Calls

Today, 3 March is the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. In this time in which seemingly everyone carries a mobile phone, i-phone or smart phone --- thanks, Alexander. The invention of the telephone was a giant step on improvement of communication which leads to stronger connections which lead to deals struck, friendships strengthened, and news conveyed.

I preached a sermon on the tangible reminders of my faith journey and proposed that what if in heaven there was a room that contained all of the tangible, reach-out-and-touch items that were central to an individual’s faith journey.

If that was so, than in my “markers of a faith journey room” there would be Sarah Waltenbaugh’s telephone. Sarah was one of the faithful saints of my home church, Freeport United Methodist. A lifelong member who raised her family and they in turn their children in the church, she was a stalwart, steady, present, an anchor.

During my youth, I became more involved in church. I attended youth group and during youth Sundays or on United Methodist Student Day when the younger set took responsibility for the morning worship, I would have a role in the service. It may be leading the liturgy, doing the prayer for the offering, or reading some bit in the sermon --- a part played in the larger group effort.

No matter what I did, that afternoon following worship, the phone would ring and I knew it was Sarah Waltenbaugh calling me to say what I nice job I did and how wonderful it was and what a special young lady was I.

Those affirmations made a huge difference. I know those calls helped lead me to where I was in place to hear the call to ordained ministry and to answer. God is clever --- my calling started years before with a phone call.

Make time this day and week to reach out and call someone whom you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Take the time to connect with a young person, give them a word of encouragement, a note of support, a listen.

It is interesting that the first words Alexander Graham Bell spoke on that first phone call were, “Watson, come here. I need you.” We all want to and need to hear those words. Make it happen.

sj;