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Second Sunday After the Epiphany

John 1:43–51

I Samuel 3:1–10

The readings for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany present a particular problem to many progressive Christians, as many of us are uncomfortable when we talk about God’s call. The language itself causes a problem, as many people would not want to say, even in church, that God had called them to something. That type of speech is usually indicative of the more Pentecostal churches, or at least the evangelical part of the faith. We especially wouldn’t want to stand up and church and make a grand declaration about how God had called us to do something dramatic, maybe leave our jobs and pursue some sort of ministry opportunity. Unfortunately, we don’t have any language to talk about any time we do feel God is encouraging us to do something (assuming we feel God does act in that manner).

Both of these passages, then, can make twenty-first century Christians feel as if the Bible has nothing to say to us. Samuel is literally called by God, so much so that he is confused as to whose voice he’s hearing, leading him to go to Eli (three times, no less, as neither Samuel nor Eli seem quick to pick up on the fact that Samuel is hearing from God). Jesus also is calling disciples to him at the beginning of his ministry, which goes more smoothly. He simply tells Philip to follow him, and Philip does (most scholars believe that Jesus had been teaching for some time before actually encouraging people to be his disciples, but note that what we do when we talk this way is lessen the dramatic nature of that call, which is the part that bothers us the most). Nathanael might be a more difficult disciple, but Jesus simply tells him a couple of facts, one of which Jesus should not have been able to know, and he decides to leave everything to follow Jesus, as well.

It is not the fact that Samuel or Philip or Nathanael decide to pursue God or Jesus in these passages, as any of us who profess to be Christian would say that we do the same. What does bother us is that there seems to be no reflection, no thought put into the process. Instead, God or Jesus simply speaks or appears, and the people respond. We would take time to think through the matter today, perhaps form a committee to help us decide if we were really hearing from God or not, explore all of our options, then make a reasoned and well-researched choice. When we hear from God (if we even use that terminology), we hear over the course of weeks or months or even years.

Part of our reluctance to embrace these stories is that we don’t want God to enter our lives in such a dramatic fashion. We want to be certain we are doing what is right, that we have done our due diligence, as we often say, before we take action. We want to have plans in place—even back-up plans in case our primary plan doesn’t work—so there are no surprises once we make the choice. We want to know rather than simply to believe that God is calling us into some major decision.

A larger part of our hesitation, though, is that we just don’t believe God truly calls us today, or at least not in any way that is similar to these two passages. We don’t expect to be lying in bed and hear the voice of God calling to us (and calling us by name). We don’t believe we will be outside under a tree and Jesus will want us to follow him. These are stories from a time that has long since passed, and we have work to be done. Even if God were to speak in this way, we wouldn’t hear.

However, the combination of these stories might show us a way that God does, in fact, still speak to us, does still call us to difficult work, even in rather dramatic fashion. Samuel’s story is the one we have the most difficulty with, as most of us go through life never hearing God’s voice calling our name in the dark of night. However, we should note that it is Eli who helps him understand that God is speaking to him, even telling him what to say. In the account from John, the author of that gospel shows Philip going to talk to Nathanael, even having to convince him to come and see Jesus, as Nathanael is the quintessential skeptic.

Perhaps one of the major ways we hear from God in our world (and have always heard from God) is through other people, sometimes even those committees I slightly mocked earlier. We need to see the Philips and Elis of our lives who are trying to get us to listen, to hear whatever it is God wants us to do with our lives. They are ministers, certainly, but, more often, they are friends or family members or co-workers or people we meet once at a party or sporting event or on the bus or subway. If we are open to hearing the voice of God, we should listen to their encouraging us to be this or do that or go there and have the courage to act upon those comments.

We might not hear God call our names at night or see Jesus underneath a tree, but the community we find in one another often speaks the words of God to us when we’re willing to hear. God might be trying to tell us about a great work we can do in the world, but we’re unable to hear because we read stories about Philip and Nathanael and Samuel and Eli, and we think God doesn’t talk to us like that. God speaks in ways we can hear in a world very different than the one we read about, but God is still speaking, nonetheless.

Questions for Reflection or Discussion:

When or how have you felt God calling or speaking to you throughout your life?

What are some times when you have acted more on faith than on well thought-out plans?