Today's Scripture Readings
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 (NRSV)
Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.
The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Psalm 20 (BCP., p.608)
2 Corinthians 5:6-17 (NRSV)
We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Mark 4:26-34 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."
He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
Blog Reflection
I have written the words before. They are such powerful words. Yet, even after they have been read, written and/or heard; they still move people. Well, here they are again.
"Listen, my son, to your master's precepts, and incline the ear of your heart. (Prologue of The Rule of St. Benedict).
God is so often trying to get our attention through life, through our relationships and experiences. God seeks to speak with us from within the depths of our whole selves. When we listen with the ears of our heart, we can enter into the laughter, tears, joys and fears of God through one another. Most likely God is telling us through the ears of the heart of our stories that basically say, "Hey, I am here. I want you to know that I am here."
In their book, Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love, Second Edition, Lonni Collins Pratt and the late Fr. Daniel Homan, OSB tell us,
"To Benedict, listening is not the same as intellectual comprehension. Listening, as Benedict understood it, is a special kind of deep attentiveness to all of life. Benedict understood that we can live in ways that either dull or sharpen this attentiveness. Benedict's Rule is a guide to sharpening the ears of the heart." (Page 259).
To listen for God within the ears of the heart is about allowing them to be moved by God in such a way, that there is no analyzing or classifying. All that is there is God loving us and calling us to love one another.
The Reading from 1 Samuel about Samuel anointed David, and God "knows what is in the heart" is the kind of listening that St. Benedict had in mind. It is enough to allow ourselves to be open to hearing what God has to say to us through one another, and to respond to the presence of God with love and faith as we embrace each other. When we listen, God does amazing things in our lives. We can do more than hear of how people are affected by oppression and prejudice; we can actually experience what that is like from within the depths of ourselves and seek God's will to be part of the solution.
When we listen from the heart, the seed of God's word gets sown into us. That seed can be very small, but as we listen and contemplate God's presence, that seed can grow in to something that becomes attractive to everyone and brings hope where it appears that hope is lost. When we actually listen to peoples' stories and respond in love, God's word gets planted in new hearts for potential growth.
Just look at what happened in the mid 1970's when The Episcopal Church began opening up the small seed of inclusion for women to be ordained, and LGBTQ people to be recognized as holy people. Though that tree has grown and been cut, and new branches added, it is something that many others look to for an example of how individuals can believe in the Gospel and live it in everyday life. We now accept LGBT people as Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and we have a Rite to bless same-gender relationships. In a couple of weeks, at General Convention, The Episcopal Church will once again gather to share our stories of why (or why not) we should take the next step and change the Canons in The Book of Common Prayer so that same-gender couples can be recognized as being married in the Church. People will come with their stories about why the Canon should be changed, and why it should not be changed. As difficult as it is with all of our hopes and emotions about the subject of marriage equality, we will need to listen deeply as people tell their stories and seek the Holy Spirit as to how The Episcopal Church should respond. There will be those who will agree with what is decided, there will be those who will disagree. In the end, the important thing is that we listen to each other tell their stories and remember we are responding to God's presence in them as to where the Spirit may be leading us.
As marriage equality has been becoming the law in many States, individuals have been telling us their stories about what it means to be able to marry the person they love with the full approval of their civil government. We have also been listening as LGBTQ people continue to struggle with the issue of religion. Yet, we have seen the Presbyterian Church USA decide that their same-gender couples will be married. The Scottish Episcopal Church is beginning to study their Canons to see if they can make a change. The Spirit seems to be moving, not only for the sake of marriage equality, but so that those who are telling their stories of what it is like to have their relationships on a second class status can finally feel that they have been heard. The tree of an inclusive Episcopal Church, continues to grow, and that too is God speaking to the ears of our hearts so that the Reign of God expands and embraces all people.
Amen.
Prayers
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast
faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim
your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with
compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen. (Proper 6. The Book of Common Prayer, p.230).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family. The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).
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