Our lessons for today seem to be woven together with a theme of mutual call and response. Our psalmist knew from his experience that "When I called, God answered me." That reminded me of the woman in my prayer group when I worked in D.C., who I have mentioned in Threads before, when one day she acknowledged and testified to our "prayer-answering God".

Some of us may doubt or wonder if God answers prayer, but she, like the psalmist, knew in her heart the truth of her lived experience. Often, those of us who are skeptical don't hear the answer that God sends. We may miss it because it doesn't come as we have expected or hoped; we are not ready to receive it as it comes. To keep the flow going, we not only have to be ready to receive, but also be open and available to respond in an awakened way; Isaiah, for example, answered God's call with "Here I am; send me!" Or as Peter, James, and John in our gospel, who left everything and followed [Jesus].

Once we can let go of all that is holding us back and "walk henceforth in God's holy ways" (BCP, p.330), we find that the flow of divine energy continues. As we call, and the Holy One answers; as we respond and the Beloved calls us to step deeper into Love, we come to experience the reality of the psalmist's words: "The Lord will make good his purpose for me"; or as Job puts it: "No purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42: 2b)