In Hannah's ordinary time, a time of year-after-year sadness, God WAS at work. God was at work, but not on Hannah's timetable. Nor did God remove Hannah's suffering and trial for several years. Nevertheless, in ordinary time, God was bringing good things to birth.

God IS at work in 'ordinary time' whether we see what God is doing or not. God IS at work even in the 'ordinary time' of our sadness and grief. God is at work in the stuff we'd rather not go through. And out of that difficulty and suffering there can be a birth of something new and vital, even extraordinary.

She began as an ordinary sister in a Calcutta, India convent. But in the midst of her ordinary life, she had an extraordinary dream. She shared her heart's ambition with her superior. "Well, how much money do you have?" asked the Mother Superior. "I have two pennies!" replied Sister Teresa. "Oh, you cannot start an orphanage with just two pennies," said Mother Superior. "No, but with two pennies God and I can start an orphanage," replied the nun, whom we have come to know as Mother Teresa. She and God did start an orphanage and a ministry that has spanned the world! In ordinary time, in the lives of ordinary people, God brings good things to birth.

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In the Samuel story, years pass. Samuel continues to serve at the tabernacle. The little boy grows gaining favor with God and with other people. But again, this is a very "ordinary' time in the life of God's people. Nothing at all special is happening. In fact, according to I Samuel 3:1: "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions." This was 'ordinary time.'

So had God gone on vacation or ceased to be active in human affairs? Had God ceased to communicate with men and women?

You remember the story. It was probably just before dawn in the sanctuary of God. The old priest, Eli, was sound asleep. Samuel, Eli's helper, this young priest-in-training heard something. He heard a voice calling his name. "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel ran to Eli's bedside. "I heard you call. Here I am." "I didn't call you. Go back to bed," said the old priest. But Samuel heard the voice again. Again the boy went to Eli with the same result. When it happened the third time, it dawned on Eli that God must be calling young Samuel. This time, Eli instructed Samuel that if the voice came again, he should say: "Speak, God. I'm your servant, ready to listen." When Samuel did just that, God gave him the first of many messages for God's people.

IN ORDINARY TIME, GOD WAS COMMUNICATING HIS WORD.

In one of the traditional church year lectionaries, a passage sometimes assigned for the Sunday after the Christmas season is over, or for the Sunday after Pentecost is 1 Samuel 3. After the festivals are over and the parties are finished, even in 'ordinary time' God still communicates His Word. Even in ordinary time, when visions were rare, God was calling Samuel to speak for Him. Even in ordinary time, even in the hour before the dawn when Eli and others were asleep, God was communicating His Word to Samuel. The key question was: "Would this messenger recognize God speaking and listen?"