Insights
The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary
Spring 2003
Volume 118Number 2
Editor:
Michael Jinkins
Editorial Board:
Scott Black Johnston, Timothy Kubatzky,Michael Miller, and Randal Whittington
Insights:The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary
is published each spring and fall by AustinPresbyterian Theological Seminary, 100 East 27th Street, Austin, TX 78705-5797.e-mail: mjinkins@austinseminary.eduweb site: www.austinseminary.edu
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Insights: The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary
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Insights: The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary,
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Insights
is indexed in
Religion Index One: Periodicals, Index to Book Reviews in Religion, Religion Indexes: RIO/RIT/IBRR 1975- on CD-ROM,
and the
ATLA ReligionDatabase on CD-ROM
, published by the American Theological Library Association, 250 S. Wacker Dr., Suite1600, Chicago, IL 60606-5384; telephone: (312) 454-5100; e-mail: atla@atla.com; web site: www.atla.com;ISSN1056-0548.
COVER:
“
Samuel Relating to Eli the Judgments of God upon Eli’s House” (1780, oil oncanvas) John Singleton Copley, in the collection of Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford. The EllaGallup Sumner and Mary CatlinSumner Collection Fund. Reprinted with permission.The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said,“Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’”I Samuel 4:8-9
Perhaps it is no accident that, in the story of God’s call of Samuel, the young Samuel at first mistakes God’s voice for that of his mentor, Eli. Through the teaching and example of the community of faith,we learn to recognize God’s call. As we grow and mature in discipleship, the church helps us to focus and refine vocation, much as Eli helped Samuel to interpret God’s word.