The Call of Samuel. Focus on 1 Samuel 3:1 10 (11 20) n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 January 14, 2018 Second Sunday after the Epiphany 1 Sam. 3:1 10 (11 20) Ps. 139:1 6, Cor. 6:12 20 John 1:43 51 The Call of Samuel Goal for the Session Youth will discover how God names and claims them in today s world. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on 1 Samuel 3:1 10 (11 20) WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Richard Boyce This passage stands at the beginning of the stories of kingship in Judah and Israel, a time when God s people grew weary with the occasional service of the judges who rescued them when their disobedience had made them prey to their enemies. Now Israel began to long for a king. From the beginning, this concentration of power in the hands of a human being was fraught with difficulty. Who will speak the truth to power? In this nice little story, a new office begins to emerge, preparatory to the later emergence of the king: the office of trustworthy prophet of the LORD (v. 20). Human speaking and hearing now become one of the main means by which the light of God s revelation breaks into the affairs of this world. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Joseph L. Price To be called by God is an act of spiritual intimacy and divine urgency. To be called by God means that God knows one s name and, in knowing one s name, exercises a powerful influence on the person. To be called by God also indicates a need for immediate response because the Almighty has indeed summoned one to a specific vocation or course of action. The story of Samuel s call establishes his authority, empowers his transfer of priestly leadership from Eli to Saul, and reinforces hope in God that God will refresh and renew. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Donna Schaper What this passage recommends to us is that we begin to make decisions based on the tingle of hope. Oddly, the passage assures us that what God is going to do will make both ears tingle. Let one ear tingle with fear. Fear is legitimate under most of the circumstances of most of our lives. Fear is spiritually legitimate. A lot has gone wrong. A lot of danger lurks. But listen now with the other ear. Hear what Samuel was reluctant to hear: God is going to do a new thing, which will make both of our ears tingle. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Lawrence Wood This comic, tender, tragic story really does come from modern life. In an age of divine reticence and the all-too-human failings of religious leaders, it speaks to every servant weighed down with fatigue or regret. Are we Samuel? Are we Eli? Can we really be sure which? And what shall we do if the living God comes into our troubled temple? It is Eli, ironically enough, who tells us what to say: Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. 1

2 The Call of Samuel FOCUS SCRIPTURE 1 Samuel 3:1 10 (11 20) Focus on Your Teaching Names are powerful. In a world where youth often feel unimportant, calling them by name makes an impact. Recognizing young people by name conveys their importance and their worthiness of attention and respect. This is even more meaningful when it is God, the creator of the universe, who knows their names. Like Samuel, young people are not only named and claimed by God, but called to serve in meaningful ways. As you prepare for this session, reflect on ways that God has called you to serve and how you have responded to that call. YOU WILL NEED paper markers Bibles 4 copies of Resource Sheet 1 copies of Resource Sheet 2 card stock For Responding option 1: Bible option 2: name sheets from Gathering option 3: recording of familiar sounds For Music Connection recording of He Knows My Name performed by Tommy Walker Among the ancient Hebrews, Nazirites were people who set themselves apart from regular society in order to focus on religious matters. Nazirites took special vows not to consume wine, cut their hair, or have contact with the dead. Creator God, who formed me in my mother s womb, open my ears to hear your voice. Open my heart to answer your call. In Jesus name. Amen. n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, if you are using option 3 in Responding, record a collection of familiar sounds. Examples could be an ambulance, the wind, waves crashing, a baby s cry, laughter, and so on. Greet youth by name. Ask them to write their names vertically on separate sheets of paper. After each letter, have participants write a word that describes themselves that begins with that letter. Encourage participants to decorate their papers with symbols that illustrate who they are. Be sure to do this for yourself. When all are finished, give participants an opportunity to describe themselves using the words and symbols on their papers. Have them include special information about their names, such as a special meaning or whom they were named after. Pray: God who names and claims each of us, help us to hear your voice as we explore your holy Word. Amen. EXPLORING Introduce Samuel to the participants by explaining that his name means He who is from God. To understand the meaning of this name, have participants read together 1 Samuel 1:1 2, Ask: P What is the promise Hannah makes if God gives her a son? P Why would Hannah ask for a son and then be willing to give him to serve God? Have participants read together 1 Samuel 1:20. Ask: How does Hannah s name for her son help explain why she would give him in service to God? Explain that Hannah follows through on this promise and brings Samuel as a young boy to the temple, where Eli the priest will raise him. That s where today s story begins. 2

3 The Call of Samuel Invite four volunteers to act out the story using the script on Resource Sheet 1 (Script). After the presentation, discuss: P Why do both Samuel and Eli seem to be confused by who is calling Samuel? P What does it take for them to figure out what is happening? (Samuel is the one who is called by name, but it takes Eli to help him understand the call.) P In what ways does Samuel s response to Eli s command show his faithfulness to Eli? To God? P How do you think Samuel felt when he realized it was God speaking to him? Form groups of two or three. Give each group a copy of Resource Sheet 2 (Speak to Me) and a pen. Have each group read 1 Samuel 3:10 20, and have the participants follow the instructions on the page. When all are finished, give each group an opportunity to read their responses to the rest of the participants. Explore these questions together: P What is God calling Samuel to do? (God expects Samuel to speak the truth to Eli, in spite of his fears. Samuel is being claimed as God s truth-teller in the world.) P Why might God have spoken through Samuel instead of directly to Eli? P What does this story teach us about the importance of young people to God? P How was Samuel s purpose in life changed after he was claimed by God? EASY PREP For inspiration and ideas, consider watching together some of the Pass It Along video available by searching YouTube for Pass It Along teens speak out. RESPONDING Choose one of the following learning activities: 1. Sacred Reading God continues to name, claim, and call us today, but sometimes we re not paying attention. Have participants close their eyes. Explain that you will be reading a Scripture verse three times, pausing after each reading to let the words sink in. During the silence, invite participants to pay attention to the words or phrases that stick out to them. Read Isaiah 43:1 three times, pausing for about sixty seconds after each reading. Discuss: P What specific words or short phrases stood out for you? P What might these words or phrases help you understand about God? P How does God continue to speak to people today? P As children of God, you, too, have been named and claimed. What may God be calling you to do in the world? What truths is God calling you to offer in the world? 2. Claimed for Service Invite participants to reflect on the name sheets they created during Gathering. Encourage participants to consider how God may be calling them to use their unique gifts and talents to serve God s world. (For example, if a participant described himself or herself as friendly, he or she could serve as a greeter.) As a group, walk around your church building or neighborhood looking for volunteer opportunities. Then, give participants an opportunity to voice one way in which they can live out their call as named and claimed children of God to serve others and the world. 3

4 The Call of Samuel 3. Serving Sounds. Even though Samuel was claimed by God before he was born, he still needed to listen for what God wanted him to do. Play each recorded sound one at a time, and invite participants to listen carefully and then explain thoughts and prayers triggered by each sound. Discuss what each sound might be calling them to do in service to God. (For example: An ambulance could encourage prayer for the injured or for emergency workers.) CLOSING God called Samuel by name and had a specific plan for him, but he didn t understand what was going on until Eli helped him to hear God s voice. Remind participants that God also knows them by name and has a plan for their lives. Have participants think about some of the Elis they know the people who have helped them to hear God s voice. Distribute card stock and markers. Have participants write notes to these people, thanking them for their help in hearing God s voice. Close in prayer, thanking God for naming and claiming us and surrounding us with people who help us to hear God s call. n ENHANCEMENT Search YouTube for He Knows My Name Tommy Walker to watch a video of this song. MUSIC CONNECTION Listen together to He Knows My Name performed by Tommy Walker. Discuss: P How do the lyrics to this song connect with the story of Samuel? P In what ways do these lyrics speak to your own life? P How does it feel to know that God not only knows your name, but also claims you as a beloved child? P When in your life has it been helpful to know you are named and claimed by God? 4

5 January 14, 2018 The Call of Samuel Youth Resource Sheet 1 Roles: Narrator Eli Samuel God Script (Adapted from 1 Samuel 3:1 10) Narrator: Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then Adonai called, God: Samuel! Samuel! Here I am! Narrator: Samuel ran to Eli, and said, Eli: Here I am, for you called me. I did not call; lie down again. Narrator: So he went and lay down. The LORD called again, God: Samuel! Narrator: Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, Eli: Here I am, for you called me. I did not call, my son; lie down again. Narrator: Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli. Here I am, for you called me. Narrator: Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Eli: Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. Narrator: So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, God: Samuel! Samuel! Speak, for your servant is listening Westminster John Knox Press

6 January 14, 2018 The Call of Samuel Youth Resource Sheet 2 Read 1 Samuel 3:10 20 and record one thing you learned about: Speak to Me 2017 Westminster John Knox Press