Rev-o-lution

Revised Common Lectionary: 1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18), 19-25; Mark 13:1-8

Narrative Lectionary: Amos: Justice Rolls Down, 1:1-2, 5:14-15, 21-24 (John 7:37-38)

We are nearing the end of the season after Pentecost, and have come full circle. The first selection of the Hebrew Scriptures began with the people of Israel demanding a king, and the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. Now, we come back to 1 Samuel, in which a woman Hannah prayed to God for a son, for she was unable to have a child. She promised God that if she could conceive, she would dedicate her firstborn to God. The priest Eli at the temple of Shiloh saw Hannah praying, her lips moving but no sound coming out, and thought she was drunk. Eli confronted her, but Hannah confessed she was not drunk, only deeply troubled. She warned Eli not to accuse her of drunkenness when she was pouring out her soul to God. Eli then told her to go in peace, and hoped that God would grant her petition. Hannah and her husband worshipped God, returned to their home, and she conceived a son, whom she named Samuel, who became the great prophet.

In lieu of a psalm, the accompanying selection is 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hannah’s song. Hannah praises God, the source of her strength and her deliverer. God shatters the weapons of the mighty but lifts up the humble. Those who had more than enough now hire themselves out to earn bread, but those who were hungry now have an abundance. The woman who had no children now has seven, but the one who had many sons has lost them. God goes down to the grave and raises up the dead to life. God turns the world upside down, lifting up the poor and needy. Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 echoes many of these themes.

As we near the end of this season (next week is Reign of Christ Sunday), we also turn to themes of the reign of God and the day of judgment, and the second selection of the Hebrew scriptures focuses on Daniel’s vision in 12:1-3 of Michael. Michael is an angel seen as the heavenly personification of Israel. In this vision, Michael, or Israel, takes their stand against the forces of evil, and the dead will face their final judgment. Those who lead others in God’s ways will shine like stars.

Psalm 16 is a prayer of faithfulness in God. The psalmist puts their trust solely in God unlike others around them. They have chosen the way of life led by God, and in that life they have found blessing and peace. Their whole body and soul rests in God, and their life is a testimony to God’s faithfulness.

The Epistle readings conclude the series in Hebrews with 10:11-25. This passage summarizes the themes of the last few weeks in Hebrews: Jesus came as the final and ultimate sacrifice, ending the need for the sacrificial system for those who believe in him. Because God has offered forgiveness and will remember our sins no more, there is no need for further sacrifice and offering for sin. Because Jesus is our great high priest, we can confidently approach God without fear of judgment. Jesus remains faithful, and as the day of judgment approaches, the writer calls the faithful to encourage one another.

Mark’s Gospel account turns to Jesus’ words at the temple during the final days of his life in 13:1-8. As the disciples remarked on the temple and its large stones, Jesus foretold the temple’s destruction (which took place in 70 C.E.). Peter, James, and John pulled Jesus aside to learn more about when this will take place, but Jesus warned them instead to not be led astray. They would hear rumors of war and destruction (the Roman Revolt destroyed Jerusalem in 66-70 C.E.) but they were not to be alarmed, for this was only the beginning. The early Christians and community of Mark believed God would do something new.

The Narrative Lectionary focuses on the prophet Amos. The prophet lived during the reign of Judah’s King Uzziah and Israel’s King Jeroboam and was a shepherd. While Amos lived in the northern kingdom of Israel, he prophesied to both nations and called for the people to seek good and practice justice. Amos knew that Israel’s destruction would come if its leaders did not pay attention to the evil ways infiltrating their leadership. While the leaders and priests celebrated all sorts of festivals, God told Amos the rituals and practices were empty. God had no desire to listen to their songs and music—instead, God wanted justice to roar like a waterfall, righteousness like a mighty river.

In John 7:37-38, Jesus, at a Jewish festival, stood up and shouted that the people needed to turn to him, and that rivers of living water would flow from him. The Narrative Lectionary links this passage with the rivers of righteousness of Amos.

As we approach the end of the Christian year, we turn to the stories of the Day of Judgment. While apocalyptic passages from Daniel and from the Gospels are read at this time, it is important to remember that there have been endings and beginnings in our world. The destruction of the temple and the people being taken into exile was one ending. The desecration of the temple by the Greeks was another. The Roman occupation and suppression of the rebellion of 66-70 C.E. was yet another. The Hebrew prophets look to the Day of Judgment as God’s judgment of the faithful. How do we live our lives in accordance to God’s ways? It is also a sign of God’s faithfulness to us, that the evil of the world will not have the last word. For Christians, we turn to the reign or kingdom of God, the beloved community of Christ, as we work for its fulfillment on earth as it is in heaven. We know that God makes all things new, that what is considered dead will live again. We watch and wait, and we participate now.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 16:7-9, 11)
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
In the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the LORD always before me;
I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
My body also rests secure.
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy.

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Almighty One, we confess that we turn to our own assurance and comforts instead of seeking You. We look to the ways of the world to measure ourselves instead of Your commandments and wisdom. Forgive us when our actions of holiness are empty and meaningless. Forgive us when we have mistaken the institution for authentic relationship. Call us back to Your way of loving our neighbor as ourselves, seeking forgiveness, healing, and restoration. Call us into the work of Your love, justice, and mercy. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Blessing/Assurance
The One who calls you by name has known you, all along, through and through. The One Beyond Our Understanding knows all your flaws and thinks they are beautiful, for They made you in Their image. Know that you are holy and good and loved. Know that when you seek forgiveness and work to restore what you have broken and distorted, the Holy One is with you, helping you to heal and forgive. Go in peace, serve Christ by serving one another. Amen.

Prayer
We near the turning of the year, O Wondrous Creator. As our earth revolves around the sun, help us to look all around and perceive how You are still at work in our world and in our lives. You have not given up on us yet. You have not given up on this one earth You made for us. You have not given up on creation. Help us to not give up. Call us to roll up our sleeves, to sweep away and clean, to build and plant, to pluck up what needs to be taken, to make space for what needs to grow. Help us to look all around and know that You are doing a new thing. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Psalm 127; 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

Narrative Lectionary: God Speaks to Elijah, 1 Kings 19:1-18 (John 12:27-28)

Resources for All Saints Day can be found here.

Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David, even though she was not an Israelite in Ruth 3 and 4. Naomi, her mother-in-law, helped her pursue Boaz, a near kinsman, even though Ruth was a Moabite. Ruth trusted her mother-in-law to seek the well-being for both of them, for Naomi treated Ruth like her own daughter. The women of the community blessed Naomi for the gift of Ruth, who helped provide for her and gave her a new family in her old age.

Psalm 127 is a song of blessing for family life. The psalmist begins by reminding the listener/reader that unless they turn to God first as their foundation and strength, their efforts will be in vain. Instead, when they turn to God first, God will provide. Hard work does not bring blessings, but relationship with God brings us into relationship with one another. The second half of the psalm contains a blessing for large families, especially sons for inheritance, which was necessary in the culture and traditions of property and inheritance of Biblical times

God called the prophet Elijah to visit the widow at Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-16. The prophet asked the widow for water, and then asked her for bread while she was getting him water. She swore to him that she had nothing to eat, just some oil and a little meal, and she was about to make a cake for her and her son as their last meal before they starved to death. However, Elijah tells her to not be afraid, but to first make a little cake of it for him, and then make some for herself and her son. Elijah promised her that the oil and meal would not run out until the day God brought rain back to the land. The injustice of the world would be brough to an end. The woman and her son were able to eat for many days and did not go hungry.

Psalm 146 was the first Psalm selection last week. This psalm is a song of praise to God, the one who truly reigns. The psalmist reminds the people that worldly rulers will fail them and to not put their trust in them. It is God, maker of heaven and earth, who executes justice and remembers the poor and oppressed. Worldly kings will always be tempted by the ways of the world, but God watches over the widows and strangers and immigrants, the ones who are forgotten about, and God loves the righteous. God’s reign endures forever.

The Epistle reading continues in Hebrews with 9:24-28. Because Jesus entered heaven, and not the temple made of human hands, Jesus’s sacrifice was once for all and removed sin itself. Through Christ’s sacrifice, sin has no hold on our lives. Jesus will appear a second time, the writer states, because we appear a second time after our death. We will be saved by Jesus who is waiting for us in the resurrection.

The Gospel of Mark continues with Jesus’ teaching in the temple. In last week’s passage, Jesus was questioned by a scribe about the greatest commandment, and even though Jesus told that scribe he wasn’t far from the kingdom of God, Jesus warns those listening to him to beware other scribes who are scribes for appearances sake. They want everyone to know they are studying scripture, wearing their long robes, and saying long prayers so everyone knows who they are, to be invited for banquets as guests of honor. Instead, Jesus spies a widow putting in two copper coins into the temple treasury, and Jesus lifts her up as an example. Others might have put in large sums, but she put in all she had. Others contributed out of their abundance, but she gave all she had. She lived out her faithfulness.

The Narrative Lectionary also focuses on the prophet Elijah, when Elijah was persecuted and feeling abandoned. In 1 Kings 19:1-18, Elijah wanted to fall down and die. He complained to God he was all alone. Even though he hid 100 prophets still loyal to God before battling the prophets of Baal, Elijah complained he was the only one left, facing persecution. He sat down and fell asleep from exhaustion. However, God sent an angel to wake Elijah up and told him to get up and eat. This happened twice, and Elijah finally had the strength to continue on. Even then, when he arrived at Horeb, he told God he was the only one left, that he remained faithful while the people abandoned God. God told Elijah to stand at the mountain, for God would pass by. However, God was not present in the mighty wind, or the great earthquake, or the roaring fire. There was a sound of sheer silence, and Elijah wrapped his face before going to meet God. Elijah still complained he was the only one left, so God told him to anoint a new king of Aram, a new king of Israel, and Elisha as a new prophet to take his place. In the midst of Elijah’s utter despair, his feeling alone and abandoned, God heard him, and God answered.

In John 12:27-28, Jesus himself was deeply troubled and despairing, and God responded to Jesus’ request to glorify God’s name. In the following verse, others heard the voice, but thought it was thunder, or perhaps an angel, not knowing that it was God speaking assurance to Jesus.

Those of us in the Northern hemisphere are preparing for harvest, and in the U.S. preparing for Thanksgiving. These scriptures remind us that knowing God’s abundance is not about an outward display of faith, but an inner transformation and trust in God. Ruth trusted her mother-in-law was not only looking out for her own interests but for all of them, including Boaz, as family. The widow at Zarephath trusted the prophet Elijah and fed him first before herself and her son, trusting his words that God would provide for her family as well as the prophet. Elijah himself, when everything seems to be collapsing, still trusts in God enough to know he can pour out his feelings to God, and God provides in his time of need. Jesus takes notice of a widow who puts in all she has, trusting in God, compared to the religious leaders who were concerned about looking religious. Trusting in God’s abundance doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes go without, but it means we believe God has provided a world of abundance. The systems and structures of the world create food scarcity, hunger, and poverty, but God calls us to the work of justice to dismantle the sin of the world. This is what Elijah did when he met the widow at Zarephath. This is what Jesus pointed out to the disciples when he lifted up the poor widow above the rich givers and the flashy religious leaders. This is what we are called to do.

Call to Worship
We gather now to give thanks to our God,
Whose steadfast love endures forever.
We lift up our hearts, our prayers and praise to God,
Whose steadfast love endures forever.
We reflect and ponder the word and wisdom of God,
Whose steadfast love endures forever.
We join together as followers of Jesus Christ,
Whose steadfast love endures forever.

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God of Everlasting Love, we confess that we are short-tempered and short-sighted. We do not have patience for those who cry out for justice because we are focused on ourselves. We do not perceive how our lives are connected to others when all we notice are our own troubles. We fail to remember that our days are short, but You are the one who reigns forever. You remind us time and again that we are connected to each other. You have commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. You call us into Your work of justice and reparation. God, hold us accountable. Remind us when we are focused only on ourselves instead of the world You called us to participate in. Keep us to Your ways of love, justice, and mercy. Amen.

Blessing/Assurance
There is more than enough love to go around. More than enough resources. More than enough of everything, when we remember we are one body in Christ, when we remember we are all children of God. Know that you are loved and needed, and that you need to love one another. When we love each other, our needs are met in the care of Christ’s community. Go and work to build up the reign of God on earth as it is in heaven, for you are loved, forgiven, and restored. Amen.

Prayer
Steadfast Spirit, breathe into us new life when we are downtrodden. Lift up our hearts when the world crushes us down. Guide us into Your ways of peace when the violence and heartbreak is unbearable. Refresh and restore us, Holy One, for there is so much that drains us. Remind us that renewal and rest are holy acts, and You have created us and called us into the holy work of love in this world. *In the winds of November, may Your Spirit raise us and encourage us as the nights grow longer and the days short and cold, for You are the one who brings all things into renewal. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

*for those in the Southern Hemisphere, alternative wording: In the growing light, may Your Spirit raise us and encourage us as the flowers bloom and birds sing, for You are the one who births all things in renewal. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22); Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Hebrews 7:23-38; Mark 10:46-52

Narrative Lectionary: God Calls David, 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 51:10-14 (John 7:24)

Job responded to God at the beginning of chapter 42, recognizing that he was speaking without thinking, accusing God without understanding who God is and what God was up to. Job repented, and he was restored. In this restoration, all of Job’s brothers and sisters and neighbors gathered and showed him kindness and empathy. He also had more children, and in this story, God’s restoration of Job also caused Job to right a societal wrong. Instead of Job’s sons being named, all three of his daughters are named. Job gave them an inheritance just as he gave his sons. Job’s encounter with God has shown Job that what matters in the world is living out God’s intention for us. God’s restoration of Job spurred Job into the work of restoration in his own life, among his family, and the greater community.

Psalm 34:1-8 was also the second Psalm selection for the Revised Common Lectionary on August 8th. The psalmist begins by praising God and calling the congregation into glorifying God together. The psalmist speaks of how God has answered their prayers when they were suffering, and God has delivered those in need. The psalmist then calls upon the listener to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” to know God’s goodness in all our senses, but especially in the food and drink that nourishes us. Vs. 19-22 contain assurance that God will restore the righteous and rescue them from evil.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks good news from God to the people of Israel who were taken into exile long ago, as the people of Judah prepared for their own fate. In the midst of Jerusalem’s siege, Jeremiah proclaims that God is a parent to them, one who will comfort and console them and will lead them back gently. God makes sure that it isn’t only the strong who survive, but children, women who are pregnant, those who are blind and disabled—all people are included in this remnant that God will make sure returns home.

Psalm 126 is a song of praise for God’s restoration. The people have returned to their homes and worship has returned to Jerusalem, to the holy city. Those who left in mourning will return rejoicing, their arms full from the harvest. It will be told among the nations what God has done for the people of Israel.

The author of Hebrews continues the proclamation that Jesus is both high priest and final sacrifice. In 7:23-28, the author writes that because Jesus rose from the dead and lives forever, he is the only high priest needed, for he will never die. Because he offered himself as a sacrifice, there is no need to offer sacrifices on a daily basis. The author declares that as both high priest and sacrifice, Jesus intercedes on behalf of us, and there is no more need for the sacrificial system for atonement of sins for those who believe in Jesus as Christ.

Jesus heals Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus was a known beggar who was blind and sat on the side of the road. When he called out to Jesus, calling him Son of David, others ordered him to be quiet. However, Jesus heard him, and asked Bartimaeus what it was he wanted Jesus to do. He asked Jesus to be able to see again. He once could see, but had lost his sight, which was probably the reason why he begged. Jesus tells him that his faith has made him well, and at once Bartimaeus regains his sight. We must be cautious as we read the healing miracles of Jesus to not conflate healing with curing. Healing is about wholeness. Bartimaeus is now able to participate fully in society and has restored what was once taken from him. Healing is not curing and taking away someone’s disability. Healing is about restoring people to society because of society’s norms that keep people marginalized and outcast.

The Narrative Lectionary focuses on God’s Calling of David in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. The prophet Samuel first anointed Saul as king, but Saul has failed to live into God’s ways. In the previous verse, God regretted making Saul king, but now, God wants Samuel to move on and anoint a new king. He sends him to Jesse in Bethlehem, who has eight sons, under the guise of offering a sacrifice so as not to tip King Saul off that he’s about to lose his job. Jesse has seven of them come before Samuel. The prophet is sure God is choosing the oldest, or the strongest, but God does not see the way humans do. Once the seven sons pass before Samuel, he asks Jesse if he has any other sons, and Jesse calls for the youngest, who was out keeping the sheep. This youngest is described as having beautiful eyes and being handsome—perhaps he was teased for looking “cute” by his older brothers. Nonetheless, despite being the youngest and seen as unimportant by his father and brothers, Samuel anoints David as king, and the Lord’s spirit comes over David.

Psalm 51 has traditionally been attributed to David. The whole psalm is a prayer for help and confession of sin, but verses 10-14 ask God to create a clean, new heart inside the psalmist, to be delivered from violence, to be pure before God and to have God’s Holy Spirit dwell within them.

Jesus teaches the crowds in John 7:24 to not judge by appearances, but to judge with right judgment. David was seen as small and unimportant, but his knowledge of caring for the sheep turned him into being a shepherd for the people. In John’s Gospel account, Jesus is arguing with the crowds who are upset he healed on the Sabbath and accused him of having a demon—when he did something good and right.

Far too often Christians have viewed faith and belief in Jesus Christ as a ticket into heaven. As a way of surviving this world and being with God forever. Instead, the scriptures, from Job to Jeremiah to the Gospels, invite us to build up God’s reign on earth. To right the wrongs of society. To include those the dominant voices have pushed to the margins or forgot about. To lift up those whom we might not look to for leadership—searching for wisdom and insight instead of strength and might. When Job’s fortunes were restored, he took it as an opportunity to right some wrongs of the traditions of his day. The storytellers of Job include his daughters in the inheritance, to make sure their names were remembered. The Gospel writer of Mark made sure that Bartimaeus was remembered when others wanted him to keep quiet, and that he was restored to society. Samuel was certain God would call up another strong leader for Israel, but instead, it was the little shepherd boy, probably teased by his brothers for being cute, the one his father seemed to forget, whom God chose to be king. While we are offered eternal life, God also offers us the opportunity to participate in Christ’s reign on earth. We can choose to continue to live in a hell on earth while waiting for heaven, or we can work to build heaven on earth.

Call to Worship (Psalm 34:1-3, 8)
I will bless the LORD at all times;
God’s praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
Let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt God’s name together.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
Happy are those who take refuge in God.

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God of All People, we confess that we still turn to those with the most worldly power to lead us. We turn to the rich and watch them make strides into space. We turn to the famous to see what they share on social media. We turn to the loudest voices and listen to them, either to praise them or to complain about them. Forgive us for not turning to You. Forgive us for not remembering how Your Son Jesus came to become last of all and servant of all. Forgive us for not learning the lesson to look to the children, the weak, the disabled, the widows, the poor, the sex workers and tax collectors, all those despised and rejected by society. Forgive us for our failure to remember how You died as a common criminal, executed by the justice system of the dominant worldly power. Call us back to Your ways. Help us to hear the cries from the side of the road for healing and to answer them. Guide us to listen to the voices of those we often leave out and forget. Remind us that we are leaving this earth for the next generations and we must value their lives by caring for this earth You made. Forgive us and guide us into Your way, Your truth, and Your life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Blessing/Assurance
Psalm 34:4 reads, “ I sought the LORD, and God answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” God hears our prayers and answers us by providing us with one another, the body of Christ. May we turn and lift up one another. May we open our hearts and minds to listen when another is in need, when another is suffering. May we be the answer to prayer by sharing Christ’s love with one another in word and deed. May we know the forgiveness of Jesus Christ when we forgive others, when we work to repair and restore what has been broken, to right the wrongs in our society, and build up God’s reign on Earth. Amen.

Prayer
Weaver of the Stars, we know Your work in creation and Your work in our lives. Threads are woven together, binding us to creation and to one another in community. We impact the ecosystem, and the environment impacts our lives, and it can be harmful to the most vulnerable among us. Remind us of our interconnectedness and to care for creation, for by doing so we care for community and for one another. And while we only know Your weaving here on earth, we can see Your weaving in the stars beyond us, in the galaxies far off. Who knows what You are weaving inside us, in the tiny atoms that give us life and make us who we are? May we pause and take into our hearts all the work of Your loom in the world, and do what we can to be part of Your glorious, beautiful pattern in this world and the universe. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Job 38:1-7 (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c; Isaiah 53:4-12; Psalm 91:9-16; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

Narrative Lectionary: God Calls Samuel, 1 Samuel 3:1-21 (John 20:21-23)

God answered Job from the whirlwind in chapter 38. After thirty-six chapters of Job arguing with his friends (and a stranger who happens along for the last few chapters) and Job questioning God, God finally responded. Job demanded answers from God about why he suffered. To Job, God appeared absent, but to God, God had been active all around him. While Job questioned God for the chaos in his life, God responded from the heart of chaos, the whirlwind. God was not angry that Job had questions, but rather Job asked the wrong kind of questions. The questions God asked Job are the very questions Job ought to have been asking all along. Instead, Job was busy wanting to know why he had suffered, as if it was personal, while God was busy with the universe.

Psalm 104 is an epic poem or song praising God for creation. This psalm invokes God as the one whose home is in the heavens, whose sovereignty is over the entire universe. God overcomes the elements of chaos, using wind and fire to communicate as messengers, and sets the boundaries of the waters on earth. God creates out of wisdom, creating the diversity of life on earth.

Isaiah 53:4-12 is one of the Suffering Servant passages, in which the people of Israel are personified as the servant of God who has suffered. Israel suffered and carried the sufferings of all people. In the worldview at the time, suffering was seen as punishment. Here, Isaiah portrayed Israel’s suffering as a way for all people to understand how God can work through suffering, how God does not abandon those who suffer but will see them through.

Psalm 91:9-16 is a blessing of God’s protection. God will protect those who are faithful and deliver them from danger. God will answer those who call out to God in faithfulness. This psalm is quoted by Satan to Jesus in the temptation in the wilderness, but Jesus rebukes Satan, for this is not to be used to test God, but rather this is a prayer for the faithful to have assurance of God’s protection and deliverance.

The Epistle reading continues its series in Hebrews with 5:1-10. The author of Hebrews declares Jesus as the high priest, referencing Melchizedek, a priest mentioned in Psalm 110:4, who blessed Abraham back in Genesis 14:8. There was a tradition that because Melchizedek’s death was not mentioned in scripture, he had lived forever. And because he was a priest who had blessed Abraham, his priestly line was also valid forever, according to the author of Hebrews. God had appointed Jesus as both high priest and sacrifice, the one who offered forgiveness and prayed on behalf of the people before his death, solidifying his role as a priest, according to the author.

James and John come to Jesus and ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hands in glory in Mark 10:35-45. Though they are the sons of Zebedee, in Mark 3:17 Jesus nicknamed the two the “sons of Thunder.” They seem to be impulsive. In Luke 9:54, after a Samaritan village refuses to receive Jesus, James and John ask Jesus if he wants them to call down fire from heaven to consume them. Jesus ends up rebuking them at that time. In this passage, Jesus tells them that they don’t know what it is they are asking of him. They don’t understand what it means to drink from the cup Jesus drinks from or the baptism he is baptized with. They don’t understand what Jesus’ destiny and judgment means. And the other disciples become angry with them for even asking about it. However, Jesus tells the disciples that it isn’t about arguing who is greatest because that’s what those concerned about rank and privilege do. Instead, they are friends with one another, and friends serve one another, laying down their life for each other. Whoever wants to be great will serve one another and meet the needs of their friends, for Christ came to serve all by laying down his life.

The Narrative Lectionary focuses on God’s calling of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1-21. Samuel had been dedicated to God by his mother Hannah, after she had prayed for a long time hoping to have a child. Eli the priest was raising Samuel in the temple at Shiloh. One night, the boy Samuel heard God calling him, but he thought it was Eli, so he went to Eli and woke him up. But Eli didn’t call for him and told him to go lie back down. This happens three times before Eli recognizes that Samuel did hear someone, and it must be God. He instructs Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” and Samuel obeys. God speaks through Samuel and foretells what is to happen, for Eli’s own sons serving in the temple are corrupt. God is bringing judgment to Eli’s household because of it. Though it is harsh, Eli accepts what Samuel has said, trusting that God is speaking through Samuel, for God said their words would cause the ears of all who heard it to tingle. God continued to speak through Samuel as he grew up, and all of Israel knew they could trust Samuel as the prophet of God.

Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection in John 20:21-23. Jesus breathes on the disciples and instructs them to receive the Holy Spirit. As God has sent him, so he is sending the disciples out, letting them know they have the power to forgive sins.

We think we know the way. We know the way to a successful, content, happy life, and yet we find ourselves longing for something else. The world tricks us into chasing happiness. The world tricks us into believing that if someone has suffered, they must have done something to deserve it. Scripture shows us, from Isaiah to Job, that suffering is not from God, but that God is with us when we suffer. We do not go it alone. We can find hope despite our suffering. However, looking for a world of ease, to escape suffering, is not the way either. James and John think they know the way of Christ, but they are still caught up on a world of princes and rulers; their desire to sit at the right and left hand of Christ in his reign shows they don’t understand Christ’s reign at all. Jesus wasn’t speaking about a future kingdom, but the community that they shared right there, to serve one another, to meet one another’s needs as he was serving them. This is how we find the way—not chasing after some lofty ideal of what we think it means to be successful, but in serving one another as Christ served us.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 104:1-2a, 24, 35c)
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD our God, You are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Wrapped in light as with a garment.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
Praise the Lord!

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Almighty One, Maker of the Universe, we confess that our heads are turned down and we are focused only on what is in front of us. We have a hard time breaking out of the cycle of this world that pushes us to achieve monetary success and gaining of possessions as a way of happiness. Guide us back to Your ways, in which we are called to love You and love one another, as You have loved us. Remind us that Your reign is not of this world, and that the beloved community You are building on earth is one in which we serve one another and meet the needs of each other. For we find that when we seek to care for one another, our own needs are met. When we love one another, we are loved, and we know Your love more deeply. Bring us back to Your way, Your truth, and Your life, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Blessing/Assurance
God’s steadfast love endures forever. There is no end to God’s faithfulness, and when we seek God, we find God is already among us. Know God’s love in your love for one another. Know God’s forgiveness as you forgive one another, seek to repair what has been broken and reconcile whenever possible. Know God’s peace as you center your lives on God’s love and share God’s love with the world. Amen.

Prayer
Amazing One, we cannot count the stars, we cannot see atoms, we cannot perceive the galaxies and how it all began except by our imagination and wonder. Yet we know You have set things in motion. We continue to learn and discover new and exciting things. Help us to foster curiosity and imagination and dreams. Remind us that Your ways of wisdom is to seek understanding by being in awe of Your work in the universe. Help us to let go of our need to have answers, but stir in us the courage to ask questions. Help us to shift our mindsets so that we might spend more time in wonder and delight instead of worry and fear. Amen.

Revised Common Lectionary: Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Psalm 22:1-15; Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31

Revised Common Lectionary: God Provides Manna, Exodus 16:1-18 (John 6:51)

The first passage of the Hebrew scriptures continues in the second half of the season after Pentecost in Wisdom Literature, and for much of October, in the book of Job. In this selection, Job is responding to one of his friends, who has called upon Job to get in right relationship with God. Job’s complaint is that God has been absent—it’s not Job’s fault their relationship seems to be nonexistent—and he calls for a fair trial, where he could lay out his case before God. The opening scenes with God in the book of Job take place in the heavenly courtroom, and the prosecutor, Satan, has laid charges against Job. Now, Job desires to plead his case, to share his defense, to appear before God the Judge, but Job cannot find God. He believes God can do anything, and is afraid of what God might do, but disappointed in what God seems to be choosing not to do—not answering Job in the way Job wants to be answered.

Psalm 22 is a song seeking God’s help. In the first eight verses, the psalmist pleads with God, feeling abandoned and forsaken. They know that God is the one their ancestors trusted long ago, the one who delivered the people from harm, but the psalmist has lost all hope. They see themselves as a worm, not even human, unworthy of love. They are scorned and mocked by others. But in verses 9-15, the psalmist asserts that God has been with them since they were born. God delivered them safely then, and they pray God will deliver them safely now, for there is no one else. The psalmist is dried up, they’ve poured everything out and there’s nothing left to give. They are in God’s hands now.

The prophet Amos cries against injustice in chapter 5. The prophet urges the people to turn to God for their lives, because they have not practiced justice. The leaders haven’t listened to God’s ways and have trampled on the poor for their own wealth and gain. God knows their sins—they cannot hide what they have done to the poor, it is public knowledge. However, God is warning them. If they seek God’s ways, turn back to God, and instead of trying to justify their actions transform their lives for justice, God will remember them and perhaps they can be spared from the consequences of their actions.

Psalm 90 is a song of prayer to God, a reminder that human being’s lives are short, and to God, they pass by quickly. The first part of the psalm reminds the people that their days will slip away, especially when they do not follow God’s ways. In verses 12-17, the psalmist asks God to help the people remember to count their days in wisdom. The psalmist pleads with God to answer, to turn back to the people with God’s faithful love, even if the people have not always been faithful. The psalm calls for God to bless the work of the hands of the people, that their good acts will be seen, and God’s kindness observed by others. The psalmist hopes that their lives will count for something beyond what they know.

The Epistle reading continues its series in Hebrews with 4:12-16. The word of God here is the Word that became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus is the one who knows our hearts and our intentions. Everything is exposed before God, nothing can be hidden. Jesus is our high priest, one who has lived as one of us, died as one of us, and through his experience, we know we can be reconciled to God.

Jesus encounters a rich man in Mark 10:17-31 who wishes to inherit eternal life. He asks Jesus what he must do, calling Jesus “Good Teacher,” but Jesus questions him, because no one is good but God alone—meaning that this man either recognizes and acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore honors Jesus’ authority—or is saying it out of flattery. Jesus responds with a list of commandments, but the man says he has kept all of them since his youth. Then Jesus, in looking at him, loves him. He sees something authentic and real, and also heartbreaking. He tells the rich man that he lacks one thing: he needs to go and sell everything that he has, give the money to the poor, and then he will have treasure in heaven. Then he can follow Jesus. But the man leaves, grieving. Jesus explains to the disciples how difficult it will be for those with wealth to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus repeats himself, and the disciples are perplexed, wondering how anyone can be saved, but Jesus says its only possible because of God. Peter then boldly insists that they’ve left everything to follow Jesus—as if he is uncertain Jesus has considered them and their sacrifices. Jesus assures them that they will receive all these things as part of the reign of God—possessions, family, and friends, but also persecutions—and eternal life to come. However, Jesus still warns that many are first will be last, and the last will be first. Many of the disciples would die for the faith, even after experiencing Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and the beginning of the early church. Many of them would lose what is important in this world, in order to gain what is important to God.

The Narrative Lectionary focuses on “God Provides Manna” in Exodus 16:1-18. The people of Israel escaped their oppression in Egypt, crossed the red sea, and made it to the wilderness. And almost immediately, they began complaining about how there was no food in the wilderness. They remembered the food back in Egypt, especially how they could eat their fill of bread. So God made it rain down bread, manna from heaven. God also provided quail in the evening. The Israelites didn’t know what to make of the manna, a white flaky thin bread, but God commanded them to collect only what they needed for the day for their household. No matter how much they collected, at the end, everyone had just the right amount for their daily needs.

In John 6:51, Jesus identifies himself as the bread that has come down from heaven—whoever consumes his life, abides in his love, will have eternal life. The bread he gave for the world was his flesh.

What is important to us is not always the same thing as what is important to God, and this is a hard lesson. What we think we need to live a satisfying life is not necessarily what God desires for us. God knows our basic needs—food, clothing, shelter, love, care—but we often convolute our needs with our desires for more possessions, more comfort, more safety and security. Those latter desires can often shield us from perceiving injustice in this world. The wealthier we are, living in more affluent, secure areas—we never have to see a person experiencing homelessness, never have to travel through food deserts, never have to wonder if our electricity will be shut off. Instead, what is important to God is our relationship with one another and with creation. When Peter insists that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, Jesus reminds them of what they now have—they now have family through Christ in one another. They have houses and farms and fields—through the generosity of others who have shared their lives with them. The early church in Acts 2-4 shows how the early believers lived out the reign of God by meeting each other’s needs instead of looking to satisfy their own desires. However, this is a difficult lesson for us. Jesus looks at many of us in love, and watches many of us walk away in grief from the life Christ has offered, because we have many things that possess us.

Call to Worship (Psalm 146:1-2, 6)
Praise the Lord!
Let my whole being praise the Lord!
I will praise the Lord with all my life,
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
God is the maker of heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them.
God is faithful forever,
And reigns with justice and righteousness.

Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Gracious and Wondrous God, we confess that we never seem to have enough. We desire to have more. We pursue what we do not have because others have it and we want it. We push ourselves to extremes, ignoring the poor, the oppressed among us, those whose voices we have marginalized, in order to assure ourselves of worldly success, security, wealth, and notoriety. Forgive us for our foolish ways. Lead us in Your wisdom to pursue justice and righteousness. Guide us in Your way of generosity to a spirit of abundant love and care for those in need among us. Hold us to Your truth and help us repent where we have gone astray to the ways of the world, instead of following Your way, Your truth, and Your life, through Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for us. It is in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Blessing/Assurance
Our cup runs over in the house of God. There is always more than enough for everyone, and just enough for our daily needs. When we love, care, and serve one another, we serve Christ. Know God’s ways, trust in God’s truth, and be assured that you are forgiven, loved, and restored. God and share the good news. Amen.

Prayer
God of all seasons, we take notice of You in the colors upon the earth. From spring in the southern hemisphere to autumn in the northern hemisphere, You are doing something new. Seedtime and harvest, You are painting a great canvas in our world of beauty and life. Renew our hearts, O God, in the turning of the seasons. Remind us how short and precious life is, Creator of All, so that we might count our days with wise hearts. Help us to enjoy Your earth and to care for it. Whether we are preparing bulbs for slumber or tilling the earth for planting, bless our co-creating with You, Holy One, and grow something new in us. Help us to perceive that You are doing a new thing, sprouting forth and changing, dying and rising again, for all things return to You, O God, Giver of Life. Amen.