1 Sam 3.10

VOCATION

"Samuel!","Samuel!". And Samuel said: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”. 1 Sam 3.10

In our Old Testament reading today (Epiphany 2 year B), we read about the call of Samuel. In our Gospel reading today, we read about the call of Nathaniel. What do we mean by the word 'call', and how can we determine the 'call' of God in our lives?

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Way back in 1964, I went on a course for would be chaplains to the armed forces. It was held at Bagshot Park before it became the marital home of the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

One of the speakers at the course was the Venerable Neil, Archdeacon of the Army.

In his introductory remarks, he said that chaplains meet a wide cross section of chaps. [He obviously did not recognise the position of women in the services.] "For example," he continued. 'Only the other Sunday after Matins, I found myself drinking sherry with a Field Marshall, a Major General, a Brigadier and a couple of Colonels - as I said, a wide cross section of people!'

He then went on to say that, during the following three days we would be visiting Sandhurst, RAF Lynham and Portsmouth Naval Base. He suggested that we should 'cock an ear' to see if God was calling us to become a chaplain in the forces. I must admit I was amused by his use of a mixed metaphor. I personally hear through the ears and see through the eyes. I do not 'cock an ear' to see!

Well, over the next three days I certainly heard the voice of the Sergeant Major on the parade ground; the jet engine roaring before take-off, and the ship's hooter as a frigate appeared through the mist. However, as regards God, I did not hear his voice!

And I suspect that that may be the experience of other people. We seek guidance from God but fail to hear him speaking, as we would hear a person speaking on the telephone.

So, for those who have not heard the clarity of God's voice in their lives, how do we hear God speaking and how do we know that it is his voice and not our imagination playing tricks?

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The word which we use to describe our response to God’s voice is 'vocation'. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'vocation' as. 'a strong feeling of fitness for a particular career or occupation’. It then says ‘in religious contexts regarded as a divine call’.

Perhaps it might be helpful if I describe my own personal experience.

I was thirteen years of age, just about to progress out of short trousers into long trousers. I had been a choir boy since the age of eight, with a cherub face surrounded by a white ruff around the neck. A picture of pure innocence! I was also a server on Mondays and Tuesdays at the daily celebration of the Eucharist, at 7.30 in the morning.

My parish church, of St Matthew's lpswich, was holding a week’s mission, led by two Franciscan Friars, Fr Sylian Roberts and Fr Edward Lee Smith.

Every evening there was a service in church at which one of the friars preached. Don't ask me what they said because my mind was elsewhere.

For some time I had felt that God was calling me to be a priest. However, I had consistently rejected any such thoughts for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I had failed the national eleven plus examination, and in those days, most of the clergy were Oxford or Cambridge graduates. Secondly, my parents were non-churchgoers, and were not in a position to support me financially. Thirdly, believe it or not, I was very shy, and could not see myself standing up in a pulpit.

Yet, no matter how often I tried to dismiss the idea, the stronger my call to the priesthood became.

At the end of each evening service, I found myself hanging around talking to the friars. Several times I tried to open my mouth and say, 'l think God wants me to be a priest’. But every evening, my mouth just dried up.

Eventually the final evening of the mission arrived. It was a now or never situation, since the friars would be returning to the friary at Hillfield in Dorset the next day.

As I walked past Broad Oak Nursing Home in Burlington Road, on my way to church, I prayed as hard as I have ever prayed, asking God to enable me to articulate my innermost feelings.

Eventually the service ended. As usual I found myself chatting to Fr Edward about nothing of importance. We shook hands and said our farewells. As I walked away, Fr Edward tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Terry, have you ever thought about being a priest?'

lmagine my relief. lmagine my happiness. Imagine my joy. In those nine simple words, Fr Edward had put into words what I had been trying to say for the past eight evenings, I threw my arms around him in love and appreciation.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Whilst I thank God for Fr Edwards' divine perceptiveness; when I look back, I can also see that there have been others, who, over the years, have been consciously, or unconsciously, involved in the formation of my vocation.

There were my infant teachers, lvy Coleman and Eva Robinson; there was a primary teacher, Terry Wightman and his mother, Mary; there was a secondary teacher, Bob Worsnop. And there were my next door neighbours, Mr and Mrs Threadkall who used to invite me in to conduct services.

And of course, there was the Rector of my parish, Canon Brynley Jones, who was a superb role model.

ln fact, when I commenced training, there were twelve other parishioners training for the ministry from the same parish! lt must be an all-time record.

In fact, there were many 'Elis' and many ‘Philips' who helped me to discover my vocation, as they helped Samuel and Nathaniel to discover their vocations, in our readings today.

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And what of yourselves?

One of the dangers of using the word 'vocation' is to think that God only calls one to a profession like the priesthood, medicine, nursing or teaching. We fail to see that the word ‘vocation' applies to all who are endeavouring to determine what God wants them to do for him.

We all have a vocation. Each of us is called by God.

I can do no better than to quote some words of the late Cardinal John Newman who once wrote: ‘God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but l shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I but keep His commandments'.

And Newman concludes: 'Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain; He knows what he is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me - still He knows what he is about.'

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"Samuel, Samuel ‘. And Samuel said, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening .".

Samuel was called by God. Nathaniel was called by God. I was called by God. And what is more wonderful, each of you are called by God, and it is up to you to determine your own particular God-given vocation.

Incidentally, a few years ago, l called in at the Franciscan Friary at Almouth in Northumberland. Out of curiosity, I enquired about Fr Edward, and was thrilled to learn, not only that he was still alive, but that he was at that Friary. So after 54 years, we met again, and I was able to tell him what I had done since we last met. He was thrilled and so was I. Sadly he died the following week.