Sermon – Spirituality, Discernment and Vocation
As a way in I offer a story and a poem.
It is told of theologian, Donald Nicholl,
That once, when part of a group, where each in turn introduced themselves,
when it came to his turn declared ‘Who am I? I am a glorious manifestation
of the love of God!’ Whilst running the risk of being one of the most
pretentious ways of introducing himself, there is a also a profound truth in
his declaration. Are we not all ‘glorious manifestations of the love of God’?
Have you ever considered yourself a ‘glorious manifestation of the love of
God’?
Mary Oliver in her poem ‘The Summer Day’ writes
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
We may not today be resonating with summer idleness, of falling down into
the grass (snow perhaps!), but we may resonate with the questions - what
have I been doing all day? What should I have done? What am I doing with
my one wild and precious life?
Personal Story
Some years ago when I was a parish priest in Sheffield, whilst having a sense
of continuing ministry in the parish for several years more, I was astonished
to find myself saying 'Wouldn’t it would be wonderful to be part of an organisation that would let me focus on spirituality, retreat giving and
spiritual direction'.
To which I seemed to hear an inner voice saying: You are?
My response was, ‘Don't be daft - I'm in the Church of England’!
You are?
Am I? – so began a new way of thinking about the future and
conversations with the Bishop which in nine months let to a new stage of
my 'vocation'. I become Bishop's advisor in Spirituality - and thrust into
doing exactly what I had found myself longing for. It seemed it was
possible for the church of England to enable such a ministry.
It was a ministry for which I had no obvious qualifications for, and
necessitated some swift work to engage in.
Particularly, I needed a working definition of spirituality
I came up with ‘Spirituality is about “Who am I?” in relation to God, others
and self – and how do I live this out?’
There is a clear resonance with our New Testament reading in which Jesus'
summarises the commandments:
love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as yourself
Here we see the three dimensions of spirituality – God, neighbour, self –
God, others, self.
Our Old Testament Reading is an encounter between the boy
Samuel, the old priests Eli and God
Imagine this from Eli's point of view
Eli, is asleep when Samuel bursts in - You called Master Eli – grumpily - no I didn’t, go back to bed. Thinking to himself – child must
have been dreaming
Eli just as he gets off to sleep is disturbed by Samuel again - You called
Master
Eli - Tetchier now: No I didn’t. Go back to bed and get some sleep
For a 3rd time his sleep is disturbed - Samuel bursts in again - You called?
Eli - thinking to himself - Not again, I’ll tan his hide - but then his better self
kicks in - there must be something else going on here. Maybe there's a
spiritual explanation! How can I help the lad? He offers, perhaps the first bit
of spiritual direction in the bible – Samuel, if you hear the voice again,
respond by saying 'Speak Lord your servant is listening
Samuel returns and responds to the voice as Eli suggested
So begins for Samuel a journey of close relationship with God through a time
of turmoil for the nation. Samuel becomes a prophet and priest - go
between God and people – and is instrumental in transition to establishing
Saul as first king of Israel.
Samuel's call is a step in him living out his vocation – doing what he was meant
to do with his one wild and precious life.
The book of Samuel goes on to show how Samuel lived out 'who I am
meant to be' in relationship with God, the people and himself.
Vocation
It could be concluded from stories such as this that God only deals with
some 'spiritual elite' with profound calls and vocations such as Samuel's' but
this would fly in the face of both biblical understandings and human
experience
In Psalm 139 the Psalmist describes
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be.
A reminder of the intimate knowledge of every person that God has – and
a sense of purpose for them.
Scripture - call of individual is typical of God's working with each person
The Gospel writers clearly assume that the call of Jesus to the disciples
to follow him, is a call they expect those who read the gospels to
recognise as a call they are invited to respond to. To find their vocation
in their response to his call.
This is something that personal experience in my life and that of people I have
known testify to.
One of the most striking conversations I have had about vocation was
talking to someone who was a truck driver – he spent his weeks driving
juggernauts around europe - and described the wonderful enjoyment and
fulfilment he has in doing the job. His face lit up as he described his sense
of vocation – that he was doing what God wanted him to do – what he was
meant to be doing with his life.
In conclusion – I offer some pointers in exploring vocation
Firstly: prayerful listening and reflecting
Listen to your self: to the cries, longings and urges of your heart
– may be a kind of voice
– may be a deep longing
– it may be recognising facts of your life - what inspires and energises
you - and what others recognise and value in you
Engage with God: acknowledging the promptings that you may be sensing
– talking to God – asking ‘is this you?’
– seeking truth
Engage with others: Talk about your exploring vocation – about the nudges and encouragements others give you
– seeking perspective and guidance
– look at ‘is this God - or just me?’
– - vocation - by its nature is something beyond self
Secondly: (and this is the ‘health warning’) recognise that by responding to this
life will change and it will involve risk, growth and challenge
After all – it will take you beyond yourself – therefore it will feel risky
and challenging and involve you growing as vocation unfolds. Vocation
may involve a sense of the big trajectory of life, but the steps and stages
along the way are likely to emerge step by step.
Conclusion
The story of Samuel and the teaching of Jesus give us pointers in the
exploration of our spirituality and vocation.
We are invited to reflect on what helps us listen and discern the God of love
who knows you and calls us to respond – to become the people we were
created to be.
To find an answer to the question ‘what is it you plan to do with your one
wild and precious life?’
As a way in I offer a story and a poem.
It is told of theologian, Donald Nicholl,
That once, when part of a group, where each in turn introduced themselves,
when it came to his turn declared ‘Who am I? I am a glorious manifestation
of the love of God!’ Whilst running the risk of being one of the most
pretentious ways of introducing himself, there is a also a profound truth in
his declaration. Are we not all ‘glorious manifestations of the love of God’?
Have you ever considered yourself a ‘glorious manifestation of the love of
God’?
Mary Oliver in her poem ‘The Summer Day’ writes
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
We may not today be resonating with summer idleness, of falling down into
the grass (snow perhaps!), but we may resonate with the questions - what
have I been doing all day? What should I have done? What am I doing with
my one wild and precious life?
Personal Story
Some years ago when I was a parish priest in Sheffield, whilst having a sense
of continuing ministry in the parish for several years more, I was astonished
to find myself saying 'Wouldn’t it would be wonderful to be part of an organisation that would let me focus on spirituality, retreat giving and
spiritual direction'.
To which I seemed to hear an inner voice saying: You are?
My response was, ‘Don't be daft - I'm in the Church of England’!
You are?
Am I? – so began a new way of thinking about the future and
conversations with the Bishop which in nine months let to a new stage of
my 'vocation'. I become Bishop's advisor in Spirituality - and thrust into
doing exactly what I had found myself longing for. It seemed it was
possible for the church of England to enable such a ministry.
It was a ministry for which I had no obvious qualifications for, and
necessitated some swift work to engage in.
Particularly, I needed a working definition of spirituality
I came up with ‘Spirituality is about “Who am I?” in relation to God, others
and self – and how do I live this out?’
There is a clear resonance with our New Testament reading in which Jesus'
summarises the commandments:
love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as yourself
Here we see the three dimensions of spirituality – God, neighbour, self –
God, others, self.
Our Old Testament Reading is an encounter between the boy
Samuel, the old priests Eli and God
Imagine this from Eli's point of view
Eli, is asleep when Samuel bursts in - You called Master Eli – grumpily - no I didn’t, go back to bed. Thinking to himself – child must
have been dreaming
Eli just as he gets off to sleep is disturbed by Samuel again - You called
Master
Eli - Tetchier now: No I didn’t. Go back to bed and get some sleep
For a 3rd time his sleep is disturbed - Samuel bursts in again - You called?
Eli - thinking to himself - Not again, I’ll tan his hide - but then his better self
kicks in - there must be something else going on here. Maybe there's a
spiritual explanation! How can I help the lad? He offers, perhaps the first bit
of spiritual direction in the bible – Samuel, if you hear the voice again,
respond by saying 'Speak Lord your servant is listening
Samuel returns and responds to the voice as Eli suggested
So begins for Samuel a journey of close relationship with God through a time
of turmoil for the nation. Samuel becomes a prophet and priest - go
between God and people – and is instrumental in transition to establishing
Saul as first king of Israel.
Samuel's call is a step in him living out his vocation – doing what he was meant
to do with his one wild and precious life.
The book of Samuel goes on to show how Samuel lived out 'who I am
meant to be' in relationship with God, the people and himself.
Vocation
It could be concluded from stories such as this that God only deals with
some 'spiritual elite' with profound calls and vocations such as Samuel's' but
this would fly in the face of both biblical understandings and human
experience
In Psalm 139 the Psalmist describes
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be.
A reminder of the intimate knowledge of every person that God has – and
a sense of purpose for them.
Scripture - call of individual is typical of God's working with each person
The Gospel writers clearly assume that the call of Jesus to the disciples
to follow him, is a call they expect those who read the gospels to
recognise as a call they are invited to respond to. To find their vocation
in their response to his call.
This is something that personal experience in my life and that of people I have
known testify to.
One of the most striking conversations I have had about vocation was
talking to someone who was a truck driver – he spent his weeks driving
juggernauts around europe - and described the wonderful enjoyment and
fulfilment he has in doing the job. His face lit up as he described his sense
of vocation – that he was doing what God wanted him to do – what he was
meant to be doing with his life.
In conclusion – I offer some pointers in exploring vocation
Firstly: prayerful listening and reflecting
Listen to your self: to the cries, longings and urges of your heart
– may be a kind of voice
– may be a deep longing
– it may be recognising facts of your life - what inspires and energises
you - and what others recognise and value in you
Engage with God: acknowledging the promptings that you may be sensing
– talking to God – asking ‘is this you?’
– seeking truth
Engage with others: Talk about your exploring vocation – about the nudges and encouragements others give you
– seeking perspective and guidance
– look at ‘is this God - or just me?’
– - vocation - by its nature is something beyond self
Secondly: (and this is the ‘health warning’) recognise that by responding to this
life will change and it will involve risk, growth and challenge
After all – it will take you beyond yourself – therefore it will feel risky
and challenging and involve you growing as vocation unfolds. Vocation
may involve a sense of the big trajectory of life, but the steps and stages
along the way are likely to emerge step by step.
Conclusion
The story of Samuel and the teaching of Jesus give us pointers in the
exploration of our spirituality and vocation.
We are invited to reflect on what helps us listen and discern the God of love
who knows you and calls us to respond – to become the people we were
created to be.
To find an answer to the question ‘what is it you plan to do with your one
wild and precious life?’
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