Saturday 27 November 2021

Psalm 131

Background

I am a presbyter but my journey into ordained ministry did not begin with a blinding flash of light, a personalised letter from God, or even an audible voice speaking to me from the heavens. It began through conversations about the weather and the youth weekend I had just attended. In the middle of such a conversation about general issues, there would be a pause and then the speaker would ask me, "By the way, Una, when are you going to be a minister?"

My husband figured I was leading the conversations, which I certainly wasn’t. I was not impressed, figuring I already had a successful career and  why would I give that up to go into the Church? But the conversations continued and in the end I simply went with the flow and found myself studying at Durham for two years.  Now, 22 years down the line, I find myself looking at retirement and becoming a supernumerary in a little less than two years’ time!

Samuel woke to hear God calling his name, but he didn’t recognise what was happening until Eli pointed him in the right direction. Samuel responded to God in the words at the top of our musing for today:  "Speak, for your servant is listening." (v. 10b)

I read this and wonder how many times God has been speaking to me through everyday situations and I have been deaf or unaware of that calling. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life – home, family, work, leisure, church – that there is no free space to stop and actually spend time simply listening for God.

And God does speak – through the wonders of nature, through our experiences, through simple conversation and even in more dramatic ways as well. But are we listening?

To Ponder:

• How open are you to the idea that God may be speaking to you?
•  In what ways have your heard God speaking to you in the past?

Prayer

"Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’" Open our eyes to see your presence, open our ears to hear your voice, open our minds to learn of you and open our lives to the leading of you and your Spirit. Speak, Lord, and teach us to listen and to hear. Amen.