Calling to life

Sermon for Epiphany Sunday, 18th January (1 Samuel 3: 1-10; John 1:43-51)

There’s a mythical memo doing the rounds;

Subject: CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT!

SICKDAYS: We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.
SURGERY: Operations are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you need all your organs. You should not consider removing anything. We hired you intact.
PERSONAL DAYS: Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year, called Saturday & Sunday.
ANNUAL LEAVE: All employees will take their holidays at the same time every year: Jan. 1, Dec. 25 & 26
TOILET USE: Too much time is being spent in the toilet. In the future, we will go in alphabetical order. So, employees whose names begin with 'A' will go 8:00- 8:20, those with names beginning with 'B' 8:20-8:40 and so on. If you cannot go at your allotted time, you must wait until the next day when your turn comes again. In emergencies employees may swap their time with a co-worker. Both employees' supervisors must approve this in writing. Also, there is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the cubicles.

After three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, and the cubicle door will open.

The bible stories today are both about calling. If I worked for a boss who expected me to work like the above, I might feel called to work elsewhere. Yet all of us are called, as much as Nathaniel (meaning ‘Given by God’) and Samuel (‘Heard by God’). We are called to serve God in his Kingdom, according to God’s values, of love, mercy and holiness, inspired by the Son, Jesus. That affects the whole of our lives, at church, at home, in our neighbourhood, at work.

Now, you might say, it’s one thing to serve God at church-the ‘holy’ bit of our lives; it’s even possible to live ‘Christian’ lives in the privacy of our homes, working out our private religion; I can just about see it working out on a ‘love our neighbour’ basis amongst our neighbours – but what about in work - how will my Christian values guide me in a secular environment? This all about being called even at work. Here I’m drawing on a talk by Mark Green of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity. (See http://www.transformworkuk.org/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=17541&file_id=19570 for the full talk).

First, telling the truth. We can stereotype modern working practice as just out for the money. ‘Give the customers what they want, even if it’s only because our ads have made them want it, and screw the employees’ rather like the joke memo above? But research shows that employers who work like that do not often succeed. In fact if you look at the values of successful businesses, their values are remarkably Christian. For employees to be motivated to work, they need to be able to believe the management. In other words the bosses (at all levels) need to show Integrity and to tell the truth. Nathaniel is commended by Jesus as one who is an example of a truthful person. He did not lie, but more than that he sought to represent the truth always. He was open, honest. Imagine working for a person like that!

Second, relationships. Good relationships make for productive workforce. One factory I visit had a change of management. The new lot wanted more productivity, so less talking, shorter breaks- the effect? Lower relationships, less motivation; in fact, lower productivity. The Kingdom of God is all about relationships, between us and God (motivating us to follow these values) and between each other (‘Love your neighbour, as yourself’). That makes for great relationships.

Third – purpose for humanity. The profit motive must not be the highest motivation. Profit motivated companies do not succeed like those who are giving something back to this world. Just think of the success of Body Shop. Why are firms getting into ‘ Fair Trade’, or acting green? It’s not just to keep good suppliers or to save money, although often both those happen. It’s good business sense. Doing good reaps its rewards – and not just in heaven. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.

Lastly, Servant leadership. In business you do get people who succeed who are brash and loud – the Alan Sugar’s and Simon Cowell’s of this world, but a lot of great leaders are not arrogant and proud but are true servants, thinking about what is genuinely best for others instead of fighting to the top (people who do that make a lot of enemies who would love to join forces to bring them down). When you have a boss who cares about you, and wants you to succeed, you go the ‘extra mile’ for them, stay a little longer, pay more attention to detail, stop fighting for your own success and start fighting for the team. Jesus gave us the ultimate examples, in washing his disciples’ feet, in order to show them how to put each other first, then dying on a cross, rather than give up on love on the world he came to save, so we would all learn to love and serve each other, if inspired by him.

And if you llok at that list, it seems to me those values would help us follow are calling in the rest of our lives? Jesus calls us to serve him at church, at home, in our neighbourhood, even at work. So go in peace to love and serve the Lord… in the whole of your lives.