"Speak Lord, for your servant is listening...to his ipod"

Do you ever feel that when you are seeking God (particularly in the form of needing a prayer answered) that He's just not listening? Okay, dumb question. we all tend to feel that way. But if you think about it, I am sure that God has that feeling much more about us. Not just in the sense of "woe be to us unrepentant sinners who art so dastardly and miserable," - which had varying degrees of accuracy, but rather in the sense of "You're doing great but there is just this one thing I need to get to you."
If you've been paying attention to the news recently, there has been a survey released indicating that guys talk just as much as women do. I am inclined to think that women still hold the advantage (really depends upon the subject matter and personality) but you can probably guess by the fact that I have not ended this sentence yet and I am using all sorts of short phrases that I can hold my own in a conversation with my female counterparts. Now, all that to say is, sure, we may talk as much as each other, but is that as important as listening?
In that field, I do not think either gender really has an advantage. All of us need to listen more, listen better, and act upon what we hear, especially since it is coming from God. In todays scripture reading, we have haver three seemingly unrelateable stories that all hearken back to listening to the voice of God:
1. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -The Annointing of King David -
2. Acts 10:1-16 - The Vision of Peter of the sheet from heaven
3. Luke 24:12-35 - Jesus appears to two disciples on the road after being ressurected

Now, what in tarnation do these have to do with each other? Well for those trying to serve the Lord, the remind us to be heedful to his corrections. The title of this blog was taken by qouting Samuel, this was his response to the Lord calling him as a youth in the Temple. Samuel said to God, "Speak, for your servant is listening." In all these passages of scripture, the servant is in error and God is speaking, correcting them so that they can do His will properly.
In the passage in Samuel, the first verse indicates he is still grieving for Saul, his friend and now deposed King in the eyes of the Lord. Despite Samuel's desire that Saul never had erred and disobeyed God, it did not stop him from doing the Lord's will and rebuking and prophesyign against Saul. At the same time, the way things turned out for Saul put Samuel in a funk. So much so that God says to him, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
It is one thing to be caught up in a failure while serving the Lord, but the Lord's will will be done, and if we serve him, we must follow Him when He moves on. While Samuel did not drag his feet at going to annoint a new king, it is clear he still had a human mindset after passing by all of Jesse's tall and handsome sons - attributes that Saul had, poor guy. Here, God had to slightly rebuke Samuel again, telling him that while man looks at appearance, God looks at the heart.
These two themes, that of listening and obeying, and the trusting God's discernment, are present in the story of Peter's vision. We are told a Roman Centurion named Cornelious who was a God-fearing and righteous man (but not yet a Christian apparantly) had an angel visit him and tell him that a man of God would visit him. Unbeknownst to Peter, he was that man. Thus, the Lord gives him a vision when he gets hungry, a big sheet from heaven filled with animals that were ceremonially unclean. The Lord tells Peter to "Take, Kill and eat" but Peter argues that these animals are unclean.
I am sure you all know about the significance of this vision, that Peter was given liscence to minister to gentiles such as Cornelius, and that the arguments of those who said you must become a Jew first in order to become a Christian. God tore down a wall that these Christians had set up between them and gentiles. But the two most important details in this story are
a). Peter argued with God: We all are guilty of this, its just really funny that Peter did so on a theological point, as if to say "Um God, you are disobeying your own Law." Which on the surface it may seem that way but God specifically says that these are animals which He has made clean. Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are all made clean and there really is no Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or freeman. Alright, tangent over.
b.) Peter refused three times: It says that after the third time the sheet was taken back up to heaven. Of course, Peter has done much worse things three times in a row because he felt uncomfortble (see the denial of Christ before the rooster crows). But the fact remains that he was fasting specifically to hear from God, God gives him both a message and an offer of a free meal, and Peter refuses.
Two things become apparant again. Like Samuel, Peter was sort of set in his ways, and like Samuel, Peter did not trust the discernment of God. Now I know there is no 11th Commantment which says "Thou shalt never second-guess Me, EVER!" It is kinda our nature as ignorant humans who don't always have the mind, will, spirit or perspective of our God. We are human, plain and simple. Yet at the same time, this issue, this struggle of listening to God, is at the crux of our relationship with him. It defines the core of our battle with crucfiying our own will and carrying out His. The good news in the Peter episode is that he realized what God was trying to get to him and went ahead to preach to Cornelius and his household, baptizing them all and admitting his prejudice against them. Now if only the current Pope and successor to Peter could realize that.
Church politics aside, it is a very basic issue that if we are servants of God, we should not be hesitant in doing what he says, otherwise, we wont be able to effectively serve him. Take a look at the Gospel reading today in Luke 24:12-35 .
After the women had found Jesus' tomb empty, two of his disciples were walking on the road discussing what had happen. Jesus asks them what's up (they were kept from recognizing him) and they explain to him that they are sad because Jesus has been crucified and dead for three days and that new kingdom he was talking about did not seem to be comming to pass. The Romans were still in power and the Pharisees were still hatin' on everyone. Then, the rebuke from Christ:
"He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
Jesus had to reteach them the significance of his coming and sacrifice, the nature of his Kingdom, and His own true nature. That is key because when they were talking to Him, they described Jesus as only a revolutionary prophet, not the Son of God. In fact, it was not until Jesus walked with them a way, and essentially had communion with them "broke bread and gave it to them" that their eyes were opened and recognized Him.
There was no reason for Herald angels to sing "Hark!", this simple act of extreme significance signified all that we need to know. He said that the bread represents his body, broken for us. The wine, His blood, shed for us. He served us, and now we Serve Him. So letus listen closely to Him, for He has given us a gift too precious, at a cost too high, and a made a relationship too important, for us to do anything else.