Silenced - Servant-less?...NEVER!!!, 1 Samuel 3:1-10 Well, I guess you all, or most of you heard about our sound system being stolen...well, at least some of the sound system was taken. The two big items taken were the two remote mics. The ones that Beverly and I use each week. So, what does that do for us? Should that mean that I do not have to preach? Does it mean, that we give up, close the church doors and say: Oh well, nothing we can do? Of course not. We have a lot more perseverance than that. I know for myself, there is no way something like that will make me be silenced. And I think that I am a lot like you all. You would not let something like this deter you from speaking out either. Yes, in fact, I believe that we all agree that we can’t let little things deter us from acting and speaking...letting things stop us from showing love and kindness - showing the elements of our faith - or as one writer put it, showing off for the glory and ministry of God! But as there are times for speaking out and leading, there are also times for listening and following. In the midst of much sound and noise - in the midst of our busy lives where we are honestly trying to do what we can for God, we can fail to hear God small still voice.  But God speaks. In our reading, Samuel, a small boy who is living in the temple, hears something.... hears a voice calling out to him: Samuel, Samuel. The voice startles him while he is lying down.  Samuel is not overly busy with tasks, but lying next to a lamp.....keeping the lamp of God, a traditional lamp used in the temple, ensuring that the flame continued to burn. And in the midst of such a simple task, God speaks. For Samuel, he was unsure of what was going on... ....he had heard the voice, but thought it was Eli. But Eli knew it must be God speaking to Samuel and so Eli, the much older of the two, tells Samuel when he hears God, to say: Speak, for your servant is listening.  This past week, two different groups gathered together to elect their leaders for this upcoming year. The UCW and The Men’s Club. And in the midst of those gatherings, maybe God’s voice was heard and responded to. You who take up positions of leadership, maybe God spoke to you in your hearts, asking you to be used for the building up of God’s ministry.  The positions that you have been elected to are positions of trust and honor, positions of responsibility and discernment. Positions where good order and compassion need be seen. For as you meet and discern, you ask not what is good for me, not even what is good for my friends, but what is good for the ministry of our group. You seek what is good for the ministry of God and ultimately, you seek to hear the still small voice of God calling out your name and daring YOU to respond to God, saying: Here I AM. As leaders, your task is simple and you are given strength and support in that task - the task of seeking God’s voice. God gives strength and also gives others to be with you. Lean upon God in all your decision making - seeking what God wants for you and your group in this ministry.  I speak now to the people who are the members of UCW and The Men’s Club. You who come to meetings and those of you who have not been to the meetings for a while. You have a responsibility, like that of Eli in this reading. Eli supports and encourages Samuel. Yet, in our world which is often consumed by competition instead of cooperation, people may not think of the need to give encouragement. Just think even about the politics of our time...have you seen one encourage another - no, not once. Tear down, not building up. We do well to remember Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: 9. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. 11. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.  Lets face it....we are different people here. We also have different ideas at times and we like to have our ideas heard and accepted. As members, you have a responsibility to share your ideas, yes. But you, more importantly, must support your leaders. When you have a concern, share it constructively, not critically. When you speak, build up, do not beat down. When you disagree, show love. When you disagree, speak to the person directly, not to everyone else. When we speak behind the back of another, that is a sign of cowardice and contempt. We are better than that and God calls us to greater things....a ministry of LOVE and WITNESS. And a ministry that is set upon listening to God and loving and respecting our neighbour. I have included in your bulletin some ideas on how to encourage your leaders. Although the article is written with the idea of encouraging your clergy, the words are appropriate for anyone in leadership. So whether it is me or Rev. Beverly, Leslie, Your UCW or Men’s President or others in leadership, support them, love them, and pray for them.  Here these words from Romans: 9. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10. love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. 12. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Let such words give us an example of support and let us seek God to be our GUIDE.