Today's Scriptures
1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) (NRSV)
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
I enjoy reading the Hebrew Scripture Reading from 1 Samuel. The text is very profound.
Samuel was born of Hannah a woman who was barren. When God answered her prayers and gave her Samuel, Hannah responded by giving him to Eli who was a local Priest. Though Samuel was raised by Eli, Samuel had not yet encountered God. Samuel was awoken by a voice that he heard and thought it was the voice of Eli. After discovering that it was not Eli, Eli tells Samuel to go back and the next time Samuel heard his name called to say: "Here I am, Lord, your servant is listening."
As I read this story and read what it was that God told Samuel, my instant reaction was: YIKES! Why don't you wake up Samuel to tell him some good news? Why wake him to tell him some news that sounds so horrible to the person who has been raising him all the years?
There is more to the story.
Eli's sons were Priests who had violated a ritual rule in the worship of the Israelite people. "The ritual allowed the Priests to have some of the sacrificial animal, in particular the breast and the right leg. (See Lev. 7:29-36)." However, "Eli's sons demanded their portions before the ritual burning of the fat had taken place, and even before the meat had been cooked--hardly the dignified control one would expect of Priests." (Paula J. Bowes, Collegeville Bible Commentary, Old Testament Volume 1, page 296).
As a result, Eli's sons were no longer going to be permitted to continue the line of Priests from Eli's family. Samuel's experience of God was to be told what God was going to do about Eli's sons. Samuel was simply telling Eli what God's decision was.
One of the messages I get from this portion of the Hebrew Scriptures is to pay attention to what we are doing. God has shared God's goodness with all of us. We have all been given that special ability and/or characteristic that is unique to what God is going to call us to do in our lives. It is important to not be too persuaded to give away from what God has called us to do with what we have been given and that includes a good witness of the movement of God's Spirit in our lives.
Among the things to consider is that diversity is something that God gives to our world. God has given this world such a magnificent rainbow. Each color of the rainbow represents each one of us in our unique color and ability to light up the sky and the world. There are shades of color that look alike, but no two colors are exactly the same. Each color serves a purpose that no other color can do. There is no color greater than another.
Whether we are black, white, copper skin, grey, green or almost yellow. Whether we are female, male or any other gender. Whether we are lesbian, gay, straight, metro-sexual, a sexual, bisexual or transgender. Whether our culture is Native American, Pacific Indian, European/American Caucasian. Whether our religion is no religion, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Wicca etc,. And what about those with behavioral, emotional or psychological challenges and those who are perfectly healthy? The point is all of us including many I have not named or listed, are given an opportunity here and now to serve humankind, our Higher Power and ourselves in a way that no one else can.
There are Christianists who want to say that America and the European civilizations are being destroyed by the "homosexual agenda" or the Muslims. But, Christians have been destroying cultures and taking away the goods of others for centuries. One needs only to read a history book or two of how whole countries in Africa and Asia were invaded and expected to be turned into a colony of England. The United States would have been too, had the American Revolution not taken place. Yet as we go into the 1800's we saw the build up to the Civil War. Beyond that, we have seen countless acts of oppression towards peoples of all kinds.
In our Gospel reading today, we see Jesus meeting his disciples and others who are noticing Jesus for the first time. I think it is a fair interpretation that Jesus and his soon to be followers getting acquainted with each other and making plans about where they would go from there.
Nathanael apparently has a stereotypical problem. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip answers Nathanael: "Come and see." Rather than give Nathanael a long answer or challenge him on what he said, Philip simply invites Nathanael to "come and see" for himself. As the Jesus and Nathanael exchange conversations it just so happens that Jesus already saw Nathanael. Nathaneal's eyes are open, but Jesus challenges him to look for even better things yet to come.
Tomorrow we will remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A minister. An African American. A civil rights leader. One who spoke on behalf of the racial divisions he and others were experiencing. Dr. King also marched with workers seeking better living wages and opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Over the years too many Americans and Christians have subconsciously asked the question: Can anything good come from someone who is black? Such a question is still being asked today as there are not too few in America who just cannot accept a black man being President of the United States.
Americans and Christians have also asked subconsciously: Can any thing good come from Muslims, Jews, LGBT people, Native Americans, women??? We have stereotyped people based on our ignorance and allowed that ignorance to fuel prejudice, violence and in many cases death.
Today's readings challenge all of us to see the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ in and through all that is different about people who are different from ourselves. Jesus calls us to "come and see" and look for even greater things than what we currently know or think about someone who does not fit our status quo.
We have all been given our uniqueness that others cannot make sense of. Why then should we be surprised that there are things about others that just seem a bit unusual to us? Does that really mean there is no goodness in anything or anyone else except those who are not such misfits?
Jesus invites us to walk with him and be part of all the marvelous things God is going to do. God is going to draw the marginalized closer to God's heart by God's perfect Self revelation in Jesus Christ. God the Holy Spirit is going to infuse God's people with wonderful opportunities to embrace the unlovable, help the poor and lonely and welcome the stranger and find a home for those who have no place to lay their heads.
Are you ready to continue along on the journey?
Prayers
1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) (NRSV)
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 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.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." [Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."
Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him."
As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.]
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
Blog Reflection
I enjoy reading the Hebrew Scripture Reading from 1 Samuel. The text is very profound.
Samuel was born of Hannah a woman who was barren. When God answered her prayers and gave her Samuel, Hannah responded by giving him to Eli who was a local Priest. Though Samuel was raised by Eli, Samuel had not yet encountered God. Samuel was awoken by a voice that he heard and thought it was the voice of Eli. After discovering that it was not Eli, Eli tells Samuel to go back and the next time Samuel heard his name called to say: "Here I am, Lord, your servant is listening."
As I read this story and read what it was that God told Samuel, my instant reaction was: YIKES! Why don't you wake up Samuel to tell him some good news? Why wake him to tell him some news that sounds so horrible to the person who has been raising him all the years?
There is more to the story.
Eli's sons were Priests who had violated a ritual rule in the worship of the Israelite people. "The ritual allowed the Priests to have some of the sacrificial animal, in particular the breast and the right leg. (See Lev. 7:29-36)." However, "Eli's sons demanded their portions before the ritual burning of the fat had taken place, and even before the meat had been cooked--hardly the dignified control one would expect of Priests." (Paula J. Bowes, Collegeville Bible Commentary, Old Testament Volume 1, page 296).
As a result, Eli's sons were no longer going to be permitted to continue the line of Priests from Eli's family. Samuel's experience of God was to be told what God was going to do about Eli's sons. Samuel was simply telling Eli what God's decision was.
One of the messages I get from this portion of the Hebrew Scriptures is to pay attention to what we are doing. God has shared God's goodness with all of us. We have all been given that special ability and/or characteristic that is unique to what God is going to call us to do in our lives. It is important to not be too persuaded to give away from what God has called us to do with what we have been given and that includes a good witness of the movement of God's Spirit in our lives.
Among the things to consider is that diversity is something that God gives to our world. God has given this world such a magnificent rainbow. Each color of the rainbow represents each one of us in our unique color and ability to light up the sky and the world. There are shades of color that look alike, but no two colors are exactly the same. Each color serves a purpose that no other color can do. There is no color greater than another.
Whether we are black, white, copper skin, grey, green or almost yellow. Whether we are female, male or any other gender. Whether we are lesbian, gay, straight, metro-sexual, a sexual, bisexual or transgender. Whether our culture is Native American, Pacific Indian, European/American Caucasian. Whether our religion is no religion, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Wicca etc,. And what about those with behavioral, emotional or psychological challenges and those who are perfectly healthy? The point is all of us including many I have not named or listed, are given an opportunity here and now to serve humankind, our Higher Power and ourselves in a way that no one else can.
There are Christianists who want to say that America and the European civilizations are being destroyed by the "homosexual agenda" or the Muslims. But, Christians have been destroying cultures and taking away the goods of others for centuries. One needs only to read a history book or two of how whole countries in Africa and Asia were invaded and expected to be turned into a colony of England. The United States would have been too, had the American Revolution not taken place. Yet as we go into the 1800's we saw the build up to the Civil War. Beyond that, we have seen countless acts of oppression towards peoples of all kinds.
In our Gospel reading today, we see Jesus meeting his disciples and others who are noticing Jesus for the first time. I think it is a fair interpretation that Jesus and his soon to be followers getting acquainted with each other and making plans about where they would go from there.
Nathanael apparently has a stereotypical problem. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip answers Nathanael: "Come and see." Rather than give Nathanael a long answer or challenge him on what he said, Philip simply invites Nathanael to "come and see" for himself. As the Jesus and Nathanael exchange conversations it just so happens that Jesus already saw Nathanael. Nathaneal's eyes are open, but Jesus challenges him to look for even better things yet to come.
Tomorrow we will remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A minister. An African American. A civil rights leader. One who spoke on behalf of the racial divisions he and others were experiencing. Dr. King also marched with workers seeking better living wages and opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Over the years too many Americans and Christians have subconsciously asked the question: Can anything good come from someone who is black? Such a question is still being asked today as there are not too few in America who just cannot accept a black man being President of the United States.
Americans and Christians have also asked subconsciously: Can any thing good come from Muslims, Jews, LGBT people, Native Americans, women??? We have stereotyped people based on our ignorance and allowed that ignorance to fuel prejudice, violence and in many cases death.
Today's readings challenge all of us to see the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ in and through all that is different about people who are different from ourselves. Jesus calls us to "come and see" and look for even greater things than what we currently know or think about someone who does not fit our status quo.
We have all been given our uniqueness that others cannot make sense of. Why then should we be surprised that there are things about others that just seem a bit unusual to us? Does that really mean there is no goodness in anything or anyone else except those who are not such misfits?
Jesus invites us to walk with him and be part of all the marvelous things God is going to do. God is going to draw the marginalized closer to God's heart by God's perfect Self revelation in Jesus Christ. God the Holy Spirit is going to infuse God's people with wonderful opportunities to embrace the unlovable, help the poor and lonely and welcome the stranger and find a home for those who have no place to lay their heads.
Are you ready to continue along on the journey?
Prayers
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light
of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word
and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's
glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the
ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and
for ever. Amen. (Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, page 215).
Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 307).Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, page 823).
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