Today's Scripture Readings
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NRSV)
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."
Psalm 139: 1-5, 12-17 (BCP., p.794).
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NRSV)
"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh." But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
Blog Reflection
A good contemplative loves the story of Samuel and his experience of hearing God's voice. He is awoken by a voice calling his name. He thinks Eli called him, but, it was not Eli. Eli told him what to do the next time Samuel heard a voice calling him. When God calls on Samuel, he answers with, "Speak for your servant is listening."
These words of Samuel, are among a good set of words to say as we begin the prayerful reading of Scripture (also known as Lectio Divina). When we say such words as we enter into a prayerful conversation with the Word, we are able to redirect ourselves away from our inner noise and listen more intentionally to God.
Just in the first three weeks of 2015 we have heard about violence in various corners of the world. The horrific episode in France along with the equally awful responses with rhetoric that stirs up more violence towards Muslims and/or Atheists. Is there anyone who is willing to listen to God?
This past Friday, the Supreme Court announced that they will hear and decide freedom to marry cases for the States of Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. On a building in another state was written the words: "No gay marriage, kill them all." Oh, so charitable. Is there anyone who is willing to listen to God?
In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus calls His first Apostles. Nathanael is skeptical of Jesus because of where He comes from. It is only when Jesus tells Nathanael that He has known him on a deeper level, that Nathanael acknowledges who Jesus is. This exchange of conversation suggests to me that knowing who Jesus is, is intimately personal and communal. God is seeking a closer union with the Christian through a relationship with Jesus Christ that is known in the depth of one's heart; while being expressed in the love of our neighbor as ourselves.
Why is it so much easier to live into a personal relationship with Jesus within ourselves, than to also live it in community? Because each of us (myself including) thinks either too highly of ourselves; or, has such a low self-esteem that we try to cover up our inferiority complex by putting others unlike ourselves down. We identify ourselves and our relationship with God because of how much we pray, what we know, our age, education level, Church vocation, psychologically nice vibes in prayer, etc.
I have begun to read Thomas Keating's book, Open Minds, Open Hearts. I am reading the book as part of my formation. The book is about centering prayer. Keating suggests that among the reasons that we drift away from God within ourselves and in our relationships with others, is because of how we identify ourselves. Our thoughts, feelings, labels, images, ideas, etc which are good by themselves; but, when we begin to identify ourselves and our relationships with God through them, we lose touch with God as our personal center. When we lose our touch with God in our own center, we can so easily begin to become tone deaf to God's presence in others around us. We place obstacles in our relationships, and we become too self-centered.
Jesus is calling each of us into a deeper relationship with Himself, through our relationship with that spouse who is struggling with addiction issues. God calls us to follow Jesus in that job that frustrates us to no end. We are being called by the Holy Spirit to respond to the call of Jesus through the house project that seems to never get done. If we respond to God calling us in that individual who is poor, sick, labeled beyond second class citizenship, disabled, lonely and without the bare necessities that we take for granted; we need to respond to God with reverence, respect and humility. A humility that knows we make mistakes, but are willing to learn how to trust God through them to make things right. What we are unable to do ourselves, we can always ask God for help, and/or for the assistance of others who can better help than we can.
Jesus calls us to listen and follow Him.
What will your response be?
Prayers
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light
of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word
and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's
glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the
ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and
for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday After The Epiphany. The Book of Common Prayer, p.215).
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior,
the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away
all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us
from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body
and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith,
one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all
of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth
and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and
one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church. The Book of Common Prayer, p.818).
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