DAY 6

†

A GREETING
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 143:8b)

A READING
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.’
(1 Samuel 3:1-10)

MUSIC

A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for God will speak peace to God's people,
to the faithful, to those who turn to God in their hearts.
(Psalm 85:8)

A POEM
Tune me, O Lord, into one harmony
With You, one full responsive vibrant chord;
Unto Your praise, all love and melody,
Tune me, O Lord.
by Christina Rossetti,
found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women,
edited by Lucinda Vardey

VERSE OF THE DAY
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in God's word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
(Psalm 130:5-6)

†

Image by Tom Koerner

Sometimes it takes a while to figure out that God is speaking to us directly. As a child living in the temple, Samuel wears the ‘linen ephod’ that is the clothing of a priest. In addition, in the previous chapter, we hear that his mother makes him a new robe each year. Hannah had prayed to have a child. She was so grateful to have her prayers answered that she dedicated her child, before he was even born, to work in the temple. Samuel’s context points him toward priesthood and service and yet Samuel does not understand or see himself in relationship with God. In this story, he has an awakening to his role as a messenger.

Although his encounter with God forms the heart of the story, Samuel’s capacity to serve God has been completely dependent on the role played by his mentor and his mother in steering him toward that calling. It is the culmination of a formation that has been going on since before he was born, passed to him through the deep faith of Hannah and formed and nurtured by the very man who had reassured his mother that he would indeed come into the world. There are circles of faith and devotion that have led Samuel to this moment — and he is the last to know and to understand.

Samuel’s encounter with God occurs at night when Eli is sleeping. Three times he disturbs Eli believing that Eli has summoned him, before Eli realizes and instructs him on what to say when it happens again. The instruction is not to ask God to deliver on certain needs; instead, the instruction is to listen closely to hear what God wants of him.

Pursuing a call into any kind of leadership in ministry is primarily about listening. But even still we can doubt ourselves, assume such a role is not really meant for us. What happens once we have heard God’s call? How can communities do more to uphold those who, like Samuel, are not entirely sure what they are doing or if God is even really calling them? How can we recognize, encourage and foster those with gifts of ministry?

Perhaps we start by seeing ourselves as ‘called’ also. The journey into lay and rostered ministry flows from those who bring us the robes of faith and teach us how to listen for God. Who do you know who needs this support right now? How can your own relationship to God include upholding the gifts of others?

* * * * * * * *

A STORY OF ENDURANCE
About a year ago, someone broke into an enclosure at the Central Park Zoo in New York City, and a Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco flew to freedom. As it bevcame clear that he would not easily be recaptured, conservation officers were concerned about his ability to survive in the wild. This month, on the anniversary of these events, there have been follow-up stories reporting on Flaco's survival. Flaco still lives in Manhattan, mostly preferring Central Park, but spotted often on the windowledges of residential buildings and the rooftops of towers. Raised entirely in captivity, he has not been prepared for life in the wild. He cannot mate, as there are no other Eurasian eagle-owls who live freely in North America. He faces many conceivable dangers, from traffic, to construction, to airplanes (he can fly to 10,000 feet). And yet he endures. Owls in the biblical story were banished as unclean by Leviticus 11, and became a frequenter of the wastelands. The owl appears in Scripture in association with deep loss, sorrow, desolation and solitude. Because of its banished status and haunting cry, owls became associated with omens and negative spirits. In Native spirituality, on the other hand, the owl is the complete reverse of the biblical bird: owls are spirit guides with the capacity to see in the dark, reveal knowledge that is hidden and provide companionship through transition and change. (Read more about Flaco here.) This raw video made by a nature lover right after he was first released, captures Flaco at rest in Central Park. The video can also be watched on youtube here.
Update: Just days after this devotional page, and one year after his release, Flaco appears to have died, after a collision with a buiding on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The video remains a lovely tribute to his endurance, and to the joy and wonder he brought to many.

†

LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!