Israelite Leadership Part 2: God Chooses a Shepherd

Third Sunday After Pentecost

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

 

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

 

**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together, we can worship in our own homes.

 

Opening Prayer

God, our hope and our defence, protect all those who call upon your name, that they may stand upright in the day of trouble, and share in the victory of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Opening Hymn – God of Grace and God of Glory (BCP #577)

            Listen Here

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

Collect for Purity

            Listen Here

 

The Gloria

          Listen Here

 

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you. Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

 

The Readings

A reading from the First Book of Samuel 15:34-16:13

Then 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.

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

 

Psalm 20

            Listen Here

 

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!

    The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary,

    and give you support from Zion.

May he remember all your offerings,

    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. Selah

May he grant you your heart’s desire,

    and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy over your victory,

    and in the name of our God set up our banners.

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;

    he will answer him from his holy heaven

    with mighty victories by his right hand.

Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,

    but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.

They will collapse and fall,

    but we shall rise and stand upright.

Give victory to the king, O Lord;

    answer us when we call.

 

A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 5:6-17

So 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!

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Hymn – Lord Whose Love in Humble Service (BCP #585)

            Listen Here

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 4:26-34

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

He also 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.

 

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Sermon

May only truth be spoken and only truth received. Amen.

Last week, we heard about the Israelites demanding to have a King, a human King, just like everyone else around them. Recognizing that Samuel was aging and his sons would not be a great fit for them, the people cried out for a move from theocracy to democracy. After many attempts to convince them otherwise, God allowed them to select a King, directing them to Saul.

 

Between the text from last week and that of this week, there is nothing but war, devastation, hunger, and malice. Chapter after chapter, we read of Saul’s destruction of the Israelites, including his own son, Jonathan.

 

According to chapter 14, verse 47, “when Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he faught against all his enemies on every side – against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he routed them.”

 

The people demanded a human king because they thought that would be better than having God as king. Perhaps it was the tangibility of a person standing in front of them rather than listening to prophets deliver the word of God. Whatever the reason, I don’t think they got what they were looking for in Saul.

 

At the beginning of chapter 15, Samuel comes looking for Saul to try to figure out what is happening. Saul has rejected the Lord, will not carry out what is asked of him, has kept spoils of war, and has erected a monument of himself in Carmel.

 

Saul thinks he is doing the Lord’s bidding but he is also selfishly doing things for himself. You can see some similarities in leadership found in our world today. People climb the ranks thinking they will do better for the people around them than the leader before, but once they get into a position of leadership, they look after themselves more than the people.

 

As we get into today’s reading from First Samuel, you can feel the disappointment from Samuel and from God as we read, “Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Samuel grieves Saul’s lack of faith. God regrets God’s own action.

 

This comment about God’s regret considers Saul’s shortfall as the consequence of a general troublesome disconnect between God’s rule and the king’s unbridled hubris.

 

This hubris got in the way of God’s plan. Never would I say that God made a mistake. There were likely very high hopes for Saul as a leader. But as sometimes happens, once a person gets into leadership, no matter their initial intention, power gets to their head. I believe this is what happened with Saul.

 

Leadership can be taught, but Saul wasn’t willing to listen and learn. Not to Samuel. Not even to God.

 

And thus, Saul was removed from kingship.

 

While Saul’s reign was preceded with a warning from God, David’s reign was preceded with God’s regret. David’s story begins with a note that God regretted making Saul king. The reader knows that God’s warning about kingship in general and regret over Saul in particular are ever present, ever silent in the background.

 

Only twice throughout the entire Bible is there any mention of God regretting anything. Recall that in Genesis 6:6 God regrets creating humanity and sends a flood to restart humanity.

 

Here in 1 Samuel 15:34, God regrets having anointed Saul. One can almost feel the sadness as God comes to terms with what God has done.

 

However, God would help the Israelites choose a new king. God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse. God says that Israel’s next king will comes from one of Jesse’s sons.

 

Traditionally, the eldest son would become king. But verse 6 delivers an enormous surprise when the eldest Eliab is rejected. As an explanation, we heard, “For the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

 

God’s ways are often confounding to us, but that should not be surprising consider how little we know compared to the Omniscient One. God defies cultural convention, expected norms, even when norms may have good reason.

 

God continues to go down the list rejecting the next available candidate and the next and the next until there is none left.

 

Samuel knows that God wouldn’t have lied about finding the next king amongst the sons of Jesse, so he was confused when all 7 men standing before them were rejected.

 

Turns out, the youngest son was not present despite the declaration that the king would be “among the sons” (v. 1). David was so much not even on the radar that he did not make the journey. But just as God rejects the expected, he then selects the most unexpected.

 

As you have often heard me say, we must expect the unexpected from our God. To our surprise, God anoints the last in the line of sons as king of Israel, a man who God has seen to have a good heart for leadership.

 

With Saul, external qualifications were used in his choosing – did he look the part of a king?

 

This time, the heart was the sole qualifier for leadership. Perhaps a good heart would prevent failure. Perhaps a good heart would preclude giving in to any temptation to abuse power. Perhaps a candidate who already had a good heart was even better than God equipping a candidate with a new heart.

 

God judges David by his heart. There is nothing about David that suggests he should be King. He is a shepherd boy, ignored even by his own family, yet it is upon David that God builds the Kingdom.

 

This is especially good news for those who are not ‘credentialed.’ I am sure that we have all, at one time or another, felt like we were not up to the task. Have you been in a position of leadership and thought “I’m not qualified for this?”

 

Or have you turned down such a position for that same reason?

 

Or have you kept your thoughts to yourself because you assumed no one would want to follow you down your thought path?

 

Those that have no business changing the world are the ones God usually choose to do just that.

 

Just as the flood was an attempt to start anew, so too was anointing David. As with Jesus years later, David’s anointing represented a new beginning for the nation Israel. It was a heavy weight to carry.

 

And silently in the background, God’s warning still hangs in the air. Remember the warning from last week? That a King other than God is not a good idea?

 

The difference between Saul and David, here, is that God is active and, most importantly, behind the Israelite king. The Davidic line begins, and unlike the institution of kingship, which was a human institution, God has accepted this kingship, which will transcend earthly rule, to the point where God will later grieve, comfort, promise, surprise and anoint the Israelites in the form of Jesus the Messiah.

David, he who will become the next king of Israel, a mere shepherd, is mentioned more than a thousand times in the Hebrew Texts from Ruth 4:13 to Zechariah 13:1, and 59 times in the Christian Testament.

 

He is mentioned more often than Moses or Abraham, the founders of our destiny. Why is David so important?

 

The anointing of David as king is the turning point in our story - moving from Law and Patriarchs into Kings and Prophets.

 

The promise made to David is eternal and endures. The Kingship of David is unquestioned - and it is the House of David upon which Jesus builds his kingdom.

 

Stay tuned next week as we witness how God sides with a ruddy, modest, shepherd boy as he rises to become the king of the whole land.

 

Affirmation of Faith

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again

to judge the living and the dead.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

The Prayers of the People

Let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord have mercy.”

Let us ask the Lord for a day of fulfillment and peace,

Lord have mercy.

 

Let us ask the Lord to teach us to love others as he has loved us,

Lord have mercy.

 

Let us ask the Lord for peace and justice in the world.

Lord have mercy.

 

Let us ask the Lord to strengthen and relieve those who are in need.

Lord have mercy.

 

Let us ask the Lord to renew the Church through the power of his life-giving Spirit.

Lord have mercy.

 

As we contemplate the ways we know you, Lord – as Creator of an order larger than we can grasp by understanding or imagination; as Lord, deserving our faithfulness; as Redeemer, unafraid to invest yourself in the high-risk venture of loving us – we fear that our praying may be an audacious act.

 

We stand in awe of you, hardly knowing how to pray, and sensing an openness before you that betrays words before they are spoken and thoughts before they are formed.  Surely, you know those hesitancies that arise because of our lack of understanding and faith.  You know the prayers we fear to pray because they might reveal insufficiency on our part.  You know the prayers we cannot pray because we have feelings too deep for words. 

 

But, we do pray because you have planted it in our hearts to do so, and because in this act we sense your reaching back to us as we reach out to you.  We thank you for the freedom experienced when we remember that prayer is an act facilitated by your grace, and not by our goodness or religious expertise.  In such moments we can put away attempts to instruct or advise you, and experience the give-and-take of real fellowship with you.

 

In that spirit, rather than telling you what to do with our concerns and those for whom we care, we come to share them with you, and to experience your sharing them with us.  In that sharing we find blessing and, at least sometimes direction.

 

We pray for those who are experiencing the trials of poverty, anxiety, bereavement and illness.  We pray especially for the Afzal family who were victims of a racist attack this week and for the nine year old child who has been left without mother, father, grandmother and sister.  We pray for his recovery.  We ask your blessing for those made victims of the fury of the elements and the violence of other persons.  We pray for people in all areas of the world where peace is non-existent.  We pray for all those who are involved in those conflicts.  For ourselves, we ask for an awareness of your Presence and humility to respond to your lordship.

 

Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Christ, God’s beloved Son.

 

Amen 

 

Confession and Absolution

Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;

God welcomes sinners and invites them to the table.

Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.

 

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us,

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your name. Amen.

 

As we speak the truth of our lives, God who is faithful and just, restores us and brings us home again and again.

 

Almighty God have mercy upon you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

 

Offertory Hymn – What a Friend We Have in Jesus (BCP #532)

            Listen Here

 

Prayer over the Gifts

**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

 

Let us pray.

God of reconciliation and forgiveness, the saving work of Christ has made our peace with you. May that work grow toward its perfection in all we offer you this day. We ask this in his name. Amen.

 

This service was created for live worship on Zoom. For those worshiping on your own, you may either read the Eucharistic prayer, or skip ahead to the Lord's Prayer and then the Doxology.

 

Eucharistic Prayer 1

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

It is indeed right that we should praise you,

gracious God,

for you created all things.

You formed us in your own image:

male and female you created us.

 

When we turned away from you in sin,

you did not cease to care for us,

but opened a path of salvation for all people.

 

You made a covenant with Israel,

and through your servants Abraham and Sarah

gave the promise of a blessing to all nations.

Through Moses you led your people

from bondage into freedom;

through the prophets

you renewed your promise of salvation.

 

Therefore, with them, and with all your saints

who have served you in every age,

we give thanks and raise our voices

to proclaim the glory of your name.

Listen Here 

 

Holy God, source of life and goodness,

all creation rightly gives you praise.

 

In the fullness of time,

you sent your Son Jesus Christ,

to share our human nature,

to live and die as one of us,

to reconcile us to you,

the almighty God of all.

 

He healed the sick

and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners;

he opened the eyes of the blind

and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom

to the poor and to those in need.

In all things he fulfilled your gracious will.

 

On the night he freely gave himself to death,

our Lord Jesus Christ took bread,

and when he had given thanks to you,

he broke it, and gave it to his disciples,

and said, “Take, eat:

this is my body which is given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

After supper he took the cup of wine;

and when he had given thanks,

he gave it to them,

and said, “Drink this, all of you:

this is my blood of the new covenant,

which is shed for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it,

do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

Gracious God,

his perfect sacrifice

destroys the power of sin and death;

by raising him to life

you give us life for evermore.

 

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

 

Recalling his death,

proclaiming his resurrection,

and looking for his coming again in glory,

we offer you, God, this bread and this cup.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us

and upon these gifts,

that all who eat and drink at this table

may be one body and one holy people,

a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all glory is yours, almighty God,

now and for ever.

Amen.

 

And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,

we are bold to pray,

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever. Amen.

 

Breaking of the Bread

This is the body of Christ.

Behold what you are.

Become what you receive.

Amen.

 

Communion

This is the table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those who want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have tried to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is Christ's will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.

 

These are the gifts of God for the People of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

Share in the Eucharist

Prayer After Communion

As we have feasted around the table, let us pray.

Holy and blessed God, as you give us the body and blood of your Son, guide us with your Holy Spirit, that we may honour you not only with our lips but also in our lives.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Doxology

As a congregation, we declare our doxology, as we say together,

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine.

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

Blessing

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

 

Closing Hymn – You Are Salt for the Earth (BCP #502)

            Listen Here

 

Dismissal

Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Thanks be to God.

Israelite Leadership Part 1: From Freedom to Saul

Second Sunday After Pentecost

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Introduction to the Day

A house divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus makes this observation in light of charges that he is possessed. He is possessed, not by a demon, but by the Holy Spirit. We who have received the Holy Spirit through baptism have been joined to Christ’s death and resurrection and knit together in the body of Christ. Those with whom we sing and pray this day are Jesus’ family. With them we go forth in peace to do the will of God.

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,

who forgives all our sin,

whose mercy endures forever.

Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.

Amen.

Gathering Song – What a Friend We Have in Jesus (ELW #742)

            Listen Here

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

Canticle of Praise – Glory to God (page #213)

           Listen Here

Prayer of the Day

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

All-powerful God, in Jesus Christ you turned death into life and defeat into victory. Increase our faith and trust in him, that we may triumph over all evil in the strength of the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Readings

A reading from the First Book of Samuel 8.4-20, 11.14-15

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 138

            Listen Here

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down toward your holy temple

    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;

    for you have exalted your name and your word

    above everything.

On the day I called, you answered me,

    you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,

    for they have heard the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

    for great is the glory of the Lord.

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;

    but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

    you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;

you stretch out your hand,

    and your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 

A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 4.13-5.1

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture – “I believed, and so I spoke” – we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Children’s Message

From Sermons 4 Kids

Have you ever been to a family reunion? You know what that is, don't you? It is a time for all the members of a family to get together — grandpas and grandmas, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and lots and lots of cousins. Most of the time it will include playing a lot of games and eating a lot of food, but the main reason for a reunion is to help family members to stay in touch with one another. Many times family members become scattered and live in different towns and different states far away from one another. They may keep in contact by email or by phone, but nothing beats a family reunion to help a family to stay in touch.

We should never overlook the importance of family. In the very first book of the Bible, God established the family. He created Adam and Eve, blessed them, and said, "Be fruitful and multiply." God intended for family members to be there to care for one another in times of need. Family is there to help us when we are sick. When we are young, our parents and grandparents look after us. As our parents and grandparents get older, that sometimes changes and we become the ones to take care of our parents or grandparents. That's what family is all about.

You might not realize it, but when we put our faith in Jesus, we become a part of another family. We become a part of God's family. In our Bible reading today, Jesus looked at a group of people seated around him and said, "See my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." When we put our faith in Jesus, we become a part of a family of believers — the church. Just as the members of our earthly family have a responsibility to love and care for one another, members of our church family have a responsibility to love and care for one another.

What are some ways we can show love to our brothers and sisters in the family of God?

• Pray for those who are sick.

• Feed those who are hungry.

• Give clothing to those in need.

• Give shelter to the homeless.

• Comfort those who are sad.

• Be a friend to those who have no friends.

Family is important — our earthly family and our spiritual family. Never take them for granted.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we thank you for our families. Thank you for grandparents, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. We also thank you for our church family. Help us to love and care for one another as you have taught us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation – Alleluia (page #216)

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The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 3.20-35

Glory to you, O Lord.

and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” – for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

May only truth be spoken and only truth received. Amen.

Over the next couple of months, we will be reading about the vast saga of Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon that is spread over the books of Samuel. These books are not archeological history, but stories passed down from generation to generation that tells about the leadership of Israel. There are lessons we can learn from these stories so let’s learn them together.

Israel was supposed to be unique because God would be its leader and God kept calling prophets to help with this leadership.

Prophets like Abraham who was called to start a new community.

And Moses who was called to free that community from enslavement.

Today we heard the passage from Samuel chapter 8. Samuel was the current prophet called by God to help with leading the people of Israel.

All of the Israelite elders got together and went to Samuel, who was getting on in years. They said to him, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed and the Lord answered, “Comply with the people’s request, everything they ask of you, because they haven’t rejected you – no, they’ve rejected me as king over them.”

The people of Israel demanded to have a king, a human king, just like everyone else. Since all the other nations have a king, the people essentially tell Samuel, we want one too.  After all, if everyone else has a king, it must be right, right?

Samuel, however, can see no wisdom in this plea for a king.  He probably recognizes that Israel’s desire to be like “all the other nations” conflicts with Israel’s status as God’s special people.  Samuel also knows that God longs to form a people in God’s image rather than in the image of everyone else.

Eventually, Samuel complies with their request, but he says, “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves, but on that day, the Lord won’t answer you.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel, and said, “No, there must be a king over us so we can be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us to fight our battles.”

This generation was simply unable to envision a nation led by God. By God’s amazing grace, Israel enjoyed an intimate relationship with God that none of “the other nations” enjoyed. Yet the Israelites remain stubbornly willing to surrender that uniqueness in order to be just like all the other nations, no matter how much it costs them.

This new stage in Israel’s communal life, the movement from theocracy to monarchy, begins with a stern warning from God. God made it plain. Leadership by anyone other than God, was a bad idea.

God told Samuel to inform the people that their king would eventually make slaves of them, but the people refused to listen.

God insisted that if the people were to persist and pursue this course of action, the consequences would not be happy ones:

• He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.

• He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work.

• He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

• And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Bad idea or not, the people insisted and God relented. God (and later the people) chose Saul, whose only qualifications were that he was tall and handsome.

Saul comes into a very difficult situation. He has never been king, nor has Israel ever had a king.

There is no instruction manual available, no human resources department, or any previous king to serve as a mentor; further Saul’s reign begin during a period of transition.

Saul does not always make the best choices and angers Samuel and God. He is a successful military leader, but several of Saul’s decisions actually lead to his demise and eventual loss of the kingship.

Ultimately, tragically, Saul will fail at a job he neither sought nor wanted.

In summary, Today’s passage from 1 Samuel is about a marginalized group of people finding a bit of liberation, then seeking to recreate some of the very systems they escaped, and in the process turning their back on God and oppressing themselves.

From God’s perspective, Israel is selling short its own freedom gained in the exodus for a form of royal oppression. Freed to be God’s servant through the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites turn and subscribe to the very yoke of royal oppression that Samuel details to them: drafts for war, labor for the king, land appropriation, taxation, livestock confiscation, and finally, permanent enslavement.

In God’s eyes, a king’s unbridled, brutal rule would amount to Israel changing her identity and selling her freedom drastically short: from a dynamic and unique servanthood directly under the leadership of God, to the servanthood of a despotic human ruler.

God tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t listen.

God warned them of what would happen to them, but they wouldn’t listen.

In the end, God threw in the towel and let the Israelites decide for themselves. From there, they decided to live under a king and to not heed God’s warnings.

God’s words of warning are as relevant today as they were in biblical times. Leadership is not to be taken lightly, nor handled frivolously.

As well, not everyone is built to be a leader. It takes a certain skill set to be a leader. While Saul may have been appointed king, his leadership skills left something to be desired.

As we will see in the coming weeks, David and Solomon don’t fare much better.

Leadership is, ultimately, a matter of the heart. Although other leadership qualifications may be needed, the heart remains a constant in any circumstance. As will be seen in the life of David, good leadership is, indeed, a matter of the heart — a heart tuned to God and the good of all.

In the end, God may allow us to deal with the consequences of those bad choices, just as Israel had to accept the grim consequences of her demand for a king.  Yet even in those bad choices and grim consequences, the Lord always somehow works for our good. 

Amen.

Hymn of the Day – Holy Spirit Truth Divine (ELW #398)

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Creed

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

Prayers of Intercession

Let us come before the triune God in prayer.

Silence

God of wholeness, we pray for believers all over the globe. Unify us in service of the gospel, that we may work together as beloved siblings to share your love with all.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of the cosmos, we pray for creation; the gardens, waterways and creatures near to us and diverse forms of life that remain unseen. Teach us to treat the natural world with reverence, seeking restoration when human divisions have caused harm to your beloved creation.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of all people, we pray for harmony among the nations. Cast out from us unclean spirits of greed and fear, that we may work in solidarity with one another for the common good.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of abundance, we pray for those who are oppressed or in any need. Encourage those who have begun to lose heart. Strengthen and renew us with your Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of righteousness, we pray for this holy house of worship. Set our gaze upon things eternal, that in thanksgiving for your mercy, we may extend grace to more and more people.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.

God of the ages, in your goodness you have sent us faithful witnesses for every time and place. We give you thanks for those saints who now rest in your eternal mercy.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

(The remainder of today’s prayers provided by Melanie Delva.)

God who came into the world as a child, we bring before you in deep grief the children who did not survive Residential Schools. Continue to hold them closely in the safety, comfort and everlasting Love which you desire for all creation. Hear again our cries of sorrow and lament for our participation in a system that allowed these deaths to happen. Forgive us.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Holy Spirit, in the unimaginable pain of this loss, when all words fail, hear and hold our “groans too deep for words” as we see and honour the anguish of families left without the life, love and laughter each child represents. Be present with us in the myriad of emotions that the release of these names may bring – sadness, anger, relief, confusion, fear. Guard also the hearts and minds of survivors as they are faced again with memories of their own trauma and suffering.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Jesus, who showed us how Love is meant to live in the world, call us again out of denial and into truth, out of despair and into hope. Spur us to action in the places where systems of injustice prevail. Provoke us to speak out against racism, discrimination, climate injustice, and all that stands between us and the good, just, beautiful life you designed for us together. Be our strength when weak, our courage when afraid, our light in dark places.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer, God of all, in the name of your son the Reconciler of all things.

Amen.

 

Peace

The peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

 

Hymn of Thanksgiving – Rock of Ages (ELW #623)

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**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

Thanksgiving for the Word

Let us pray.

O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

 

Blessing

May our glorious God grant you a spirit of wisdom to know and to love the risen Lord Jesus.

The God of life, Creator, ☩ Redeemer, and Sanctifier, bless you now and forever.

Amen.

Sending Song – What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine (ELW #774)

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Dismissal

Go in peace. Christ is with you.

Thanks be to God.

A Review of the Book "Through the Black Spruce" by Joseph Boyden

Title: Through Black Spruce
Author: Joseph Boyden
Publisher: Penguin Group
Year: 2008
407 pages

I had heard many good things about the author and so when I saw this book in my local free library, I grabbed it. Surprisingly, the story did not hold my attention as I thought it would. Let me explain.

There are two story lines running through the book. Will Bird is lying in a hospital bed having been put into a coma. One story line is him telling us about his life and history, and the events leading up to him getting injured.

The other story line is about Annie, Will's daughter, who has returned home to sit by his bedside. In the late hours of the night, she recounts her story to him, which was being on the search for her missing sister, Suzanne.

Picture two parallel lines that keep getting closer until they finally meet up. That is how this book was laid out. Normally, such a story would keep my interest as it goes back and forth between the story lines. Each chapter ends just as you are getting invested in the character and so you read the next chapter in a hurry to get back to that story, and the pattern repeats itself chapter after chapter.

However, in "Through Black Spruce", both stories are told in the first person narrative. Therefore, as each chapter began, it took a few paragraphs to realize there was a character switch, resulting in my having to go back and restart the chapter.

Overall, though, it is a powerful story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and the bond of a family. I would recommend it with a warning to pay attention to the break in the chapter and assume that you have now switched characters. Maybe you'll be able to read it more smoothly than I .