There is another level of danger that I have experienced at church.  Church is where I began wrestling with a vocational decision and struggled with the ministry as a calling.  For me, church is where I was confronted with my racism and challenged to change my way of thinking and relating to people of color.  If I had not been involved in church, I might never have had to think about that painful, hurtful issue.  I might never have had to change my mind about racism. Church can be dangerous.  Church is where I became aware that women and men are of equal importance and value to God and are called by God to serve and to minister.  If I had not been involved in church, I might never have had to struggle with that issue.  My life would have been calmer and safer. 
Church is where I often am confronted with the needs of people and the calling that I do something to help meet those needs.  Church is where I have been challenged to think about the marginalized in the community and the world.  Church is where I have been confronted with the integrity of discipleship--to be a disciple of Christ is to care for and minister with the marginalized of the culture.  If I weren't involved in church, I might not have to struggle with such an issue.  I could just go on minding my own selfish business.  

I have heard some of the most stimulating, challenging ideas in church.  That can be dangerous because then I am left to wrestle and struggle and to have to think about those issues because my mind got stirred up in church. 

I have heard some of the most narrow minded, bigoted, hateful statements and attitudes expressed in church.  It can be dangerous to be faced with such explosive ideas.  I was in church when the treasurer stood during an evening worship service and resigned, claiming I had accused her of stealing from the church.  I was in the church office when a choir member called and said the Minister of Music had said she was crazy.  I'm telling you church can be a dangerous place to be.  I was in church when a member came by to tell me to remove his name and his wife’s name from church membership list because I had closed the church office on Martin Luther King’s birthday.  I was in church when two men came to tell me they thought it would be best if I resigned.  I tell you church can be dangerous.   
Because I am a minister and spend so much time at church may result in my being confronted with these issues more directly at church than some other people may experience.  Even so, there seems to be lots of evidence that church—a metaphor for getting involved with God, has been dangerous for people through the centuries.  It was dangerous for Abraham and Sarah.  It was dangerous for Jonah, Jesus, Peter, James, Judas, Mary, and Mary Magdelene.  It was dangerous for Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr.  It was dangerous for Mother Teresa and Desmund Tutu.  It may be dangerous for you as well.
           
Annie Dillard says that if you know much about the Bible and what it says about what it is like to meet God, then the ushers ought to be handing out crash helmets rather than bulletins!  Now if you look at the newsletter of a full program, successful church, you might conclude that church is not risky or dangerous at all.  Church looks like a great place to hang out all week long.  Ceramics classes, yoga classes, English as a second language class, softball and basketball teams, trips to Florida in the winter, New England in the spring.  It sounds like church is a wholesome place to kill time. 
William Willimon told about being in an airport waiting room, watching, along with several other travelers, as an enterprising four-year-old demolished a wing of a large metropolitan airport, turning over trash cans, stepping on an ice cream cone, tracking it all over the seats.  His helpless, terrified parents sat watching him in befuddlement.

As the flight was finally being called, the father said to his wife, "Dear, perhaps we ought to consider taking Thomas to Sunday school; maybe that would help."
Maybe we could help to tame the little rascal in our Sunday school!  After all, isn't that what church is mostly good for?  Taming?  Subduing?  Civilizing?

Well, that's not what the story read from 1 Samuel suggests.  As a boy, the adopted son of a priest, young Samuel spent a lot of time hanging around the temple.  Samuel helped old Eli.  Eli couldn't see so well any more and Samuel could get things for him.  And the temple was a good place for a young boy. 
The writer says, "the word of the Lord was rare in those days."  Safe from any disruptive, challenging words of God, people could show up at the temple now and then, go through a few prescribed rituals, and feel better about themselves.  That was all.  Eli went through the motions and kept the lights on up at the temple.  It was a feel good experience for most people.  The music was entertaining, easy to listen to.   

Into this settled, silent religion one night Samuel hears his name called.  He doesn't recognize the voice at first.  He assumes it's old Eli calling for some help, but it isn't.  After the third time of disturbing Eli's sleep, Eli told Samuel that if he heard the voice again to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
After that, the story does not say that Samuel went back to a peaceful sleep.  I guess not with these voices disturbing him and now he's answering them.  If you think you start hearing God speak to you, and you start responding to what you are hearing God say, there will be some nights when you will find it difficult to sleep. 

Then, Eli wants to know what Samuel heard.  Samuel doesn't want to tell him but Eli kept insisting.  Finally, Samuel says that there will be bad times for Eli's house.  Eli is going down while Samuel rises. 
Of course, this is not the only biblical story like this.  There are several of them that tell about lives that are moving along in predictable ways and suddenly there is an intrusive word.  Somehow they hear their name called and their world is changed forever.  Church can be dangerous. 

This story about Samuel is a promise and a warning.  The promise is that even in times like ours when it may seem to us that the word of God is rare, God is not forever silent.  Some day like today, some morning like this morning you might be minding your own business or some time like on a Sunday, like this Sunday, when we're just doing what we do routinely, maybe it seems like we're just going through the motions, we hear our names called and our world is changed forever.  If you don't want anything like that to happen to you, maybe you'd better not hang around the church.

 Several years ago I was given a book.  The editor of the book inscribed the book to me with this encouragement, “Never lower your prophetic voice.”  That is an encouraging but troublesome word. 
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul states clearly that our bodies, our lives serve as the temple of God, the dwelling place of God.  As we become increasingly aware that God is dwelling in our lives we discover God is challenging and urging us to work for peace with justice, seek equality for all people, and be people of welcome and hospitality to all people.  Taking such stances can be dangerous.    

Andrew Young, a United Church of Christ minister and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations told about his daughter becoming increasingly involved in the church and how delighted Young was with her deepening commitment.  Then, one day she announced to her parents that she was going to join the ministry of Habitat for Humanity to build homes in Uganda.  Now this was just a few years after the fall of Idi Amin and Uganda was still in revolution and violence filled the land. 

"Andrew Young confessed, 'I tried to talk her out of it.  I mean, I wanted her to go to church, to find a nice Christian man to marry, to develop a relationship with God and settle down.  But, believe me, I didn't have anything like this in mind.  I didn't intend for her to go so far with it.  I mean--Uganda!  But she said she felt called.  What could I say?"  Church can be dangerous.

A student was talking with his pastor.  "You did what?" the pastor asked. 
"While I was in Australia last year, I took a bungee jump down a ravine which was three hundred feet deep," said the student.
"Are you nuts?  What would your parents say about that?" the minister asked.
"Well, I may be nuts, but I'm not dumb.  I'm not going to tell them about it," he responded.
"What you did was irresponsible, risky, wrong," the minister said.
"Ease up," replied the student.  "After all, at least we have something in common."
"What's that?" the pastor asked.
"Well, look at you.  Sunday morning, there you are strutting around in front of God, speaking about God, helping God get messed up in people's lives.  Isn't that something like a bungee jump?  At least I use a cord!" 

Do you know why we have these padded pews?  I bet you thought it was so you would feel more comfortable when you’re here, maybe even help you get a little nap in while you’re here.  We’ve got these padded pews to soften the jolt when God calls your name in this place and asks you to get involved in loving the world for God’s sake.  Church can be a dangerous place.
In some churches there are signs at the doorways to the sanctuary.  The wording often is, "Quiet, please.  Service in progress."  In light of Samuel's story, in light of the stories of many people who have gotten involved with God, in light of the experience of some of us and what has happened to us as a result of our involvement in church maybe the signs at the doors should read, "Warning: God at work."  I tell you church can be dangerous.  You may come to this place and hear God call your name.  If you answer when God calls your name, I can tell you this, your life will never be the same.  And there is no way to know what you’ll get mixed up in if you get mixed up with God.  I think it is only fair to warn you, “Church can be dangerous.”