1 Samuel 3:1-20

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.

Sermon Text

There is something to be said for expertise. If I have someone coming to work on the pipes in my house, I want a certified plumber. The doctor I see, I hope, knows what they are talking about. When someone claims to be an expert, I want them to really be an expert. The problem, of course, is that we live in a world where pretenders to authority are common and it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff of so called professionals.

I’ve talked before about how there is a tendency in the Church to spice up some of the more mundane aspects of faith with things that sound good but are ultimately based on nothing at all. During Christmas I still saw people claiming that there were special shepherds who wrapped the sacrificial lambs in strips of cloth and placed them in mangers to keep them safe – a myth that has been debunked for ages. I’ve been to funerals where fake little vignettes are presented as true stories the minster was present to witness. Books, movies, videos, and more are often put forward by supposed experts proving this or that aspect of faith, and often with the goal of making the person giving the message seem so much smarter and holier than the people hearing it.

Claiming to have something special, something unique that sets you apart is an easy way  to abuse people in the Church. We are people who have a legitimate claim to something unique – there is nothing like the Gospel and nothing like the Spirit. The problem is, if we believe that the Gospel and the Spirit are truly open for anyone to receive, than anyone can be an authority on matters of faith. If they earnestly pursue wisdom and knowledge, they can find it. That democratization of access is at the core of God’s revelation and it is a major threat to those who wish to establish themselves against and above other people.

Within the Church, I legitimately believe that the system of the United Methodist Church and its siblings is the best at addressing issues of hierarchy. We profess that all people – from a new member to a Bishop – are equally valid and equally called by God. The difference only comes in what we are called to do. Some are called to full-time ministry – Deacons and Elders that serve in Churches and ministries – and so pursue training to be the best they can at that. Some people are called to leadership on committees of the Church, the conference, or community. Still others, their call is to lead through work in the secular world, and to support the Church in participation, funding, and other non-leadership contributions. If a call is authentic, it is valid, there is no right answer to what is or isn’t a call otherwise.

The reason that I think it is important to emphasize the ubiquity of call to make it clear that there are no “right types,” of people that have a place in any aspect of the Church. God has called all sorts to be within the Church, and that means that all sorts will find their way into different roles. The only requirement that we have is that, once we know what are call is, that we strive to do it as best we can. I knew I had a call to ministry when I was in High School, but it took me almost ten years of personal and professional growth to be worthy or ready to live into that call. A call is not an automatic license to step into the roll we are called to.

Our scripture reflects this in more ways than the obvious, and very literal call of Samuel into ministry. In the opening of the passage, we are told that “The word of the Lord was rare in those days,” a reflection of the leadership of the time. Eli, the head priest and keeper of the Ark of the Covenant, had turned many of the duties of the sanctuary over to his two sons. This was necessary, he had grown old and when you get older other people take on different parts of what you once did. However, the brothers – despite a legitimate claim to the priesthood – had taken their call as an excuse to do what they wanted rather than to serve others.

They were lecherous, they were thieves, they committed every crime they could through their position as priests. They seem to have changed worship patterns in the tabernacle to make it easier for them to take what they wanted from those who came to the tent. They were so bad that the line of priests that tended to the work of God was completely wiped out, and in their place the role of itinerant prophet took precedence. Eventually the priesthood would return and for a time would be better suited to serve its role. The pattern of prophets correcting priests followed by priests correcting prophets would flow throughout the history of God’s people, even until today.

The future of the Church is not focused on clergy, but on the work of all God’s people. While I believe there will always be a role for people like me to help guide the work of the Church. what with my book-learning and specific expertise, the center of a Church should never be upon those in the pulpits. Cults of personality grow around ministers when they are the focus and that will kill a congregation given enough time. The heart and soul of a congregation has to be the people, or else it is nothing. We are in another season where priests must give way to prophets, and the people must be given the tools they need to do God’s work in this world.

I consider it my job as a minister to equip people to live their fullest life in Christ. This means getting people resources, training, and supplies necessary for that work. I encourage you all to seriously look into your heart and see what God may be calling you to take part in. Look deep within yourself, listen to the voice of God calling out for you to take action, and trust that your Church and your pastor will help you get what you need to live out that call. It may take time, it may take a lot of work, but the only person who can deny you your call is you. If it is a true call, if you are given the opportunity to discern it and to thrive within it, you will find your way to it. Listen for God’s call, and follow it wherever it leads you. – Amen.