A Calling for Us All

A Calling for Us All

1 Samuel 3:1-20

Pastor Doug Holtz

Hannah could not have children.

Hannah made vow to the Lord.

O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as one set apart until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.

When he was able to eat and drink on his own, she brought him to the temple, and gave him to the Lord. This is where Eli comes into the story.

Eli was the priest of the temple.

Usually the next in line for the priesthood would be his sons.

But they were “scoundrels.”

Sacrifice made.

          Servant stuck fork into the pot

                   All the meat that came with it was for the sons

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (page 122, Spark Story Bible)

Only 10 years old!

          God could call any of you!

                   Maybe God already has

                             Felt you needed to help someone?

                             Had the feeling you needed to check on neighbor/relative?

Now for the part we don’t know well. We will have our reader come up and read the rest of our lesson.

Read 1 Samuel 3:11-20 NRSV

Imagine hearing those words as a young boy.

Samuel just lay there until morning

          Eyes wide open

                   Not the message one likes delivering

But it was Samuel’s to tell

          He lay awake all night thinking about it

          God’s sometimes gives us that task

                   God’s call is to work in changing human systems

                             That are broken

                             Taking the unpopular approach

So maybe we are all Samuel

          We think of ourselves as the last one God would ever call

                   Our weaknesses, our limitations, our deficiencies

                   That’s OK, Samuel too

                             Didn’t recognize the voice of God

Moses had many hesitations

                             Remember Jonah?

We as community can assist one another

          Samuel needed Eli

                   Help him realize God’s call

We sometimes need help hearing the call too.

          Maybe it’s that little bird whispering in your ear.

                   The nagging thought that refuses to go away.

                   That still, small voice that echoes in your mind.

          Maybe it’s something or someone

                   You see every day

                             That suddenly seems different

                                      Grabbing your attention

 And we are all called

          Not just pastors and other leaders

                   Vocation:

                             Parent, child, neighbor, sibling, spouse, citizen

Imagine the ways we might say: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”

          Imagine the gifts God has given you to use

                   Spiritual gifts inventory

                             Use gifts to be God’s people in God’s world

                   Administration – Artistry; Exhortation – Mercy

                   Faith – Service

                             60 questions

                                      Might be a surprise

                                                Might stir imagination

                                                           A still small voice

                                                                   A nagging inclination

As community. We should encourage, nudge, push, pray

          For each other. Together. Gifted.

                   Maybe we report. Respond to what we see

                             Even give each other a hard time.

It’s what community is all about

          Even God exists/functions in community

                   Father, Son, Holy Spirit

                             What makes us any different?

The church needs to be like Eli

          Encouraging all to hear the voice

                   Calling them into all they are created to be.

                   Help each other be truthful; Even when truth is hard to hear

What church do we want to be?

          One that shows Sunday morning

                   puts in its time; leaves for another week

          Or one that truly loves the neighbor

                   Praying for and speaking to the community

                             Letting people know of God’s love

                                      For the youngest, oldest, richest, poorest

                                                For people just like us

                                                          And completely different from us

God is calling each of us, and all of us together

          Will we answer the call? As brothers and sisters we can together.

Satisfying Hunger

Satisfying Hunger

Exodus 16:1-18

Pastor Doug Holtz

So Moses heard the call of God to be leader for the people of Israel.

Moses cries for help.

God tries to get the attention of the Egyptians, of Ramses the new Pharaoh

      Raised as Moses’ brother.

      God sends the plagues.

            Frogs, gnats, flies

            Killed the Egyptian livestock (Israel’s herds survived)

            Boils, hailstorm, locusts

            darkness for three days

            Killed firstborn Egyptian sons, even livestock

Finally Pharaoh gave in, quickly changed his mind

      Chased after them

      To the Red Sea

God gave Moses power to split the water

      Israel crossed without incident

      Egypt tried, water came on them, drowned

Three days after, hadn’t found water

      People complained

      God provided

Our story today begins after that

      The joy found at the Red Sea

            Now long forgotten

They wanted it all

      Not just escape from the Egyptians

            But the promised land

They were in the desert, hungry

      They complained

            So would we!

God sent food. It was great

Quail every night

Manna (“What is it?”) every morning

  Sort of a Bible Times Chewandswallow.

        Movie: Cloudy with a chance of manna

They had enough

      Nothing extravagant

            But enough

Which soon wasn’t enough

      Greed took over

            Tired of enough

                  Wanted more

Just like Mayor Shelbourne wasn’t satisfied with simple food

      Taxed the machine with requests

            (Taxed God with whining)

God knew they weren’t ready for the land of milk and honey

      Israelites didn’t see the Promised Land for another 40 years

Sounds like the world today

      Someone asked why the church is dwindling

            We’re not shiny and attractive

                  People don’t want truth

                  They want stuff

And we’re told we need more every time the media gets us

Industry tells us we can be happier by buying their stuff          

            “A little piece of happy” – really?

            “Open happiness!” – for your dentist

            “Think different” – means you can be more awesome

            Sea Monkeys? Remember? “Own a bowlful of happiness”

                  Bring smiles, laughter, and fun into your home.

                   THEY’RE BRINE SHRIMP – YAWN

            Seven-up makes happy babies? No, sad parents

            Some even make money

teaching how to make money

making people believe their product can make them happy

A whole industry telling us we don’t have enough

      We will only be happy with their thing

            And we all fall for it.

We might well heed the words

      Of a recent modern-day prophet, George Carlin

            “Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions

            Is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping sandwiches all over your body.”

We can only be satisfied when the food in within us.

      We can only be happy when the happiness in within us

            No Mercedes car, no Barbie doll, no amount of riches

                  Will ever bring happiness

                   It doesn’t hurt…

But what is enough?

      Give us this day our daily bread.

            Just enough

      Even the manna God sent spoiled when it was horded

Stewardship month

      How can we be proper stewards of God’s abundance?

            Don’t horde it.

                  Just like manna, it goes rotten.

      Share your gifts

            Your time, your skills and abilities

                  Great with your hands? Use them to help others.

                  Great listener? Listen to others

                  Great storyteller? Tell stories.

                  Great singer? Sing to God’s glory

                  Great with kids? Share time with them.

     

It’s not difficult. We all have gifts to share.

            What if we all shared them.

Your pledge card

      Asks for a pledge of time.

            It’s between you and God.

                  Keep track someplace

      Asks for the talents and skills you can share.

            When you share, the blessing is yours.

      Yesterday, I painted ceilings all morning at Larson’s home

            Inspired by the people helping

                  Giving of themselves

                   Some of you were there

                             Or donated food (greatly appreciated)

      A lot of volunteer labor for tiling project

            Teaching Sunday School

                  Leading confirmation small groups

                   Decorating the narthex—kids can find their names

      ALL EFFORTS ARE BLESSED

            Seeing the house come together

            Watching the water head to the pond instead of inside the building

            Seeing kids discover God

            Watching relationships grow

Maybe it’s not about you.

After 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

      Moses climbed the mountain

            Saw a glimpse of the Promised Land

                  Knowing he would die before he got there

                   Gave thanks

                             Because others would know the promise fulfilled.

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection

      We know those promises are yet to come

            Who will learn of the promise fulfilled

                  Because of our leadership?

PRAY the God will lead others to the promises through us.

                  

I Am Who I Am

I Am Who I Am

Exodus 2:23-25; 3:10-15; 4:10-17

Pastor Doug Holtz

A reading from the book of Exodus:

After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. 

A giant leap in time.

Since last we met—Jacob saw the ladder

          Isaac has died

          Joseph (coat of many colors)     

          Moses is born

                   Mom floats him down the river

                             Pharaoh’s daughter raises him

                                      He flees when seeing his people beaten.

“God heard the people groaning”

          God remembers them

                   Not that he forgot… this means he is going to act!

          The great nation is in slavery

                   The covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob is in danger

          God remembers us to

                   He acts… sends the Holy Spirit

                             Remembers the promises of baptism

                                      You are of the great nation… God’s people

                                                Celebrate that with Kayleigh today.

Continue… God has Moses’ attention

          Burning bush… heard the cry of the people                                              

So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain." But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, "What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. 

God reveals God’s name

          “I am who I am.”

          YHWY – name becomes holy

                   Conservative Jews today: “the name”

God reveals the name

          Mystery, presence, fundamentally eludes ability to comprehend

                   We have a God: will to be in relationship with us

                             Cannot be fully comprehended

                                      Response: awe, deference, majesty

                             The God who is, who sends, who commissions    

                   Meets Moses where? Nowhere. Just like Jacob.

                             Chooses Moses: a reluctant messenger

                                      Moses says “why me?”

And when we encounter God’s call, we do the same.

          Called as an agent of God’s redemptive and delivering purpose

                   We see our shortcomings

                             Our inadequacies

                                      We see that it is a bad idea for God

                                                to want anything to do with who we are

          And just like us, Moses finds more excuses…

But Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." Then the Lord said to him, "Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak." But he said, "O my Lord, please send someone else." Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, "What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."

Moses takes us all back to that freshman HS speech class

          All of us feel dry in the throat

                   The power of speech fails us

God gets impatient

          “You don’t think I’ve chosen wisely? I’m God!”

In this we see God’s way in the world

          Using human beings with all our inadequacies

                   Weaknesses of which we are all too keenly aware

                             When we look where God is calling us

                                      Scoundrels like Jacob

                                                Bumblers like Moses

In John’s gospel, later this year, we will hear this story again.

          Jesus: “I am”

                   Bread of life;

light of the world,

way, truth, life,

true vine.

Jesus continues to call flawed people

          Just look at the disciples

                   Incompetent, mistake-prone

And we humans are still called…

          And find reasons to object

                   “Not me,” “Why not that one?”

                             “More holy, more respected”

                                      “Someone has more time”

God still wants to use us.

          Loves us… despite our objections

                   Through baptism like Kayleigh today

Sees through the lens of Christ’s death and resurrection

                             Sees not weakness, but strength

          Giving us all usable talents

                   Commissions each of us

                             Agents of deliverance

                                      Sharers of freedom

                                                Speakers of truth

And uses us even when we stumble.

          All in God’s mysterious, incomprehensible, awesome name.