This picture was taken by Cassie Tillas, a good friend of mine and excellent photographer.
The unassigned ordained elder (pointing to herself as she types) is itching to preach... so I am posting this for for my lectionarychat friends who are preaching this week. :)
The passages for this week are Mark 4:35-41 and 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49.
I read the Mark passage earlier this week and studied the 1 Sam passage today for awhile. The question that dominated my thoughts, as I read 1 Sam, came from the mouth of my pro-war and pro death penalty friend: "How do you deal with David and Goliath as a person of non-violence?"
Good question.
I decided this was actually a humorous passage. I mean, big & powerful Goliath comes with swords, toothpics, and spears and David comes with a tiny, itsy-bitsy piece of creation (a stone)and the name of the Lord. The violence is stopped with a tiny, smooth rock. I mean, how is that not funny?
The sword, spear, and big-mean giant are stopped with a stone. Not even a big rock. Not even a mountain. A tiny stone.
That's funny.
Which I think connects to Kaza's point (on lectionarychat) about Jesus in the boat. She points out that it is Jesus who holds the power in the boat. It is Jesus who holds God's power- because he IS God. Great points, Kaza.
Which makes me ask: Who holds the power? God or man? God or Goliath? God or the confused disciples?
God shows us who holds the power with a tiny rock and a few waves.
It's like... the rock used to stop the violence of Goliath was made smooth in the water (it got pushed around until it was refined and smooth)... and the disciples get rocked around in a boat (and made smooth) to be used and transformed.
Then we see that smooth rock be used by God to redeem and reconcile. And soon in Mark, we will see the disciples invite people to join in the adventure of God's story to redeem all of creation.
These are exciting passages to preach and would be so fun to weave together. Are you being made smooth like the stone? Are you being rocked like the disciples by the waves?
Who holds the power? God does. God is still in control and has not been shocked by our suffering or afflictions (our being rocked by the water and waves).
And God just might use you, a tiny, insigificant little stone (rocked by the waves and made smooth in suffering) to get caught up in God's plan to redeem creation.
You just might find yourself... as the smooth stone used to do crazy things... like take down giants. Or you might find yourself as a disciple, bearing witness to the power of God in Jesus.
3 comments:
I can't wait to read this again and process it more, but I am walking away now (after just a quick glimpse of your post) echoing your final paragraph. I think my own life is a testament to the crazy things God can do with you after you've been transformed by turbulent waters!
The lectionary this week is definitely full of material to work with for leading/teaching God's people.
The violence question is definitely a hard one to overcome and yet when we look at Jesus' life and teaching we see that non-violence is part of 'the way' that Jesus teaches his disciples. It doesn't fully resolve the tension of violence/nonviolence in the Old Testament; but it definitely calls us to strive for and seek peace as far as it is in our power to do so.
I, also, have to agree with you that 1 Samuel 17 is a grand, funny cosmic joke.
The Isrealites feared the boastful, weapon carrying and armor wearing, Philistine giant.
But despite their fear and despite the fact that no one wanted to go fight the giant, they didn't back down from their positions. They held the battle line.
Instead it is the mighty, powerful, more advanced, more skilled, more experienced Philistines who turn and run from a 'young looking boy'. That's pretty funny.
Hardened warriors, who have seen hundreds of battles, destroyed nations, reduced whole people groups to slave labor...
And they run from a boy who has no military experience whatsoever. He wasn't even wearing armor; he wasn't even carrying a sword.
That is quite a reversal and in some strange way an enactment of God's justice on earth.
It's interesting in reading the Psalm in connection with the lectionary readings:
Psalm 9:9 - The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed a stronghold in times of trouble.
9:12 - For he (God) who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
9:16 - The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
9:18 - But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
What's interesting is how God acts out his justice. Three of these verses focus specifically on God's action towards the afflicted and oppressed.
In the other verse we are shown that he doesn't afflict the wicked. He doesn't resolve evil or wickedness with more wickedness; instead, the wicked cause their own undoing. And yet it is still God who works out justice for the afflicted.
David goes so far to say that the hope of the afflicted will never perish. David believes that God will enact his justice; and the afflicted will not have hoped nor cried in vain.
David has experienced the great reversal, he's seen God's hand of justice at work; and, at this point, he recognizes that seeking God calls him to act and live justly.
It means that as God followers in a powerful nation, among a powerful people, with the most advanced, powerful, destructive weapons, we are called to treasure the oppressed, to hear their cries and cause, to pray for the upheaval of destructive forces on earth so that the oppressors may 'turn' from oppressing and that the oppressed may be set free from oppression.
And of course the way of bringing about this grand reversal in our time is not by power or might or military strength, but by seeking and trusting God and being obedient to his way of bringing resolution.
Thanks for posting Christy... you got me thinking.
Ben, thanks for this response! This is good stuff!
Are you on lectionarychat? I think you have some really awesome stuff to say.
The crew on lectionarychat helps each other encounter the scripture and work towards writing sermons. They turn out 9 million times better than if we were processing the passage alone.
Again, thanks for commenting. Now you have me thinking more! :)
Post a Comment