2nd Sunday of Epiphany

Readings: 1 Samuel 3v1-20; Psalm 139v1-5 & 12-18; Revelation 5v1-10; John 1v43-end.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: I was away on holiday last Sunday and found myself thankful that the local Church faithfully holds worship at the same time week-by-week. I worshipped alongside a tiny congregation, served by a part-time priest who is soon to retire who work together to serve people unable to get to Church. I thought about the plight of this little Congregation and prayed they will be strengthened to fulfil God’s will.

I had this prayer in mind as I read the appointed scriptures and realised how easy it is for those of us who are supposed to be God’s servants to fall short of what God wants from us. Take for example the reading from the Book of Samuel. In this we hear that even though the child Samuel was learning how to minister to the Lord in the temple under the direction of Eli, that Eli had not explained the scriptures to Samuel nor told him that God really does speak to people. I always feel rather surprised and perplexed by this because I thought that from the beginning that we were supposed to tell of God’s deeds and how God has helped his people. However, whilst Eli had fallen short, God had an important message for him, so God called Samuel and after Eli was woken up three times, Eli realised that the voice that Samuel heard was the voice of God and told Samuel to invite God to speak to him using the words: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”. I always think that as a child that Samuel did much better than his teacher Eli, for when God returned he had a message for Eli, that his family would be punished for blaspheming against God because Eli knew about the blaspheming and had not tried to stop them. Samuel went on to not only share this message from God with Eli but also to become respected by all Israel as a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

In the gospel we hear about two other people, one who seemed to get it right first time and one who initially got it all wrong. For in John, we hear that Philip believed that Jesus was the one foretold about in Moses and the prophets. Philip was so convinced that he not only followed Jesus when invited to do so but also went and told Nathanael about Jesus. However, when told about Jesus, Nathanael was not convinced but, in spite of his reservations, trusted Philip enough to go and see for himself. It was in this going to see for himself, that Nathanael found himself in the presence of someone who not only evaporated his scepticism but also inspired him to declare that Jesus was the King of Israel and Son of God.

In our time, like the little congregation I worshipped with, it is our turn to try and serve God without making too many mistakes by learning from the scriptures and teaching others about God’s ways. For as we hear in the psalm, God knows us better than we know ourselves and God cares for and wants the best for us. And, as we hear in Revelation, a time is coming when scrolls will be opened in heaven, a time when the only one worthy to open the scrolls will be the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the slaughtered Lamb of God, the one who ransomed saints from every tribe, people, language and nation; and made them into a kingdom of priests serving God.

I pray that all people in all congregations will do our best to be God’s servants in this world. For we are loved by God and God gave his only Son for us, so that we could be rescued, transformed and renewed as a Kingdom of Priests in God’s kingdom.

Let us pray: God of glory, the living Word and Bread of Life, fill us with your Holy Spirit and by your grace transform and renew our lives, so that we shine as light in the worlds and make known your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.

Thank you for joining us.