A talk by Reverend Jackie Doyle Brett, Area Dean and Priest in Charge The Rivers Partnership
1 Samuel 3:1-11
Luke 10:1-9
I love watching my daughter and son in law parent their children, my grandchildren. They try and make as much as possible a wonderful adventure....from creepy crawly watching in the bug hotels to going out at night with head torches to observe the hedgehogs, walks in the country side are full of opportunities for adventure, for the unexpected to happen and exciting. Next year I am taking a 3-month sabbatical and during that I am visiting Orkney and I have timer on my phone titled Orkney Adventure because it will be a new and exciting time, I am also visiting Assisi for the first time – lots of adventures! Adventures can range from hedgehog watching to a trip of a lifetime. Just as adventures are varied, they are not just for children they are for everyone. Adventures can sometimes also be a bit scary as new things can take us out of our comfort zone as we step out in faith to try something new. My question this morning is when did you last have an adventure? Take a few moments to think about that.
At the services we talked about the very different types of adventure we had such a great range of responses from small and large far and wide. Spend a bit of time thinking about the adventures in your life.
The adventure I want us to think about this morning is the vocational adventure – what is it that God is calling you to do?
Our reading today from the book of Samuel is a classic reading often used to illustrate a calling from God. We know the story well, in a time when God did not speak to ordinary human beings He spoke to Samuel, and Samuel responded (eventually) with ‘Speak Lord your servant hears.’
What I want us to do is to read the story again but replace Samuel’s name for your own.
The LORD Calls................
The person..................... ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and ................... was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called....................
........................answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the LORD called, “.....................!” And ................... got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My boy Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now ...................... did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
A third time the LORD called, “..................!” And ..................... got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli said to................., “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So ........................... went and lay down in his place.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “..............! .............!”
Then ............... said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Our Deanery Plan includes a section called ‘encouraging vocations’ for us all to fulfil our calling whatever that might be, for us ‘to actively look for the signs of calling in individuals among our congregations.’
My next question is do you think God is calling you to do something, remember we are not all called to the same thing. Vocation is many things and different to all people it can vary from serving coffee to becoming a Bishop! It is your call from God to you. Take a moment to think about it.
Again, in the services we spent time thinking of the different ways that God calls each of us into her service to be witnesses in the world. Responses were as wide ranging as our adventures – maybe we could say serving God is always an adventure
Our vocational adventure can be scary and exciting, it can be daunting or that light bulb moment – when you realise this is the adventure God is calling you to embark upon. Luckily, we are not like the disciples in our Gospel reading we are not sent out like lambs among wolves. Sometimes an adventure may seem like a journey into the unknown but we have the promise that God is with us and it is that same loving, ever present God that calls us to follow him.
We want to help you become more ‘Christ Like - to Live Christ’s Story’ and to do this by listening to and responding to God’s call upon your life.
Across the deanery we are committed to enabling and empowering people to fulfil their calling, so whatever that may please start your vocational adventure by having a conversation with your incumbent or get in touch with me and let the adventure begin.
Amen.
