Following God.
Ordinary Sunday 2: 19th January, 2003
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's, Eastern Hill
Today's theme for the lessons is about following God. It is about call and response. It is about how we can be greatly helped by others. It is about how we ourselves can be the right person at the right time to assist someone else's spiritual journey.
There are two clear examples today of significant figures from the Scriptures taking a big step. The first is one of the hero figures of the Old Testament: Samuel. But we are starting with him as a boy here. Later he was to give a lifetime of spiritual leadership to his people. The elderly Eli worked out what was happening, and patiently gave the lad the advice he needed: just to say, 'speak O Lord, your servant is listening'. And it all went on from there. But that is how it started.
The second narrative concerns Peter, familiar enough to us. His brother Andrew was one of the two followers of John the Baptist, when John declared Jesus to be 'the Lamb of God'. Andrew gets his place as the first missionary when he goes to his brother Simon Peter – 'And he took him to Jesus.' And Simon became Peter the Rock. And it all went on from there too. But that is how it started. Anglican Aid Abroad uses that text as their motto and slogan – Aduxit ad Jesum – he took him to Jesus. We are familiar with their work with religious orders particularly in Africa and the Pacific. All that wonderful outreach in so many parts of the Third World, all those works of basic care for health, shelter, food, education, spiritual nourishment: through these works of love, themselves 'bringing others to Jesus', or at the very least to the love of Jesus. In our own quiet way too, we do this here through our emergency food program and the daily breakfasts we offer as part of the Lazarus Centre.
No doubt we can each think of examples even closer to home in our own person life stories. Perhaps there is some member of your family. I can think of my own grandmother carefully teaching her little grandson how to say the Lord's Prayer, as she mystifyingly combed out her long white hair. Perhaps there was for you some really gifted Sunday School teacher, a committed parish visitor, some tireless nurse in an emergency ward, a good friend who knew you very well, or a perfect stranger. God certainly can and does work through other people to get God's message through to us. Sometimes it can happen while everything appears to be going on routinely. Sometimes it can happen at a time of great personal crisis or confusion.
The response to our psalm this morning sums up where each of these great leaders of the faith had come to: 'Here am I Lord, I come to do your will'. That acceptance, that recognition is at the heart of being a disciple; at the heart of being a follower, being one who tries to live in a way that responds to the fact of God.
The other side of the coin is of course that we ourselves may be that person that God is using to reach out to another at a vital moment. It may be our reassurance, our action, and our particular word that could make all the difference.
That sounds like a huge responsibility. But when you get down to it, this is the basic way the message of the good news is spread. This is the way that we come to big decisions about God's place in our lives.
The discerning and active role of Eli and of Andrew in today's lessons is just as significant as the much more famous response of Samuel and of Peter. One may well have not occurred without the other. Where would Samuel and Peter have been without them? This is the community of faith at work.
Each of them was able to sum up the situation and either to suggest or to take action. And the power of God to transform a life was then to flow. In turn, their own spiritual insight was deepened. This is what the community of faith is about.
Eli was a priest. Andrew was a fisherman. Samuel was a young boy. Peter was a member of the family. The circumstances and the relationships between those who are journeying together in the faith will have no predictablity. It is a question of allowing God to get through, helping God to reach another; being willing to be open enough and humble enough to give God God's place in our lives. And then we begin to grow.
Today's lessons tell this loud and clear.
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