LENT 2020: Day 23

• Lent 2020: Day 23 Monday, March 23, 2020:
  Psalm 146; Isaiah 59:9-19; Acts 9:1-20

Therefore is justice far from us,
    and vindication does not reach us.
We hope for light, but, look, darkness,
    for brightness, but we go in gloom.
We grope the wall like blind men,
    like the eyeless we grope.
We stumble at noon as at twilight,
    among the robust like dead men.
All of us growl like bears,
    and like doves we ever moan.
We hope for justice but there is none,
    for rescue, — it is far from us.
For many are our crimes before you,
    and our offenses bear witness against us.
For our crimes are with us,
    and our misdeeds, we know them.
Rebelling and denying the LORD
    and falling back from our God,
speaking oppression and waywardness,
    conceiving in the heart and uttering lying words.
And justice is made to fall back,
    and vindication stands off afar,
for truth stumbles in the square,
    and honesty cannot come in.
And truth is not to be found,
    who turns from evil is despoiled.
And the LORD saw, and it was evil in his eyes,
    for there was no justice.
…
He shall come like a pent-up river,...
And a redeemer shall come to Zion,
    and to those who turn back from crime in Jacob
          said the LORD.     

~Isaiah 59.1-20 (Robert Alter's translation)

LENT 2020: Fourth Sunday

• Sunday, March 22, 2020: Fourth Sunday in Lent
  1 Samuel 16.1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5.8-14; John 9.1-41

And the LORD said to Samuel,
    “Look not to his appearance and to his lofty stature,
          for I have cast him aside.
    For not as man sees does God see.
          For man sees with the eyes
              and the LORD sees with the heart.”

In his commentary on Samuel, Roger Nam observes: “As the inaugural king over the nation, Saul perfectly fits the prototypical characteristics of an ancient Near Eastern ruler.” Comparing him to Ramesses II, Nam says that the text “redundantly emphasizes the physical characteristics of Saul: tall, majestic, strong, and handsome.”

But Saul falls out of favor due to his disobedience.

And so God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to find a new king.

Samuel is poised to make the same mistake as he did with Saul, for the eldest son of Jesse catches his eye.  Samuel sees — and there is an emphasis on sight — Eliab and says, “Ah yes! Before the LORD stands his anointed!”

That’s when the LORD responds, “Look not to his appearance and to his lofty stature.”

What follows is a Cinderella scene, of sorts, as seven brothers all audition — and seven brothers are rejected. “The LORD has not chosen these,” says Samuel.

Confused, Samuel asks, “Are there no more lads?”

Jesse replies: “The youngest is still left, and, look, he is tending the flock.”

He, the eighth son, is chosen. And eight has special meaning in the Bible. It’s seven, completion...plus one. It’s a new beginning. It’s hope.

But the eighth son is the unexpected one. We don’t even know his name when the LORD tells Samuel, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.”

The next verse reveals this small, young shepherd to be David, the unlikely king. “The young David is one of the marginal people,” writes Brueggemann. “He is uncredentialed and has no social claim to make.

And yet we know that David becomes very credentialed and is now anything but marginal. We know that David is to become the giant-slayer, the great king who builds a great Empire, the “man after God’s own heart.”

But David is also God’s second choice, an unexpected one at that.

In this time of crisis, we would do well to look around at the unexpected ones among us who are leading the way in service and care.

And as we continue our Lenten journey, we would do well to examine our lives and ask how our sight, like Saul’s, has blinded us.

May we learn to see with the heart.

LENT 2020: Day 22

• Lent 2020: Day 22 Saturday, March 21, 2020:
  Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:32-34; John 1:1-9

 

The LORD is my shepherd,

     I shall not want.

In grass meadows he makes me lie down,

     by quiet waters guides me.

My life he brings back.

     He leads me on pathways of justice

          for his name’s sake.

Though I walk in the vale of death’s shadow,

     I fear no harm,

          for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff —

     it is they that console me.

You set out a table before me

     in the face of my foes.

You moisten my head with oil,

     my cup overflows.

Let goodness and kindness pursue me

     all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

     for many long days.

LENT 2020: Day 21

• Lent 2020: Day 21 Friday, March 20, 2020:
  Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:22-31; Ephesians 5:1-9

     And Samuel said to Saul,
          “Now, heed the voice of the words of the LORD.”

So began our chapter. And in yesterday’s reading, we saw an emphasis on listening and heeding the voice of the LORD.

And that theme continues today, as Samuel responds to Saul:
    “Does the LORD take delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
          as in heeding the voice of the LORD?
    For heeding is better than sacrifice,
          hearkening, than the fat of rams.
    For the diviner’s offense is rebellion,
          the transgression of idols — definance.
    Since you have cast off the word of the LORD,
          He has cast you aside as king.”

Back in verse 1, Brueggemann observes, Saul is anointed because of his listening. But the same logic works the other way as well: “Where there is no listening, there will be no anointing.”

“Saul’s role is to listen,” Brueggeman writes. 

And he continues: “Listening is everything.”

Our current crisis is making it clear that we have not been listening to the cries of the most vulnerable in our city, in our nation, in our world.

The cries of the poor are not new, the cries of the sick are not new, the cries of the elderly are not new.

For far too long, though, we have ignored their cries.

And shame on us for waiting until their problems became our problems too, interrupting our comfortable lives, to listen.

Now that we are listening, though, may we continue to listen. And so, as we continue through Lent, may we seek out other voices we have ignored.

Tidings of Comfort & Joy, No. 4

Tidings of Comfort & Joy, No. 4

Today's #songsofcomfort offering comes from James Taylor, who sings that "the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time" and "the secret of love is in opening up your heart." He reminds us that "it's okay to feel afraid, but don't let that stand in your way."

Comfort, O comfort my people,

says your God.

These words from Isaiah 40 speak right now. And one thing we can do right now is to be good neighbors. Our children's and youth minister share this message, reminding us that tomorrow is Mister Rogers's birthday. She shared a One Silent Minute activity from the SALT Project. And she's asking that we be good neighbors and all write a note and/or draw a picture to send someone in our congregation.

Many of us need comforting. There are those who live alone, or who live in personal care facilities, who may be feeling isolated and need a little attention right now. There are those who you might not even realize have lost work because of this crisis, in addition to those who were already looking for work, who need some love. And I know that at least some of the extroverts, who are energized by interacting with others, are struggling and could use some contact right now. Even introverts like me need some interaction, lest we retreat into a dark place. So be a neighbor and reach out, whether by old-fashioned hand-written letter, by email, by text, by phone call, by video, or whatever. Just reach out. 

And if you need help getting into neighbor mode, Holly encourages us to stream some Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episodes or the Won't You Be My Neighbor? documentary.

I also encourage you to check out the bonus podcast episode of The Happiness Lab, from Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos, called Beat Your Isolation Loneliness. The key takeaway: This is a vast shared experience. We are not alone. All of us are experiencing this crisis together, so use this time to form new and deeper bonds. I also love the reminder that, as we look for ways to help others, remind yourself that social distancing is one of the key ways we can help during this time. Just don't let social distancing lead to social isolation.

Also, check out this short video message from Laura Stephens-Reed, who reminds us how hard clergy and church staff are working during these times, as they try to navigate the short-term and long-term of how to do church and be church. She encourages us to reach out with a word of support and comfort to them. She also asks us to offer our time and expertise.

And, as always, make a special effort to find moments of joy.

As joy guru Ingrid Fetell Lee says: "Because joy lives in moments, it's a lot simpler and easier to find than happiness." And she points to research showing that "these little moments of joy often have a halo effect, where their impact reaches beyond the moment of joy itself." Read to find out why small moments of joy "can be a spark that starts a much bigger chain reaction toward a happier life."

Here are a few local moments of joy for you...

• Check out these pieces green art submitted by several in our congregation in response to the St. Patrick's Day devotion our children's and youth minister shared.
• The Memphis Zoo is doing daily a variety of virtual activities: Zoo Dude, Zoo News, and Virtual Wild Encounters. This may or may not bring you joy.
• But the Memphis Public Libraries are doing daily story time, and that should definitely bring joy. So fun!
• Opera Memphis will be serenading folks around town, free of charge, which is just lovely.
• And this public service announcement from the Grindfather, Tony Allen, is pure joy.

Live. Love. Laugh. Pray.