Upper Room Liturgy 1/14/18: Answering our Call

Debra Trees, ARCWP, and Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP led the Upper Room Eucharistic liturgy with the theme: Answering our call: Living the message of Jesus.  Deb’s homily starter is printed below the readings.

 

Opening Prayer:

O Holy One, From the day we drew our first breath, you have always been with us, calling us to the fullness of life. We are grateful for our brother Jesus who walked this earth as one of us, teaching us by example your greatest desire: That we love and care for one another. Amen.

Opening Song: The Summons 

https://youtu.be/V0aAkOe87mo

First reading: 1 Samuel 3: 3-10, 19

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Holy One
near the Ark of the Covenant.

The Holy One called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the Holy One called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am, " he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."

Samuel was not familiar with the Holy One,
because the Holy One had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The Holy One called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me."
Then Eli understood that the Holy One was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, Holy One, for your servant is listening."
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the Holy One came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the Holy One was with him,
and all of Israel recognized that Samuel was a prophet of the Holy One.

These are the inspired words of our ancestors, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Gospel:   JN 1:35-42

John the Baptist was standing by the Jordan River with two of his disciples,

and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" — which translated means Teacher —,
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and see."
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah" — which means “the Anointed One.”
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas" — which is translated Peter.

These are the inspired words of John, disciple of Jesus, and we affirm these words by saying, Amen.

Homily Starter by Debra Trees, ARCWP:

Our readings today speak to the call of the Holy One in our lives and the call to discipleship with Jesus.  Scripture scholar, Diane Bergant notes that we begin in Ordinary Time with a reflection on the Call to Discipleship. “This call is not reserved for a select few.  It accompanies our baptismal commitment and is issued to all Christians.”  So here, we continue our “Ordinary time” but it is not that ordinary!

Isn’t it interesting that Samuel did not know that it was the Holy One alone who was calling him? The Spirit had a physical presence, even in the form of the auditory.  In Samuel’s time and his experience as recounted in the Scriptures, he was being physically called. And so, he got up to answer. Even his mentor and benefactor, Eli, did not realize that it was the Holy Spirit calling Samuel until he put two and two together, in the persistence of the call, and then directed Samuel to listen.

This direction to listen is important for all of us. It is an active listening, putting ourselves in a position of service. “Here I am. I am listening.” It is a listening with an outcome of action. The resulting action might not always seem easy, or even to make sense. Hence, Samuel was known by his people, the Hebrew nation, as a prophet and Holy Person.  The Holy One worked through Samuel, and when it happens to us, we know, the Holy One is working through us.

But as scripture scholar Barbara Reid points out, the call to discipleship comes in diverse ways.

Jesus in his time was thought to be a rebel, a messiah, a saint, a prophet, a teacher, a healer, and so much more. He was obviously special, listening and acting within the Grace of the Holy One. Here we are two thousand years later, still trying to figure him out. Can you imagine, having someone direct you to him, and say, “Go, talk to him?”  And, can you imagine him saying to you, “What are you looking for?”  and you responding, “Where are you staying?”  This Gospel emphasizes the concept of “abiding” with Jesus, not just following. Living with, coming together with, and knowing… these lead to a companionship of friendship and love, and not just adoration.

The call to discipleship is one thing and can come in diverse ways.

Again, the response to that call can be complicated, not obvious, and requires us to abide with each other in community and support. After the call is discerned, the response to discipleship can take some work…

What, dear friends, have you heard? What will you do? What will it cost you?

Resources:

Bergant, D. (1999), Preaching the New Lectionary: Year B. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical press, p. 224-229.

Reid, B. (2011. Abiding Word: Sunday Reflections for Year B. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical press, p. 60-61.

Communion Meditation: Follow Your Heart’s Desire by Jan Phillips

https://youtu.be/1wgy5rkfVBs

Blessing:

May we continue to be the face of God to each other. May we call each other to extravagant generosity! May we walk with an awareness of our Call as companions on the journey, knowing we are not alone. May we, like Jesus, be a shining light and a blessing in our time!

Closing Song: Anthem by Tom Conry

https://youtu.be/HP2gwC5TGFs