It
is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name almost time, to declare
your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by the night.
Whatever time and place you are in, know that God sees you and loves you as you are.
Know that now is the time for worship.
This is Disciples Net and all are welcome.
Let us prepare our hearts for worship.
Let us all bow where tilt prevails, let us obey the holy faith of our God above.
For make us citizens of your peace, passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace,
passengers, o'er in God and thee.
For make us citizens of your peace, passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace,
passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace,
passengers o'er in God and thee.
For make us citizens of your peace, passengers o'er in God and thee.
For make us citizens of your peace, passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace,
passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace, passengers of your peace,
passengers o'er in God and thee.
For make us citizens of your peace, passengers o'er in God and thee.
For make us citizens of your peace.
Will you join me in prayer as we come before God?
Holy God, we give you thanks today that you call us through our weakness and imperfection to be the vessels through which your light can shine into the world.
We confess that we sometimes fail to reflect your goodness, and we often fail to listen to that call, yet you never let us go.
You are always at our side, upholding us and challenging us as needed.
Truly, you are a wonderful God.
We ask that you help us understand what it means to be chosen by you.
In reflecting on the humanity of the great leaders in the Bible, we realize that you do not demand perfection.
You ask for obedience and faithfulness, grant us the hearts to respond to each task you set before us, and give us strength to accomplish those tasks.
Make us aware that you are always at our side, guiding and sustaining us in all that we do.
We offer prayer today for those who are in distress.
Send them angels to watch over them and keep them safe.
Be a light in their darkness. Protect them from all danger and heal their spirits.
We pray also for the sorrowful. In their time of despair, soothe them and lead them to hope for a new tomorrow.
For those who are ill, ease their pain and grant them relief from their distress.
Hold them close in your loving hands as they deal with their suffering.
Watch over our little planet, God, and bring the power of love to all your children,
so that one day we may again know the full beauty of your creation and the glory of a peaceable kingdom.
Only through you will we be able to find our way to that home.
We ask these things in the name of your Son who taught us to pray.
Our Father, Lord, in Heaven, how will we lie in Him, that I can even come,
but I will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debts.
And lead us not into temptation, but into the rest of evil.
For behind this kingdom, and in power, and in the glory of our God. Amen.
In the hearts, feel now what happened. There's a word for all to do.
Arch the voice of God is calling to the heart is calling you.
Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth of fame.
There's a crown you can win if you go in Jesus' name.
Are you laid aside from servants, body worn for toil and care?
You can still be in the battle in the sacred place of prayer.
Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth of fame.
There's a crown you can win if you go in Jesus' name one more time.
Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth of fame.
There's a crown you can win if you go in Jesus' name, if you go in Jesus' name.
The Lord said to Samuel, how long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?
Fill your horn with oil and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem.
I have chosen one of his sons to be king.
But Samuel said, how can I go? If Saul hears about it, he'll kill me.
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 to do.
You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.
Samuel did what the Lord said.
When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him.
They asked, do you come in peace?
Samuel replied, yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.
Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.
Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord.
The Lord said to Samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at.
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel.
But Samuel said, the Lord has not chosen this one either.
Jesse then had Shema passed by, but Samuel said, nor has the Lord chosen this one.
Jesse had seven of his sons passed before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, the Lord has not chosen these.
So Samuel asked Jesse, are these all the sons you have?
There is still the youngest Jesse answered, he is tending the sheep.
Samuel said, send for him. We will not sit down until he arrives.
So Jesse sent and had him brought in.
His youngest son was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said to Samuel, rise and anoint him. This is the one.
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers.
And from that day on, the spirit of the Lord came on David in power.
May God add his blessings to our reading and understanding of this holy word. Amen.
Today's story is the story of God using Samuel as his tool to call and to anoint David as king over Israel.
To put the story in context, we must remember that Saul, the king of Israel, has on several occasions disobeyed God's command.
God has decided that he no longer supports Saul as king and wants to anoint another king.
He assigns Samuel the task to do exactly that.
Samuel is afraid because even though Saul has lost favor with God, the story tells us it will be 20 years more before Saul is actually no longer upon the throne.
So make no mistake, Saul is still king.
And Saul is not going to be pleased if Samuel, the prophet of God, formerly Saul's best friend,
if Samuel goes off and anoints someone else to be king. And so Samuel is afraid.
And Samuel follows God's command going to the area of Bethlehem to the house of Jesse who has eight sons.
And Samuel is to anoint from among the sons of Jesse's family the new king or the king to be over Israel.
And we have this wonderful story about how Samuel goes with this family and each of the sons in turn come before Samuel.
And Jesse has to be thrilled.
I mean, he is a proud father and his sons are magnificent specimens according to the story.
And each one has something very special to offer. And yet each one, God says to Samuel, no, this is not the one.
Well, finally all seven of Jesse's sons have come by, but not the eighth, not the youngest, who is still in the field taking care of the sheep.
David is probably only a teenager at the time. The story is not clear about that.
But David comes before Samuel. Samuel is impressed, but Samuel was impressed with the first seven.
David comes in, God says, this is the one.
Now, if we take the story the way it's written, David has said nothing.
David has done nothing except walk into the room when Samuel told him to do so.
And David will eventually come to the throne of Israel from God's initiative and actions.
David's ambitions, David's deeds all come later.
It's important to remember that this is a story first and foremost, not really about David. This is a story about Yahweh, the God of Israel.
It's a story about God.
From that day on, the text tells us the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.
I believe there are several lessons we can draw from this story of the anointing of David.
First of all, God's patience.
God's time. David was anointed king over Israel on that day.
But David did not actually claim the throne until about 20 years later.
We are reminded in gospel stories about God's patience, where seeds are planted, and farmers wait, and they tend their fields, and they wait, and they wait, and finally there is a crop.
Our time is not necessarily the same as God's time.
So we remember first of all that God is patient.
Another important thing in this story, I think absolutely vital in this story, is God's call of the unlikely servant.
The mere child surrounded by mature adults who were smarter, stronger, older, wiser than he was, and yet he is the one God calls.
God not only calls, but God also blesses and empowers. God enables the chosen one whenever God chooses.
God enables the chosen one to do what he or she might not be able to do with their own power and their own wisdom.
David is the eighth son of eight. Whoever heard of a king with seven older brothers, unless all seven of them are dead.
That's the way number eight sons get to be king in any other story we know about is the other seven brothers have to be dead.
David's pedigree, not the highest, not the most noble family in Israel.
We know from the way the story is told, there's at least one illegal immigrant and two prostitutes in David's family history.
So he's not the most noble person who ever lived. Of course, we don't know that yet, but when we read the rest of the stories in Scripture,
we know that David was a man of many sins, including ruthless ambition, including adultery, including even murder.
And God on each occasion is angry with David and God punishes David rather dramatically.
But God still loves David and God continues to use David.
God uses channels that we don't expect. God empowers to be God's servants, the outsiders, the weak, the children, the elderly.
God speaks to people in all languages and even people who do not have language.
God uses people from different nations of different kinds of minorities, calls them, uses them, even you and me when we are at our best, even you and me when we are not at our best.
Yes, God can be angry with us too. We too can sin. God can be angry. God can punish. God can still love.
God can redeem and God calls us, chooses us, uses us again and again.
Sometimes God will take the least expected path, the surprising path, and sure enough, here we are, we find ourselves again, the last becoming first and the first becoming last.
And finally, this lesson about the way God sees.
In this passage of Scripture, the word that is translated see in English, translated chosen in English, looks at in English.
It's used actually four different times, the Hebrew word, I think it is, I'm not a Hebrew scholar, but that verb is used four different times in this passage and it is translated variously in our English translations as see, look at, and even choose.
We are told very specifically, when God looks at a person, God sees what humans do not see. We mortals look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart, and when God looks at, it is more than seeing.
It is discerning. It is understanding. It is touching. It is choosing. It is calling. It is empowering.
And God sees, you and me, God sees each and every one of us the way God saw David. And it means more than simply look at, God sees us, touches us, understands us, loves us, calls us, empowers us,
enables us to do the very tasks God calls us to do. May it ever be so for you in your life. Amen.
My hand will say, I will make the stars of night. I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my light to them? Who shall I sell? Here I am, boy.
Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go home. If you leave me, I will hold your people in my heart.
I the Lord of wind and flame. I will tend the poor and lame. I will set a feast for them. My hand will save. Fine as bread I will provide.
Till their hearts be satisfied, I will give my life to them. Who shall I sell? Here I am, boy. Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go home. If you leave me, I will hold your people in my heart.
Some of you know that the way we create worship each week is to come together physically with our leadership team to create a special worship with you in mind.
But as we worship some of us physically in one place in our hub in Indianapolis and others coming in remotely like I usually do from Denver, Colorado.
And we have others from Belgium and other places too. But as we come together we worship authentically and our time at the table is always authentic.
Our cup always has the communion juice in it and we always have the bread that we share and take communion because when you share with us then at this table we want it to be authentic too.
Our bread and what you have before you, whether it's physical bread or in your mind, we ask God to bless as we come in remembrance of Jesus.
This week as we broke bread together during our worship in preparation for this time it was my turn to say the words of institution for communion.
And where I was I was alone in the room worshiping with our friends in Indianapolis.
And as I said the words and I broke the bread someone on the other end broke the bread too that they would then share with the others in Indianapolis.
It seemed like a miracle of modern technology that we could do this over the internet until I realized that is this what Jesus asked us to do also.
Because the bread that Jesus broke and asked us to share is being broken every Sunday and more times during the week in countries all over the world.
It has been broken over and over through the centuries since Jesus first gave these instructions.
You see we become the hands of Jesus in breaking and sharing the bread.
As I break it here your hands break the bread in your mind or physically become the hands of Jesus in sharing and receiving this bread.
Now you may be in a room by yourself also taking the bread or you may be with a group of loved ones or friends or strangers even breaking the bread as we speak.
But in each case we are asked to be both the hands of Jesus the heart of Jesus as we take and share this bread to the world around us.
However unique that may be and however God calls you to share that bread.
Let us pray.
Gracious God we are indeed humbled that we are called to be your hands and your heart and share your body your message your word the teachings of God with the world around us.
Sometimes we feel so small and sometimes the bread seems like such a small thing.
But this seed that we plant here God we ask you to bless.
Bless the bread, bless the cup that's before each person here in their minds or physically.
Bless each one gathered and help us to go out and share this seed, this grain, your good news with the world.
For it's in Christ's name we pray.
On that last night as Jesus was eating with his friends he took a loaf of bread and after he blessed it he broke it and said to them,
this is my body broken for you do this in remembrance of me.
And in the same way after they had finished eating he took the cup, poured it out and said to them,
this cup is a new covenant of my blood poured out for you do this in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup you tell the Lord's death.
You tell the Lord's story until he comes again.
Won't you come? Won't you share with us the body of Christ broken for you?
The cup of blessing poured out for you. Amen.
God before whom there are no secrets we approach you as we really are
in our brokenness, hardness of heart, putting aside our pretense and pride.
Come into the darkness that we have created and bring the light of your glory that we may worship you with our whole being through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Amen.
