God is still speaking!

One of the annoying habits-- I have is that sometimes when I am driving around I like to read  out 

loud signs that I pass.   Street signs, or signs for businesses, bumper stickers, and I particular love  

silly  church signs you that have saying like, “How do we make Holy Water? We boil the hell out of it.”

A few years ago we were driving by a United Church of Christ church and on their lawn was a large orange vinyl sign that read “God is still speaking.” 

The sign was part of a national campaign that UCC was involved in to get the word out that essentially God isn’t done with us yet and there is still work do—God is still active and present and speaking.

Anyway, I don’t remember if I read the sign out loud, but I at least said something to the effect “ Is God really still speaking?” 

After I said this—a little voice from the back seat said, “Of course he is Dad.” 

Does God still speak?

Of  course we just heard a story out of the book of Samuel where it is quite obvious that God is speaking.

One night while Samuel is lying in the temple when he hears “Samuel, Samuel”—the only problem is that Samuel doesn’t realize it’s God speaking and  he runs into his mentor Eli’s bedroom— saying “here I am you called?”

After the third time of being woken up by the exuberant Samuel—Eli realizes God is speaking Samuel--- So he says the next time you hear your name—stay in bed and say—“speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

What I love from the story is that Samuel doesn’t even realize that it is god who is speaking—three times he thinks it’s his master Eli.   I think that a lot like us I think sometimes  God’s voice gets mistaken for other things or other voices.  

I truly believe that God’s voice comes in all shapes and sizes.

First off ---sometimes God’s voice  sounds an awful like another person.  

Before I was considering priesthood— a priest at the congregation where I was a member pulled me aside one day and said,  “Have you ever considered the priesthood?” 

Yes that was Fr. Johnny voice, but  somewhere in there it was also God’s voice coming through Fr. Johnny.

Of course I didn’t realize it at--- first cause when I went home that evening and told Chrishelle what the Fr. Johnny had said—she said. “I didn’t marry a priest.”

So we had to test it out—cause Chrishelle’s voice could have been God’s voice too--- eventually there were enough other things in our life that point toward priesthood  that we came to recognize that God was speaking. 

Sometimes God’s voice come through perfectly place words of the poem or song – or maybe even a Meme or Gif or social media post—words or images that speak directly to situation we are encountering. 

Sometimes it’s that voice inside your head that has a wise thought—sometimes God’s voice is a phrase from holy scripture or simply a gut feeling  right here---- knowing that this is the right thing to do.

Sometimes God’s voice comes in the midst of chaos- but sometimes it comes in the quiet moments.

I know one of the things that so lacks in my life are moments of quiet that open me up to the still quiet voice of God- There is story in the bible about a guy name Elijah who gets to see God--

God says, Go to Elijah go to the mountain—cause I am about to come by.  Elijah gets there and

A great and powerful wind comes  and it breaks up and  shatters rocks….but the story says that  God was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but  the story says God  was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but God  was not in the fire. And after the fire the story says came a gentle whisper.  God was in the quiet whisper.

God’s voice is sometime found in the quiet - putting down our phones, turning off our screens and sitting in quiet prayer or walking in silence or even driving in silence.

Today we celebrate and ask God’s blessing on upon our high school seniors—May each of you remember that when you get to where ever you are going Northeastern or Quinnipiac or Tulane-where ever-God will be there and God will  forever be speaking whether you go to church every Sunday or never again. 

When you are lonely may God speak and remind you that you are never alone—may you God remind you that there is no where that you go that God isn’t with you. 

When you are stressed and overwhelmed may God speak into your life God’s that Holy Scripture says that surpasses understanding.

When you feel lost and rudderless—may God speak direction into your life.

When you mess up and go astray—may you hear the voice of God saying you are forgiven 

When you find joy and happiness—may hear you hear the voice of God celebrating--- rejoicing with you. 

God is still speaking—we just have to listen and believe that he might have a word for us.  

AMEN