trying to find himself. He tried different religions including paganism and the religion of the holy man, Mani, known today as Manichaeism. He was involved in a relationship that produced a son. Eventually, through the prayers of his mother, Saint Monica, he was converted to Christianity. Saint Augustine's response to his conversion is found in a famous line from his autobiography, The Confessions, "Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!" Augustine became a bishop and a great scholar. He was one of the most famous men who ever lived.
Each of these men received an invitation. One invitation was to music, another was to science; the third was an invitation to greater service of God. These invitations were always present, because they were gifts from God. Once the gift was found, it became a permanent part of who these people were. The lives of these three famous people present a good illustration of how it is necessary to respond to God. A sense of openness allows one to hear the call in a spirit of courage and conviction and sends the individual forward to do whatever it is that God asks of the person. Our first lesson today asks us to be open to God's call in order to do whatever it is that God asks of us.
The call of Samuel is a biblical story familiar to many. Samuel experiences the call of the Lord, but being unfamiliar with God he does not initially recognize it. On three occasions, as the passage states, God called the young boy to hear his word. Each time Samuel goes to his master, Eli, and asks for guidance. It seems that Eli was also, at least at the outset, unaware of the call. However, when the Lord's invitation is received for the third time, Eli realizes it is God's call and, therefore, says to his young charge, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening' " (1 Samuel 3:9).
The Lord then speaks a message to Samuel that I am sure was not expected or wanted. God's message was harsh; punishment would come to the house of Eli. Eli's sons had done evil in the sight of the Lord and the old man had done nothing to stop them. Even with such a harsh message, Eli is still able to proclaim to the young Samuel, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him" (1 Samuel 3:18b). In other words, Eli accepts what the Lord has brought his way. Even in difficult circumstances he is able to respond in a positive way to the Lord.
As God called Anton Bruckner, Albert Einstein, and Saint Augustine to do great things, and as the Lord called Samuel to listen to his word, so God calls all of us. The question, of course, is how do we know what God wants us to do? How do we know that it is the call of God and not the call of someone or something else? The only way we can know is to be open to the invitation of God, as were the three men in history and Samuel. We must listen for God's voice.
How does God speak to us? People discover the message of the Lord in various ways. Few people today, I suppose, experience the theophanies we hear about in the Hebrew Bible. People today do not wrestle with God, as did Jacob, nor do they encounter the Lord in a burning bush that is not consumed, as did Moses. None of us has ever seen a person taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, as was Elijah. Even though God does not speak to us in these overt ways, certainly God is calling, but the question is: Are we listening?
God calls us in the events of our lives. Things happen in life, unexpected things, events that bring joy and triumph and those that bring sadness and defeat. The message is not always obvious; we are often confused by what God may be saying. Since the picture is not completely clear, we need to listen as well as observe.
Thus, we need to pray. Most people are quite adept in expressing their feelings to God. We express our praise of God the one who is the source of our strength and sustenance. We give thanks to God for the abundance we have in the many blessings that come our way. We call out to God for our own needs -- material and spiritual. We may express our sorrow for what has happened or petition the Lord for our needs. We may even at times express our anger toward God. Still, no matter how beautifully and humbly we may express our thoughts, petitions, and thanksgiving to God, we must listen for the Lord's response with an equal or even greater effort. Prayer is our daily conversation with the Lord. We can never know the Lord's will unless we openly and frequently listen to God. One day an older, pious woman said, "We have two ears and one mouth and thus we should listen twice as much as we speak." Such wisdom expresses precisely what are prayer should be. Thus, we can know God's call by being open, speaking and listening to God.
Once we hear and believe we know what God is asking, then we must courageously and with great faith go forward and respond. To move from where we presently find ourselves in order to answer the Lord's call takes great courage. When all is settled in our life and we are "in our element," we generally don't want to move. Feeling comfortable is pleasant; why should we change when things are going well? But being too comfortable, if we are not careful, can lead to complacency that draws us into ourselves and takes us away from our Christian vocation to holiness and service to others. Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Amos warned the religious leaders of the northern kingdom of Israel against this tendency: "Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away" (Amos 6:4-7).
Thus, we, like Bruckner, Einstein, and Augustine must be willing to move from our comfortable existence and venture forward, with faith, into the unknown. A certain sense of fear is endemic to the unknown. Few, if any, wish to generate fear for it comes to us too often unexpectedly in ordinary daily life. We do all we can to avoid it. Thus, to overcome the natural fear of the unknown we need faith and trust. Jesus put it well in the gospel: "Do not fear. Only believe, and [you] will be saved" (Luke 8:50). Therefore, to respond to God we must be in conversation with him and open to his call. We must be listening and have trust and faith.
How is the Lord calling you today? Some may be called to take a new job or to move to a different part of the country. Opportunity may be knocking for some and we have the responsibility to respond in some way. Some may be called to a new or changed relationship -- to initiate a friendship or something more serious, or to realize that a present relationship is harmful or even destructive and needs to be ended. We must trust the message we have received and act accordingly. We are all called in different ways to deepen our relationship with the Lord. We are called to get more involved with our church to spend more time in our relationship with God and less on the pursuits of the world.
Yes, the call of the Lord is present in our lives, but are we listening? Anton Bruckner, Albert Einstein, and Saint Augustine each received a special invitation from God. They came in diverse ways and were received a bit later in life, but once received and accepted, they transformed their lives and allowed these men to make very significant contributions to society. They, like Samuel in our scripture reading, heard the call of the Lord and responded. They were able to say figuratively or literally, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening" and then act upon the Lord's words. May we have the faith and courage to do the same! Amen.
