For
Sunday, June 17, 2018, 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13, Psalm 20, 2
Corinthians 5:6-10, [11-13], 14-17; Mark 4:26:34
...for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
[1 Samuel 15:7b]
[1 Samuel 15:7b]
May the Lord answer you
in the day of trouble, the Name of the God of Jacob defend you…Some put their
trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will call upon the Name of the
Lord our God. They will collapse and fall down, but we will arise and stand upright. [Psalm 20 1, 7-8]
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. [2 Cor 5:6-7]
With what can we compare the kingdom of
God...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." [Mark
4:30-32]
Early in the Hebrew Testament reading for this week, Samuel is grieving
over Saul’s abysmal kingship. God was sorry that he had made Saul king as he disobeyed
God’s decrees and decided to do only as he wanted to do and in his own way. It’s
an interesting and rare moment that God regrets a decision. The only other time
we’re told about is in Genesis 6 when God regretted the creation of
humanity and so, enter Noah. For me, it’s comforting to know that there are
times when God’s mind is changed about a prior decision. While we only know
about two of them from the Bible, perhaps there are more?
God is then preparing Samuel to find a new
king for Israel and explains the criteria to him. Mortals look at outward appearance
and make judgments while God looks on the
heart and from that vantage point, God guides the uncertain Samuel to
choose Saul’s successor. David, who while the smallest seed of Jesse, had a confident heart when the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him at his anointing. And then immediately we are confronted with
Paul’s assertion in the beginning of this 1st Corinthians passage, that “We are
always confident…” I am often far from confident in my faith at times. In
retreating to the passage just before this one, I was able to find a bit of my
internal footing, that is, Paul tells us just before that we [are
to] 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. [2 Cor 4:18] It’s all seems very cryptic but it then weaves into Paul's reminder this
week that being at home in this earthly body, that is seen and also temporary is life away from the Lord. We
are called to seek our eternal, and not yet seen, home with our Lord God, and in so doing we become a new
creation in Christ.
Jesus carries it further in his
likening the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, a very tiny seed that grows into
a shrub or tree so large that birds can nest in its branches. The parable
of the mustard seed appears in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and has
always resonated with me, especially later on in Luke and Matthew when Jesus
says that all we need is faith the size of one of these very tiny seeds and
mountains can be moved [Luke 17:6]. Just how small is that exactly? Well some varieties yield seeds the size of the period that
ends this sentence. Only that much, or rather that little faith? Ok then, I can do that with a good heart and a little
more confidence.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader:
~ Creator, Redeemer,
Sustainer God, You brought forth and seeded the Universe giving life in all of
its forms. Foster our willingness to tend our own spiritual gardens by weeding
out temptation, feeding with prayer in action, and prospering the work of our
souls for Your service.
O
Lord our God
RESPONSE: Grant
us clean, faithful, confident hearts
~ Creator,
Redeemer, Sustainer God, answer us in our day of trouble and cultivate the growth of virtue,
decency, empathy, and righteousness within the souls of all who govern in this World,
in this Country, and in this Community. Implant any change of heart needed to
bring about the full and equal flowering of all people, everywhere. We pray especially for:
O
Lord our God
Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts
~
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, may all who are weakened by severe illness, depression, or desperation,
nest in the comforting shade of Your healing embrace, as You fortify those who
give them care. We now join
our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O
Lord our God
Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts
~ Creator,
Redeemer, Sustainer God, in the beauty and abundance Your Earth provides, we
can merely glimpse and give continuous thanksgiving for the brilliance of eternal life, where
those we love now live anew
and thrive forever. We pray especially for:
O
Lord our God
Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts
~ Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently…
O
Lord our God
Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts
~ Creator,
Redeemer, Sustainer God, enhance
the special combination of humility and confidence in those chosen to serve as
leaders in Your Church. Guide them as they guide us to vibrantly bloom as a new
creation in Christ. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord our God
Grant us clean, faithful, confident hearts
The
Celebrant adds: O God,
Most High, instill the wisdom within
each of us to know that however small and humble our beginnings, as we walk by
faith and not by sight, we will surely reap the fullness of life eternal from
the seeds of Your infinite love and grace. We ask through Jesus, our Christ, in
whom all Creation is new, and the Holy Spirit whose Wisdom enriches the roots of
our souls, who together with You, are One God, now and for ever. Amen.
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