Rev. George Miller
October 20, 2024
2 Samuel 7:1-13
Once upon a time, there was a
controversial election, building of new stores, an influx of immigrants, and
the feeling that “the way of life has changed.”
Into this moment of chaos and differences
emerged an idea- let’s start a new thing- a German Evangelical Congregation.
On March 1, 1880 a group met in a
schoolhouse on Gravois and Park road…and the seeds of St. Lucas were planted
amongst the good soil of Denny Road.
By March 29, a Constitution and Bylaws
were adopted. April saw a unanimous vote
to build. In October, Pastor Joseph
Steinhart preached and was accepted.
144 years later, here we are. Again there is a controversial election, new
stores being built, and an influx of
immigrants.
144 years later, St. Lucas UCC stands,
continuing to transform lives as the hands and feet of Christ.
Has it always been easy? No.
Have there been bumps in the road?
Yes.
Have there been heartbreaks? Of course.
Have there been great triumphs?
Heck yes.
Through it all, St. Lucas is still here,
and we continue to be so.
As a testament to the gifts of Heaven, the
Grace of God, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the hope of the Holy Spirit.
As a church, we are more than a building-
we are a ministry. As a congregation we
are more than the pastor, we are a people.
As a Body Of Christ we are living,
breathing, active, present.
Today, we have a reading about a chance to
build a House of God…and God says no?
Why?
First, let’s revisit Hannah, the one who
seemed hopeless but became victorious.
Hannah has a son, named him Samuel, and has
him raised by the local priest. Samuel grows
up to anoint the 1st King of Isreal, and then he anoints the 2nd
King, David.
So Hannah, who started off as barren,
becomes the mother of the man who calls forth the nation’s greatest King.
David is a charismatic character. Brave.
Flawed. Faithful.
He’s a talented musician; great
dancer. Defeats Goliath, rescues the Ark
of the Covenant, unites the north and south.
Today, King David is at a great place in
his professional and personal life. He
has seen it all, done it all.
There’s no war to worry about. He’s settled, rested.
With all this free time, he begins to
think-
“Here I sit in this palace, and yet the
Ark of the Covenant holding the Law and Commandments is sitting outside in a
tent. Surely we can do better. Surely God deserves more.”
So King David comes up with an idea-
“Let’s build God a home; let’s make a magnificent Temple for God to dwell in.”
It sounds perfect; it feels so right, but
God says “Nope!”
God says “No.”
God says “I have not asked for a
house. I’ve been perfectly fine being
free, moving with the people, going where they go.”
God says “There will come a time in which
a Temple will be built, but I’ll choose who and where. But David- it’s not you.”
And we wonder- how did that feel for King
David to be told “no” and to be told “no” by the very God he fought for, prayed
to, and loved?
Talk about heartbreak. Talk about having to reevaluate your
relationship.
We may wonder “Why?”
Why did God not want David to be the one
to build the Temple? Especially after
all he did, from rescuing the Ark to uniting the nation.
Maybe it’s because King David was too
charismatic, too brave, too bold, too controversial.
Perhaps God knew that if David built the
Temple, it would not be known as the House of God…but it would forever be known
as the House of David.
Perhaps God knew the people and David well
enough that if he was the one to build the Temple, all the glory and honor
would go to David and not the Lord.
So although King David is eager and
excited, God says “No.”
One of the hardest words for someone with
good intentions to hear.
God tells David “no,” and do you know what
King David does?
He sits…and in great humility, he asks
“Who am I?” and then he proceeds to praise God in a way few people ever have.
Everyone here and worshipping online is
encouraged to read 2 Samuel 7:18-29 to experience David’s response.
After being told “No,” King David goes and
sits before God.
This is momentous. Here he is, the most powerful person in the
entire nation, and he sits.
Sitting is a subservient position. Sitting is a sign of humility.
This is not the King sitting on the throne
to receive requests, or sitting at the head of the table to receive praise and
honor.
This is King David sitting on the ground,
like a child before an elder, a student before a teacher.
King David has had his dreams crushed and
instead of responding negatively, he sits.
Then he talks with God.
“Who am I?” he asks. “Who am I that you have brought me so far? O Lord God, you speak, and what can I say,
for I am your servant.”
David humbly sits before God and says
“Because of your promises, you have brought forth greatness. There is no one like you; no one like your
people. You have done great things.”
While sitting on the ground, King David
says “O Lord, your name will be magnified forever, you have given me courage to
pray this prayer.”
“O Lord God, your words are true. Let it be pleasing to you and may your
blessing surround me and my family forever.”
Wow.
King David has had his plans, his dreams,
his good intentions postponed by God, and instead of giving up, giving in, he
praises the Lord.
In just 11 verses, he refers to
-“O Lord” 2 times.
-“God” 3 times.
-“O Lord God” 8 times.
David uses the word “yourself” once,
“your” 15 times, and “you” 17 times.
Which means that King David, the most
powerful person in all of Isreal, refers to God in some way or form 47 times in
11 verses.
47 times David refers to God, all while
sitting on the ground, like a child, a student, a humble servant, before the Almighty.
This is amazing, powerful, insightful.
Who could ever imagine that a “No” from
God could create space for a person to offer praise, look to the future, and to
find incredible peace?
King David is someone who made a lot of
mistakes. We hear numerous stories about
his tragic flaws.
But here, we see someone who is a victor,
someone who has faith, someone who finds a way to rise above rather than sink
below.
This David, who was appointed by the son
of Hannah, who goes on to become the ancestor of Jesus.
Just as we lift up and remember folk like
Pastor Steinhart and Rev. Kruse, we lift up and remember our spiritual
ancestors,
like Hagar, Hannah, and King David who
faced adversity and “no’s” to rise above, to look towards God and to plant the
seeds of faith.
Last week, Hannah showed us how to offer
praise to God in the good times.
Today, King David shows us how to offer
God our praise even when things don’t go as imagined.
So as we move forward together, as we
continue to learn and grow, we find our own ways to speak with our Creator, to
sit before God, and to say what is on our heart and in our mind.
And to know that God hears, and that God
has a future planned.
For that, we can say “Amen.”
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