June 17-I Sam. 15:34-16:13 Samuel took it personally when the people demanded a king. He knew that it would cause all sorts of new problems. ,Samuel grieved over Saul’s failure to follow divine edicts.Saul and Samuel are said not to see each other again Maybe his madness was becoming apparent. Remember that Samuel did not wish a king in the first place but the people wanted this man who stood head and shoulders above them -issue of book by its cover - and insight blinded by the light-Israel not chosen for size but David is handsome? But he is the youngest. Samuel is sent on a undercover mission to find a new king.The villagers are concerned when Samuel shows up as he has recently killed a foreign ruler with his sword. Saul felt small in his own eyes according to Samuel.
Ps. 20, line about militarism
2Cor 5:6-17 E Johnson- We are tempted to view worldly success as a sign of God's favor, and conversely, to view weakness and suffering as a sign of God's absence or even God's punishment.God chooses vulnerability, weakness, suffering, and death in order to bring new life.Not appearance but heart-not live for oneself but for Christ. God places the greatest value on our service to others, even when service means suffering and rejection.-indeed it is a new creation Ml 4:26-34 Kingdom grows in its orderly procession-seed has a powerpack of energy to emerge for the soil God works with the small, god works with appropriate size-mustard seed-greatest of shrubs-it does grow within its purview and niche-We want things of size and stature-indeed we tend to select the taller candidate still-some folks go on trips and stop to see the largest ball of twine-perhaps it is only the past itself, which is always smaller than one had believed.” ― David Markson,Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. Vincent Van Gogh
Small is limiting-After all, the kingdom, god’s way in the world is an earth shaking event that is apparent in things large and small.
Yes acorns grow into mighty oaks-they also grow into shrubs-they also grow into weeds. WE are a blip on the cosmic screen. The church has existed for far less time than civilization let alone our emergence into becoming human.Humility is the virtue that stands against our seemingly limitless capacity to strain against limits.We live in a niche of time and space.Church life comes from the Spirit but is is part of the incarnation so it is lived on a human scale with all of its attendant hopes and foibles. boy, no longer little, told his friends to watch out, that he was going to do something "really big" the next day at school, and the next day at school he took his gun and his ammo and his earplugs and shot eight classmates who had clustered for a prayer meeting. Three died, and they were still children, almost. The shootings took place in West Paducah, Kentucky, and when Mister Rogers heard about them, he said, "Oh, wouldn't the world be a different place if he had said, 'I'm going to do something really little tomorrow,'" and he decided to dedicate a week of the Neighborhood to the theme "Little and Big." He wanted to tell children that what starts out little can sometimes become big, and so that could devote themselves to little dreams without feeling bad about them.
We are going to receive communion-such a small thing, the little cracker our president calls it, yet is the latch that opens into heaven itself.As Christians we hold that god's love is not anchored in heaven, but here with us, in this world.
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