Rooted in Grace, Moved by Love: Listening for God’s Call

This Sunday we turn to the story of a boy named Samuel. Asleep one night he hears his name spoken. At first, Samuel mistakes the voice for his mentor Eli’s. Only with Eli’s guidance does Samuel learn to respond with the words that open his heart to God’s leading: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” 

Upon accepting this call, Samuel’s first prophetic task was not comforting—it was a message of accountability and change. God calls him to speak truth about the failings of Eli’s household, even though Eli is his teacher and protector. Call stories, we learn, are rarely about comfort. Instead, God often calls us to step into a role that feels bigger than we are, trusting that God’s grace roots us and God’s love will move us forward. 

This story also carries a word about transition. Eli, who has carried the mantle of leadership, must now make space for Samuel. And Samuel must find his own prophetic voice. Again and again in the life of the church, the Spirit raises up new voices, new leaders, new ways of hearing God’s word. 

I’m thinking especially of the ELCA’s call of Bishop Yehiel Curry as our new presiding bishop. Bishop Curry brings deep insight and steady vision to our church. As the first Black presiding bishop in the ELCA, our church has elected him as a leader shaped by his experience and vocation. These seasons of transition remind us that we are all invited—deacons, pastors, lay leaders, and disciples of every kind—to listen for how God is stirring in our own hearts, and to respond with Samuel’s words: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” 

Perhaps most importantly, this passage reminds us that a call always begins with listening. Listening to the whispers of love and justice that rise within us. In a noisy world where so many voices compete for our attention, God’s call still comes in the quiet—sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes through another’s encouragement, sometimes in the deep tug of our own hearts. 

As we gather this Sunday, may we enter Samuel’s story with open ears and open hearts. May we trust that we, too, are rooted in God’s grace, and that when we listen well, we will be moved by God’s love to speak, to act, and to lead with courage. 

Peace, 

Pastor Katie