Answering the Call
June 22, 2025
Confirmation Sunday is an extraordinary day in the life of our young people, and in the life of the congregation or congregations who support them. We all get to look back at the journey that has brought us all here and ask, as we look into the future, what will each of us need as we journey forward from this point. And it’s not like we invented this reflection and projection process. It is all through the scriptures, notably we heard two of those kinds of stories this morning.
The reading from 1st Samuel today arises out of disappointment and sadness over mistakes or missed opportunities with a younger generation. The hard truth for the priest Eli, is that his sons who should have been learning how to be priests in the temple, instead were acting scandalously. They were doing the very opposite of everything that would have pleased their father. But like many a loving parent, Eli felt helpless to encourage them to make better choices. So, instead of them, the boy Samuel is brought to the temple to assist Eli and to learn how to care for the temple which was the centre of their faith. This caring also includes caring for the almost blind Eli. Something his sons should have done.
I know that many of us here today including myself, have children who are brought up in the church, but who have said, “it’s not my thing.” Now that doesn’t mean that they are engaged in scandalous behavior, but they aren’t here. I suspect that like Eli, we could have made different choices that might have made a difference in whether our kids would have chosen to stay. I say this not to accuse anyone, but because of what the scripture mentions almost offhandedly, “in those days, there were no frequent visions.” Those of us who remained in the Church are OK with more than a little bit of ritual, but those or most of those who have left probably needed to hear a vision that called us to grow; to change; to reach beyond; and to set our hearts on fire! That is what a good vision does! So as Forest Hill and Trinity discern a common vision, it is my hope that it will be one so exciting that it sets the hearts, minds and souls of these young people on fire, as well as our own.
There’s lots more to learn from this passage, but I just want to hold up this next detail. Neither the older Eli, nor the young Samuel could discern the voice of God alone. The voice and vision came to Samuel, but it was Eli, after some prodding, who said that’s the voice of God, “Listen to it.” So, it is a reminder to all people here, but particularly our younger people that our God is speaking. Do not be afraid to come forward with voices and visions, and we who are older might take some prodding, but eventually, we will say, “yes that’s the voice of God let’s go for it.”
In the gospel reading, we have the call of the fisherman. The two sets of brothers who are called are engaged in two different activities that are related to each other. Peter and Andrew are casting their nets. Jesus needs people within the body that are skilled at and dedicated to casting the net not for fish, but for people. Gone are the days when the church could simply say “people know where we, they can come to us.” We have to learn to cast the nets on social media and by connecting to our community.
The second set of brothers James and John are mending the nets. And I cannot help but think that this mending is just as important as the casting. There is mending that is needed in our world today. There is mending that is needed in our families today. There is mending needed in our churches today. I would hazard to say that without well mended nets visions, as well as people, are bound to slip through and slip away. I cannot tell you how exceedingly proud I am and have been of our two congregations. They, we, have worked together so well in the last year and now the new visioning and process teams are focused are moving beyond mended to creating something new from two different nets. As much as this is the work of congregations, I am very mindful that it requires each of us to be about the work of listening for the vision, speaking about the vision, casting the net of the vision and doing the mending when we feel that the net is tearing. A couple of weeks ago Rev. Gaylyn spoke to the UCW and others about her ‘Camino’ walk. She ended by saying that the walk taught her several lessons. So, I want to share with you this morning the voice of God that came to Rev. Gaylyn as she walked those 600 km with her daughter. These are the lesson the journey taught her:
Lesson 1. start each day with intention. How might that change our lives if every day, regardless of our age, we woke up and made an intention before we even got out of bed. What is our intention for the day? How will we face our day? Who is it that’s going to show up at work or at school or at the coffee shop? Is it a person of vision and hope or a person of no vision and no hope.
Lesson 2. listen to your body. Reverend Gaylyn knows through experience how hard the journey can be on us physically. And sometimes you just have to take a rest. Take a rest from being on a committee or take a rest from the pressures of everyday life. Just listen to your body and what it needs. I think our young people are much better at listening to their bodies than others. And listen when your body says, “I’m ready for more.”
Lesson 3. go at your own pace it’s not a competition. I think enough said about that. I mean we have all met people on the 401 or number 7 highway who drive like the devil is chasing them. That’s no way to live.
Lesson 4. greet the world with gratitude. There is sadness and harsh realities in this life, but my heavens we live in a blessed country, at a blessed time. There is so much to be grateful for and if we are grateful then it helps us deal with the harsh realities that come our way.
Lesson 5. act with compassion and kindness. Rev. Gaylyn told a wonderful story about a small act of kindness that happened one morning. Her daughter and her were at a café, waiting on breakfast. There was an American there who didn’t speak any Spanish. He was really frustrated trying to order breakfast and then also trying to get information or instructions to catch a bus to a specific place. He just couldn’t communicate with the young woman behind the counter. Luckily Gaylyn’s daughter has a little bit of Spanish and so between them, they were able to communicate what his needs were to the waitress and then get the needed information. And in gratitude, the man paid for their breakfast. Along the trail Rev. Gaylyn said, “you know they would see people sharing Band-Aids and an Advil or Tylenol and various things to help each other out. Kindness really helps each other on the journey that is life.”
Lesson 6. humour goes a long way. As various religious leaders and poets have said, “it’s only life don’t take it too seriously.”
And lastly, life is a journey take it one step at a time. And so, I say to our young people, but really to all of us. We are on a journey together that is both intensely personal and essentially communal. Today you have chosen to join us in the journey. When we step together, we have a better sense of where we’re going and we’re going to be happier healthier, and a better people when we get to where we are going.