Two weeks ago we read the story of how God called Samuel.

It took a while before both young Samuel and the elder Eli caught on that it was God who was calling. We sang “Here I am Lord…” We shouldn’t be to hard on Eli and Samuel because the OT reading began with these words “ The word of the Lord was rare in those days – and visions where not wide spread” (I Samuel 3.1f).

So if it took a while for the two of them to catch on,  that it Was God who was doing the calling – we should understand.

So here we are two weeks later..

and the Gospel of Mark again addresses the “who” is calling.. but with a modern twist.

How do we know that it is God”  and not some imposter?

In the OT the people ask that God stop showing up directly “ if I hear the voice of the Lord your god any more, or ever again see the great fire, I will die” (18.16b).

But by the time we come to the NT there are competing voices…

In the OT reading… the people respectfully suggest that if God wants continue his dialogue, that it be through an intermediary,

i.e. a prophet but.. 

How will we know that he is real?

How can we tell that he is not a fake? 

Here is the key “ If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it”. 18.22.

So how will we know?

You have to wait and see …

In the Gospel of Mark .. we see that Jesus speaks and acts..

What happens is that the people comment  “what is this a new teaching. They where astounded for the taught them as one with authority and not as the scribes.”

Scribe is a term used in the NT to designate those who had studied at the Seminary but not just any seminary they studies at Bob Jones U. in Greenville SC.  Or at Fuller in Chicago.

Both are schools that stress  verbal inspiration and a literal interpretation of the Bible…

Jesus took them on.. and they loved it.

The question that our lessons address is the question of authority…

I few weeks ago I told you about my encounter with the psychologist who interviewed me for the ministry. That was part of the call process of the Lutheran church if you wanted to be a pastor…

He and I where at odds from the start and it did not get much better… as the interview continued.

            I found out later ( remember the freedom of information act?) …

that the good Dr. had some reservations…

He was not alone. I have had reservations  myself. But today’s lessons are a vindication of sorts.

It seems that the only exception in Scripture about someone who did not have  doubt about this whole Christina enterprise was Jesus and even he, when it came to the final moment,

cried out “Eloi, Eloi em-ai’ sabachthami” Mk. 15.34.

So how do I know I was called to be a Preacher?

According to the Lutheran church there are two criteria:

1. Inner call

2. Outer call..

The outer call is what you and and 3 other congregations did to get me here.

The inner call is like Samuel hearing a voice calling in the night..     in my case the  call  was more like a nagging feeling that I could not find peace in my life without listening to my heart.

But back to the question of authority.

There are those who believe that anyone who opens the Bible is entitled to interpret what they read as the wish… the Bapist belive that.

Lutherans believe that the Bible  (to use Luther's words),  “the cradle of Christ”.. and all scripture is either Law “thou shalt” or Gospel “thou are forgiven”…

In SC there a lot of fundamentalists… and one occasion I would be asked what is the difference between what Lutherans believe and what a conservative Christian might believe?

I would tell them that as Lutherans we believe that Jesus came in to the world to Love the Hell out of people and my Bible toting fundamentalist believe he came to scare the hell out of people.

God has many names… The great NT scholar from GB wrote a little book where he documents at least 20 titles for Jesus..

God is known by the Hebrew as YHWH.. the Greek as KURIOS

To the Muslim as Allah ..

To the Hispanic as..Dios

The German as GOTT.. and so it goes.

When Moses asked him his name he told him “ I am who I am” or “I will be what I will be.”

The authority of the word comes from the speaker.

A poet and playwright speaks the word and the 26 letters of the alphabet become gripping plays and moving sonnets.

A composer speaks the word and the 88 keys of the piano become a heart felt Polonasis –

A President speaks the word and the world looks down a possible nuclear abyss and thank God does not take the plunge..

The  poet and playwright was Shakespeare

The Composer was Chopin

The President was JFK in the 60’s during the Cuban missile crisis.

When God speaks the creative word it does not return to him empty.. and worlds are created ex nilho and so is grace.

So who is this God we worship?

Who is this God in whose name we gather ?

I must tell you that there are many who would point to a book.. and equate the Book with the Word of God…

As Lutherans it is not the book but the Lord of Easter who is the source of our adoration and gratitude and worship.

Tennyson said it best “ Flower in the crannied wall. I pluck thee from the crannery and hold thee in my hand, flower, stem, root and all.  If would know thee, I would know who God and man is.”

In to day’s gospel it is not the exorcism (the Exorcist not withstanding)

that excites the crowds.  It is not what Jesus did that causes them to ask “ Who is this and by what authority does he do this?”

Through out Marks Gospel (ti estin touto) “What is this he commands even the unclean spirits to obey.”1.27.

“who then is this  (tis era houtus etin?) that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Those first Christian who wrote all this down wanted us to know Jesus had power both over nature (the sea and wind) and demons. .   the supernatural world. 

What they wanted us to know is that this man was differenet .

That his authority did not come from a book or from tradition.. “that is the way we have always done it…”

Or from his scribal or priestly pedigree..

Jesus authority comes form god…

You cannot put new wine into Old Wine Skins… they reminded us!

So we come to and end of another sermon.

I wonder how many sermons where preached on this text today?

I wonder how many found that the words that have been spoken here or elsewhere have made a difference?

The question of authority comes from different sources.

As parent you have authority over your child.

As a teacher you have authority over a student.

As officer you have authority over a citizen… all of these are by virtue of your relationship to the other…

So it is with God his authority it begins  with a relationship to a person who is called Jesus,

or Grace or beginning again, the Alpha and the Omega… the I am who I am the I will be who I will be.

Amen