Tingling Ears

The reading from the First Testament this week is from I Samuel 3:1-20.  This is the story of the call of Samuel. Samuel is just a boy and serving in the temple under Eli, and things aren’t going that well. We learn that the word of the Lord was rare in those days and visions were not widespread. Eli has let the work of the Lord slip, and his sons are in the words of a commentator “profligate carousers.”  (I looked it up. It means they were out of control.)

Then begins the running. As Samuel is sleeping in the temple, he hears a voice calling his name and he responds, “Here I am,” – and he runs to Eli. But it wasn’t Eli. He goes back to sleep, and it happens again. Same story. It happens a third time. This time Eli figures out that it is God calling Samuel and he tells Samuel what to do.

Samuel hears the voice again calling out, “Samuel, Samuel!” But now Samuel knows to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” God goes on to lay out what is going to happen next. God is going to do something new. In fact, it is so new that both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

The boy Samuel is entrusted with the message that the house of Eli is coming to an end and he, Samuel, will now be the prophet. Poor Samuel must share that news with Eli, and to his credit Eli takes it well. Eli responds, “It is the Lord; let God do what seems good to him.”

I have always been fascinated with the idea of tingling ears. It is so easy to get stuck in routines, just going along, doing what needs to be done.  Then something new is proposed and “ears start tingling” as new opportunities and possibilities are presented.

This is a vital image for the church. The CHURCH, not just Trinity. The Church can too often be fooled into thinking we have all the answers. We may not be “profligate carousers,” but we may not be listening as closely as we should. There are voices that will make our ears tingle and we need to listen more closely and work to discern if they are of God, so that we might answer like Samuel, “Speak for your servants are listening.” 

The world often tells us that we (the church) don’t matter, unless they need us to make up for some shortfall in public care, or they need us politically. It usually doesn’t work out well. We really need to listen to the voices that make our ears tingle, even if it makes us uncomfortable. So, what is making your ears tingle?

Peace,

Dave