The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 14, 2024

Life is a dynamic and interdependent process of call and response and so is our relationship with
God. Once again, as has been the case lately, there are almost too many entry points into the
sermon, calling upon the preacher to be a homiletical artist, bringing together diverse images, or
entirely focus on one scriptural theme. In either case, the congregation will benefit from a
serious reflection on this week’s scriptures as they address diverse issues such as: the call of God
and the necessity of asking questions of the call, God’s awareness of the world and us, and the
wonder and responsibility of embodiment. These stories are well-known to churchgoers but it is
important that they be shared and heard in new ways, taking us beyond individualism to
community in our understanding of God’s call and the responsibilities of embodiment.
The call of Samuel is one of the best-known stories of scriptures. Young Samuel, studying for
the priesthood, hears a nocturnal call. He assumes that the call comes from Eli, the temple priest
and his mentor. After Samuel comes to Eli three times, the priest realizes that this is no ordinary
situation. Samuel is being confronted by God. Eli counsels Samuel to take the call seriously and
listen to the message he receives. When the call comes again, Samuel responds, “Speak, your
servant is listening.”
The United Church of Christ has a saying, “God is still speaking,” and this affirmation is
appropriate to today’s scripture. God is constantly calling us through the unconscious, dreams,
encounters, hunches, insights, inspirations, and (sometimes) through lively mystical experiences
in which the veil between the divine and human is lifted. God is speaking to us in many ways
involving all of the senses. God comes to us in all things. But, are we listening? I like the
point-counterpoint of Frederick Buechner and Parker Palmer, “listen to your life” and “let your
life speak.” God comes to us in our life. God’s vision, aims, counsel, possibilities, come to us in
each moment of experience, calling us forward to more abundant life for ourselves and our
communities. God calls our communities through our collective experiences of vocation and
challenge. We must be attentive to hear and then discern the nature of the call.
Perhaps, the preacher might emphasize the importance of listening prayer, of simple mindfulness
or awareness, of God’s presence in our lives. The simple prayer of “Speak, God, your servant is
listening,” is enough to open the floodgates of inspiration and waken us from our slumbers to
experience the glories of the world. A workshop on meditation and mindfulness of God’s
presence might be an appropriate companion to the sermon this Sunday.
Psalm 139 joins divine awareness and creativity. “Search me and know me.” The Psalmist
marvels at God’s complete awareness of our lives. Such awareness is liberating not frightening
because God’s knowledge is grounded in love. We are known and we are loved. Our
imperfection is no impediment to God’s love: God loves us because of who we are (God’s
beloved children) not in spite of who we are (wayward sinners, as some contend).
The One who knows us is also our Creator, whose wisdom brought forth our wondrous
embodiment. Our whole being is awesomely and wonderfully made. Our bodies are beautiful,

amazing, and miraculous, and should be celebrated as God’s handiwork. God has no body image
issues: you are God’s wondrous creation just as you are and we should treasure God’s
embodiment in affirming the bodies of others. This has serious ethical implications: we respect
the integrity of others’ bodies, we support the physical and whole person well-being of others,
we enact policies that take care of people’s basic physical needs. This is the least we can do in
responding to the wonder of others’ bodies. We use our bodies to bring joy and community, not
as weapons of war, subjugation, or power over others.
Psalm 139 describes God’s presence in the universe as creative-responsive love, to use the
language of John Cobb and David Griffin. God creates in and through us, and also receives from
us in God’s ongoing awareness of the world. God is not a potter working with inert and
unfeeling clay. Rather God constantly adjusts God’s creativity to the changing contours of our
lives and the world. God responds and calls to a living universe of living creatures not passive
and dead objects.
“Glorify God in your body” for your body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” so says the Apostle
Paul to the Christian community at Corinth. Your life is joined with Christ’s life, so live as one
who belongs to and reflects God’s loving wisdom. While the presenting case Paul addresses
involves diet and inappropriate sexual behavior, his concern is much larger. Created in the
divine image, awesomely and wonderfully made, our calling is to live fully and holy. To respect
our bodies and the bodies of others. Today, this involves the interplay of self-care and care for
others, of embracing a sustainable and healthy diet (nurturing ourselves) and working to affirm
the bodies of others through justice-seeking, distribution of resources, peacemaking, and
response to strangers. “Glorify God in your care for others’ bodies.”
The Gospel reading joins call and questioning. Jesus calls to Philip, “follow me.” I suspect the
call was contextual. I suspect Philip has met Jesus prior to this encounter and Jesus’ call was the
fruition of their relationship. It is time for Philip to say “yes.” He is excited and wants to reach
out to Nathaniel, who wonders about Jesus’ credibility. “Can someone from Nazareth have
anything to teach us?” Rather than critiquing Nathaniel, Jesus affirms his questioning.
Questioning is part of faith. The call of God may appear ambiguous. God’s call comes to us
within the welter of experience and is often opaque. Moreover, we may be ambivalent about our
response. Saying “yes” without reflection can lead to spiritual disaster as we see in the history of
cult-like behaviors and the adulation of religious and political leaders. We need to ask questions,
and Jesus affirms Philip’s honesty, and willingness to struggle with the nature of the call.
When Philip chooses to follow, Jesus promises that his amazement with Jesus is just the first step
on a holy adventure. Those who follow Jesus will experience more than they can ask or imagine.
They will experience their own grandeur (and brokenness) and also the amazing presence of God
in their lives and the world. Following Jesus means sacrifice for persons and congregations and
we need to count the cost, but for those persons and congregations that follow great things are in
store: they will be part of God’s realm and discover their vocation as God’s companions in
healing the world.

The words from W.H. Auden’s advent oratorio, “For the Time Being” describe the holy
adventure of following Jesus in our complex and uncertain world.
“He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.”

Bruce Epperly is a pastor, professor, spiritual guide, and author of over seventy books, including
JESUS – MYSTIC, HEALER, AND PROPHET; THE ELEPHANT IS RUNNING: PROCESS
AND OPEN AND RELATIONAL THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM;
PROPHETIC HEALING: HOWARD THURMAN’S VISION OF CONTEMPLATIVE
ACTIVISM; MYSTIC’S IN ACTION: TWELVE SAINTS FOR TODAY; WALKING WITH
SAINT FRANCIS: FROM PRIVILEGE TO ACTIVISM; MESSY INCARNATION:
MEDITATIONS ON PROCESS CHRISTOLOGY, FROM COSMOS TO CRADLE:
MEDITATIONS ON THE INCARNATION, and THE PROPHET AMOS SPEAKS TO
AMERICA. His most recent books are PROCESS THEOLOGY AND THE REVIVAL WE
NEED, TAKING A WALK WITH WHITEHEAD: MEDITATIONS WITH PROCESS-
RELATIONAL THEOLOGY, and SIMPLICTY, SPIRITUALITY AND SERVICE: THE
TIMELESS WISDOM OF FRANCIS, CLARE, AND BONAVENTURE. He can be reached at
drbruceepperly@gmail.com.