UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST in SIMI VALLEY
Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost - November 16, 2003
Anne G. Cohen
1 Samuel 1:4-20
For Our Reflection:
Light a candle
Write your dreams
Circle around the food of your imagination.
Wood, wicks, wheat
All variables in a world
of so many differences.
- Elizabeth Dyer, Blessing New
Voices (p.56)
Hannah's Baby
In 1970, when Paul was ten years old, he and his brother bought a
handsome, narrow, dark leather belt as a birthday gift for their
stepfather. Their father appreciated the gift and wore it often.
Several weeks later Paul, being ten years old, did something thaty
seriously provoked his parents. The confrontation occurred in the
kitchen, his mother standing by to represent a united front with his
father. Paul was asked to bend over and his father proceeded to hit him
several times with his belt.
His father then asked him, "What have you learned from this?"
And Paul
answered, "Not to give my father a belt as a birthday present?"
His
mother excused herself quickly and left the room. His father hesitated,
said, "Well, okay then..." and left the room just as quickly.
It was years later that Paul found out that they had laughed themselves
sick behind closed doors.
***
STILL LIFE WITH RICE is the biography of a Korean-American woman born in
of Louise and Jeanne - written from her grandmother's point of view.
It is a fascinating story of strength and survival, Korean culture and
history, family life and politics. Like most stories about real people,
humor and will power, love and forgiveness are the sustaining factors -
the main characters, if you will.
Page Two
In an early chapter, the Older Brother, restless in an arranged marriage
with a faithful but unattractive Wife, brings home a second, very
beautiful wife. Second Wife happens to be spoiled, arrogant,
manipulative and a thief. A whole lot of provoking goes on in that
household and feelings run high below the surface of a proper Korean
family life.
But after a confrontation and a whipping from her Sister-in-law,
banishment and return, it doesn't seem to matter much any more. They
learn to live in an uneasy truce, true to themselves and family unity.
Ultimately, the beautiful Second Wife applies the make-up to her
Sister-in-law's face on her wedding day.
***
This morning we heard a story about a family written thousands of years
ago. And, true to form, the story includes a whole lot of provocation.
Hannah - Grace, Gift of God - First (and most beloved) Wife of El-Kanah
- is childless. Her Rival - Penninah - Second Wife - has a plethora of
children. In the rabbinic period, the Hebrew word for RIVAL had become
the same word for Second Wife or Co-Wife.
In our story, Hannah is justifiably jealous of Penninah's fecundity.
Penninah is justifiably jealous of her husband's love for and favoring
of Hannah. You can imagine the provoking that goes on here in this
family - but you don't have to - the text actually tells us that it
occurred.
In verse 6: [Hannah's] rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate
her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
And in verse 7: ...she is provoked again.
It is this provoking that drives Hannah to the temple in
sacrifices to God. She is actually driven to her knees in heated prayer
and conversation with her Maker.
Eli, the temple priest, sees her exaggerated, animated but silent facial
expressions. As Hannah promises God to give the son He gives to her -
back to God - which will mean keeping him away from drink and excess -
and on the straight and narrow - Eli accuses HER of being drunk.
Ironic, funny, sad. Hannah, misunderstood and provoked, explains
herself - and Eli, struggling not to leave the room laughing, assures
her that God has heard and will respond favorably.
Page Three
This is a turning point for Hannah. But she wouldn't have gotten there
if Penninah had not provoked her to her knees and sent her begging to
God. Hannah - Grace, Gift of God - gives birth to Samu'el - in Hebrew,
Shemu'el or Sheme'el - He Who Is From God. She also gives birth to an
additional three sons and two daughters. When God opens your womb -
watch out. You may get more than you prayed for.
Hannah's baby, Samuel, is the turning point for
Hannah's baby is a Priest, a Seer or Prophet, a War Leader AND a Judge.
He tries to talk his people out of having a King - pointing to
corruption as the inevitable partner to power. But, when they insist,
Samuel tries to find them a GOOD King - who has similar qualities to
himself. (No control issues here.)
Hannah's baby, Gift from God, Answered Prayer, is the result of
provocation - from Penninah, from Eli, from Hannah on her knees.
Hannah's baby provokes his way through an interim period that changes
his entire nation.
Hannah's baby is no different than any other baby - in his time and
ours, in Judah/Israel or
provocation as a method for creative character development - a tool to
bring people to their knees before God with clarity about their purpose.
***
The danger, of course, is that provocation is often used as an excuse
for violence or revenge or character dismemberment. With this in mind,
dragon, a monster and the monster's mother) - offering the story from
the monster's point of view.
GRENDEL - the monster, chooses to terrorize a Danish village - because
they have rested on their laurels, become weak and arrogant and
useless. The Danes are not living up to their full potential. So
Grendel provokes them - bringing them to their knees in terror - and
then into their armor - becoming the warriors they were meant to be.
Grendel dies, but the Danes are stronger people. The question remains:
are they BETTER people?
Page Four
***
With provocation being a mainstay of human family life, we need to pay
attention to our motivations as we provoke, to our responses to the
provoking of others. We might also ask what kind of people would we be
WITHOUT provocation? What would our relationships be like - with each
other, with God - if we were not driven to our knees and again to our
feet by those who provoke us and do (or don't) love us - and yet,
hopefully, make us better people?
As Helie Lee pointed out, her grandmother NEVER volunteered to be victim
- a victim of her culture, the men (and women) in her family, the civil
war that tore her country and family apart. She was NEVER a volunteer
for suffering. But she took the provocation - from people and
situations - she fell to her knees, shook her fist at God - and became
an astonishing, provocative, annoying, loving, strong-willed, generous,
healing person.
Her story provokes me, makes me turn and remember all of the
provocative, annoying people in my life - the ones who challenged my
point of view and assumptions, who angered me and tested my mettle,
those who drove me to my knees without dismembering my character - and
ultimately made me a better person.
I want to thank them - and all of you - for gifts of honesty and
provocation, for holding up a mirror and laughing at me and with me in
the face of the ridiculous, in the face of the fully human moments of
our life together.
We are challenged by Paul in his letter to the Hebrews (
"Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good
deeds..."
Let us provoke one another so that we may embody Hannah - Grace, Gift of
God - and Hannah's baby - He who is from God.
And in our acts of provocation, may we engage the powers in healthy,
non-violent conflict - and make the world a better world.
*************************
BULLETIN
WE GATHER FOR PRAYER AND CELEBRATION
Music for Gathering
Welcome and Perspective on the Day
Musical Preparation for Worship - A Time for Centering
+ Call to Worship (Unison)
In a spiraling world,
God is the center point.
Our focus is directed forever
to this middle.
The colors of our hearts
swirl and combine
as they near center -
suddenly we see -
God is reflected into all of us.
+ Hymn of Praise You Are
Child Back Cover
+ Opening Prayer (unison)
I was a fallen star,
My own light fading.
My hope to be untrue,
My wishes were broken,
My dreams turned to nightmares.
My strength was weakened by my sadness.
The moon lost his faith in me,
The stars had turned away from me;
The darkness filling me,
The gleam in my heart had lost its love.
My whole universe - empty.
But then, suddenly, the Sun,
Her extravagant light,
Her rays reaching out with love,
Her gentle breaks through the clouds shouted with compassion,
Her love shined to my heart's center,
Her brilliant faith in me touched my soul.
My love returned,
My faith restored,
My strength overcome,
My luminous soul lightened until the darkness slowly disappeared.
I am a shooting star,
Circling over God's majestic kingdom,
Reaching out my peace to others,
Glittering the heavens of the sky.
+ Our Common Prayer (unison)
Creator God who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the kingdom and the power
And the glory forever. Amen.
Time for Silent Reflection
One: My soul waits in silence.
All: God is my rock and my fortress. I will
be at
peace.
Silent
Reflection
The
Assurance of Good News (unison)
Dear God, you are the hands of our earth.
Everything is what you are touching.
I know that you are there for me
and that my mother is, too.
Sung Response "A
Song"
Words by Katherine Smith
Music by Billie Dierking
Accompaniment by Rebecca Dekker
WE TEACH, REFLECT AND PROCLAIM
Conversation with Our Children
Reading from the Hebrew Scripture
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Sermon Hannah's Baby
WE RESPOND TO GOD'S INVITATION
Intercessions, Celebrations and Encouragements
Call to
Prayer Be still and know that I am God
Hymnal # 743
Time for
Silence
Our Joys and
Concerns and an Offering of Prayer
Sung
Response In Solitude
Hymnal #521 vv. 1 & 2
We Offer Our Gifts So That Our Lives May Be Our Prayer
A Steward's
Story
Offertory
Prayer of
Dedication (unison)
Dearest God,
I pray for all those who feel that they are less than whole,
for those who are confused,
for those who lie inadvertently,
for those who can't live by kind words,
and most of all.
for those who don't realize that they
are loved and treasured by you. Amen.
+ Sending Hymn In the Bulb There Is a Flower
Hymnal # 433
+ Commissioning (unison)
Dear God,
I would like the earth to be quiet of wars
and free form pollution.
The ocean needs to be washed clean
so it can sparkle in the starlight.
I hope someday someone opens the door to the prison
and no one is there.
And I hope everyone will open their hearts.
Thank you. Amen.
+ Sung Response (we gather in some semblance of a circle)
Hymnal # 526
We are marching in the Light of God, We are marching in the Light of God
We are marching in the Light of God, We are marching in the Light of God
We are marching, Oo, We are marching in the Light of God
We are marching, Oo, We are marching in the Light of God
+ Postlude
WORSHIP NOTES
Call to Worship is by Sara Fineberg-Lombardi, found in
Blessing New Voices: Prayers of Young People (ages 12-21),
Ed. Maren C. Tirabassi (p.11)
Opening Prayer is by Laura Aldorisio, Ibid. (pp.54-55)
The Assurance of Good News is by Megan Fairbanks, Ibid. (p.101) Adapted
Prayer of Dedication is by Brittany Copp, Ibid. (p.29)
Commissioning is by Michelle Barnes, Ibid. (p.13)