Rev. George Miller
Oct 24, 2021
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Ever have one of those days where you wonder “Why?” “Where’s the purpose?”
“Does what I do matter?”
If so, we have three stories to share with you. Here’s the first story.
Once upon a time, in the frozen land of Maine, lived a couple named Charles
and Rebecca. They lived a good life.
As they got older, they decided to create a scholarship. They gave generously to this scholarship year
in and year out, but they rarely heard back from those who had received.
“Why bother?” they wondered, deciding this would be the last year they
would give of their well-earned gifts.
Little did they know that on that year, their gifts would go to a rather
bratty, out-spoken, Long Islander who had finally decided to stop running from
the Lord.
During that 1st semester, thanks to the prompting of the school,
he wrote a barely legible “thank you” to this couple named Charles and Rebecca,
and their response was nothing but pure love, gratitude, and joy that what they
did had made a difference.
For three years their generosity allowed him to attend Seminary, do
field-ed and serve 2 unique churches.
It’s fair to say that what Charles and Rebecca did back in 2001
mattered. It mattered to me. I pray it has mattered to you, and to our
community.
How different life would’ve been if it were not for the sacrifice of
these 2 people I didn’t know.
Do they truly know the difference they have made?
Are they aware that in some way, their actions began a path that would
wind from Grand Rapids to Highlands County, which would include a food pantry,
a vacation bible school, a benefit for Haiti, and now a church that may become
Open and Affirming?
…Ever have one of those days where you wonder “Why?” “Where’s the
purpose?” “Does what I do matter?”
If so, here’s a second story.
Once upon a time, 3,000 years ago in the arid land of Israel, lived a
couple named Elkanah and Hannah.
Hannah was a woman of faith who had the audacity to call upon the Lord
and ask for the one thing she wanted.
A son she promised that she would dedicate back to God.
9 months later she gave birth to a boy named Samuel; 3 years later she
gave her boy to God, in the Temple.
This story has a lot of things about it that can make us feel uncomfortable.
What does it mean that Hannah got to have a son when we know so many
women and so many men who do everything they can, and never have a child, no
matter how hard they pray?
How do we feel that her husband was Ok with giving their son up?
Is the Bible saying we are supposed to be like Hannah, that we should
give up our precious babies to God?
These are all vital, uncomfortable questions to ask, and it’ll be good to
revisit these questions when Advent comes along and we see Mary get a message
from an angel about Jesus.
So, what became of Hannah’s son?
Did her unconventional choice make a difference?
Scripture tells us that after Hannah sung her song of praise, she went
home, only seeing her son once a year.
Samuel grew under the guidance of Eli, the chief priest. He began to minister before the Lord. One day, God calls upon him. “Samuel, Samuel!” To which Samuel says “Speak, your servant is
listening.”
God says to him “I am about to do something new that’s gonna make folks’
ears tingle!”
Samuel grows. God is right with
him, revealing all new things to him, and Samuel became God’s press secretary.
A war breaks out. Eli dies, the Ark
of the Covenant is captured. Samuel is
the people’s last hope. He steps up to
the challenge, gathers the people, gives instruction, leads them in powerful prayer.
With every citizen deeply scared, they call upon Samuel to cry out to God,
and the Lord hears him, the Lord answers, and the enemy is defeated.
Samuel led the people for decades, known for administering justice.
Under God’s guidance, Samuel anoints Israel’s first king- Saul. But Saul is not all he could be, so God has
Samuel anoint Israel’s second king.
That’s the scripture we encounter today.
Hannah’s son, Samuel, goes to Bethlehem, a small backwater town, and anoints
an unknown shepherd named David to be the future king.
This David- he would go onto to become known as the nation’s greatest
King, a warrior, and the great, great ancestor of Jesus’ father, Joseph.
Does what Hannah did decades before when she wailed before God and dedicated
her son, make a whit of a difference?
Scripture would tell us that what Hannah did made all the difference.
Even if we struggle with her choices.
Even if we wonder “Why her and not everyone else?”
Here is an every-day woman who was sick and tired of being sick and tired,
who marched into the Temple, made a demand upon God, and no one’s life would
ever be the same again.
Even if Hannah never got to see it.
Even if she never knew it. Even
if she has no idea that 3,000 years later a bratty, out-spoke, Long Islander
would be speaking about her.
…Ever have one of those days where you wonder “Why?” “Where’s the
purpose?” “Does what I do matter?”
Of course it does. Most likely you’ll
never know it, never see it, you’ll never get a thank-you or a sermon about
you.
But what you do matters. What you
choose to do, or not do, each and everyday matters. It has an effect. It makes a difference.
It may not make front page. The
result may not manifest in your lifetime.
But what we do matters.
That’s what has made the past few months at Emmanuel UCC so exciting.
We are getting to personally experience and see the difference 1 person,
1 dollar can make.
The 14 people who came together last month to bag the groceries for Monday’s
Pantry- we got to see the difference that made.
The collecting of coins for Back Bay and wearing of the stars for Cuba, quickly
raising the funds needed to clean the entire outside of this building.
Last week when we raised $470, $1,150, $1,230 for Haiti, being able to
send 24 students to school.
Students we don’t know, students we’ll most likely never meet, who may
never write to us and know where their education came.
But think of the possibilities, think of think of the futures being
shaped by saying 24 youth on a shimmering island in the sea are going to
school, because of us.
Could one of them be the next Hannah, the next Samuel or David?
…Ever have one of those days where you wonder “Why?” “Where’s the
purpose?” “Does what I do matter?”
If so, here’s the third and final story.
Once upon a time, in the Pearl of the Antilles, was a little dark-skinned
girl with a big voice who was adopted by a man named Amos Eugene.
Rev. Eugene and his wife loved this little girl and installed in her a
deep faith in the Lord. He invested so
much in her, preached sermons that forever changed her life, gifted her with music.
He died a few days ago, but his legacy lives on in his beautiful daughter
Carnide, who has blessed us so.
If it were not for Rev. Eugene, there may not have been a Carnide at
Emmanuel UCC, and without a Carnide, where would we be?
Would money have been raised for those 24 children to go to school?
Would our worship be as it is today?
What we do does make a difference.
Especially when what we do is shaped by God, for God, with God.
We may never know the long term affect we make; we may never see the benefits
or hear the “thank yous.”
But know this- what we do for God, what we do for God’s kingdom, for God’s
people, will always make a difference, will always leave a mark.
In that way we are all Hannahs, we are all Samuels, and we are all
Davids.
We are embodied with the ability to be a blessing, especially when what
we do, we do for the Lord.
Amen and amen.
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