1 Samuel 19.1-24, Acts 28.1-15 - Lectionary for 8/5/10

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 19.1-24 and Acts 28.1-15.

In yesterday's reading we saw that David, God's anointed king, was placed in dangerous situations but was protected by the Lord.  We may be tempted to go into similar dangers without much caution.  After all, our Lord has promised to be with us always.  We who are partakers of the resurrection may well consider ourselves ultimately invulnerably, and rightly so. But there is a time and a place to exercise caution.  See the way David fled from danger and accepted information from loved ones who warned him of dangers he didn't see.  We likewise can watch for signs of danger and accept wise counsel.  If a large part of our purpose in this life is to love and serve our neighbors, we must realize we will do this most effectively if we are living, healthy, and even prosperous.  We can do more to relieve sickness, hunger, and danger for others if we have the resources to nurture people rather than depending on them.

Do we confess that the Lord will supply our need?  We do.  Do we pray that the Lord will give us our daily bread?  We do.  Do we know that the Lord knows our need and the needs of others before anyone even asks?  We do know that.  Then let us walk in that confidence, knowing the Lord will care for us and use us to care for others around us.  This way we get the opportunity to see that we are being used by the Almighty as he reaches out through us to draw this world to himself, to provide for our neighbors.

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

1 Samuel 18.10-30, Acts 27.27-44 - Lectionary for 8/4/10

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 18.10-30 and Acts 27.27-44.

Safe?  Not necessarily in the way you might think.  The Lord had anointed David to be king of Israel.  Yet this did not keep David from being placed in positions which seemed quite dangerous.  In today's reading not only is David almost pinned to the wall by Saul, he is also sent on a mission to find and kill a hundred Philistines.  No, this doesn't exactly seem safe.  Likewise, being a Christian in these modern times doesn't exactly seem safe.  The twentieth century was statistically the most dangerous one in history to be a Christian.  The twenty-first century so far seems to be a rival for first place.  It's a world where people are routinely killed on account of their faith.  Not only that, but believing people die what we would consider "untimely" deaths.  It only takes one auto accident, one industrial accident, one heart attack, one infection of influenza to kill a person.  Is it safe?

Psalm 139 tells us that before we were born God had lovingly numbered all our days.  Matthew 28 gives us Jesus' promise that he will be with his servants.  Does our Lord protect his people?  Yes he does.  There is no believer who dies outside of God's loving knowledge and protection.  There is no believer who fails to fulfill the number of days the Lord has laid out.  There is no believer whose physical death causes him to perish.  There is no believer who is outside of God's gracious love.  Yes, we are perfectly safe.  

Let us not be fatalistic - living recklessly because God will protect us.  But we can and should live every day in trust that the Lord will graciously protect us and use us according to his plan in that very day the Lord has made.
 

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

The Lutherans in North America, ed. by E. Clifford Nelson

E. Clifford Nelson (ed.). The Lutherans in North America, Revised Ed. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980.

I came across this book when I asked for a text that would summarize Lutheran history in this country.  The book is, quite frankly, one to be waded through.  In its 541 pages it works through over three hundred years of history of Lutheran presence and activity in North America, dealing with a wide variety of topics.  Unfortunately, the book is poorly laid out and unattractive.  It also tends to have a less than tight writing style.  Because there are a large number of small Lutheran groups on this continent, it is quite easy to lose track of the different groups, especially when they are referred to by various abbreviations.  The overall flow of history, however, yields several important insights.  First, it seems that Lutherans in North America have tended to have deep divisions based on their commitments to either confessional history or personal piety.  There has been a strong tendency to bifurcate between confessionalism and personal piety.  Lutheran groups have also, until rather recently, tended to reach only to people of similar cultural and ancestral background.  Hence, Lutherans from Norwaywould send missionaries into different areas looking for other Norwegians, while Lutherans from Germany would restrict their ministry to people of a German heritage.  Therefore, Lutheran faith and practice have tended to be very much culturally mediated. This book will prove useful as a reference tool and as a reminder of some of the pitfalls we find when we reach out to one group rather than to the entirety of the population surrounding us.

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

1 Samuel 17.48-18.9, Acts 27.9-26 - Lectionary for 8/3/10

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 17.48-18.9 and Acts 27.9-26.

Beware of success.  You never know when your hard work and loyalty may be used against you.  This common theme of workplace humor may not be that far from reality.  It is certainly something that God knows about and has warned us about in the life of David.  What happens when you kill the enemy, when you are promoted into the household of the king, when you are befriended by the king's son, and when you start commanding the king's armies successfully?  You are a danger to the king.  Beware of success.

Yet we can look at success in another way also.  Who gave David his success?  It came from none other than God.  What was God doing in David?  He was preparing him to serve as king, the position he had already been anointed for.  What was God doing in Saul?  He was showing him that his position as king was not one he could grasp and hold onto.  And this is all the work of the Lord, who was graciously providing leadership for his people.

What kind of success has the Lord given us?  Have we recognized it as success that comes from the hand of God?  Have we desired to use it for the good of Christ's kingdom?  Have we acknowledged that we ourselves are unworthy of the blessings of God but that our Lord is worthy of all we can do?  Let us look at our successes in that way, as opportunities for the Lord to shine through us.

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

1 Samuel 17.20-47, Acts 26.24-27.8 - Lectionary for 8/2/10

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 17.20-47 and Acts 26.24-27.8.

Simple people, simple concepts, simple means.  That's what our Lord is using in today's reading from 1 Samuel.  We see a simple person.  David, the youngest of the sons of Jesse, probably in young adulthood, the kid brother who was staying home to take care of the animals, shows that he may not be a little kid any more.  Yet he's not one of the sophisticated trained warriors.  He's just a guy.  There's nothing special about him.  At least, we won't mention anything special about him for now.  How about a simple concept?  God is out to show that he is greater than the unbelief of the Philistines.  Again, this is a very simple concept.  God is the great one.  The gods of the Philistines are not.  Pretty easy to add up.  How about the simple means?  Rather than using great weapons of warfare, rather than some sort of sneaky ambush tactic, rather than some elaborate scheme, God sends David with a sling and some stones.  No doubt David picked up the absolute best sling stones he could fine.  Goliath was imposing and David knew he might not have more than one shot.  Delivering the stone to its target was important.  But a sling and some smooth stones are very simple weapons.  David goes to face his opponent without hiding himself, without special armor.

What is the normal guy, David, really armed with?  He is bearing the presence of the living God with him.  He is subject to God's call.  He has been told that God will not abide this infamy against his holy name.  In light of that, the sling and stones are almost incidental.

Likewise, as New Covenant believers, we come against the power of Satan, the fallen world, sin, death and hell, and we normal people walk into this conflict with a very simple concept and simple means.  What's the concept?  Jesus has defeated sin and death by his victory on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.  We need no longer die because he no longer dies.  That 's a remarkably simple concept, though it is rich and full of implications.  Maybe the simplicity of it is exactly what makes it so offensive to our world.  What?  We don't earn our way to heaven?  No, Jesus did it for you.  And what are the simple means that we simple people bear?  The foolishness of preaching.  We use the proclamation of God's Word, which gives life and hope.  We use the means of grace, baptism and communion, redeeming and nourishing souls for eternity.  How does a little water accomplish salvation?  The same way the Word of God accomplishes salvation.  The water, used with and according to the Word, creates cleansing.  How?  We don't know.  It's God at work, not us.  And how does a little bread and a taste of wine nourish faith?  How can that be the real body and blood of our Lord?  Again, we don't know.  It's God at work, not us.  The elements, used with and according to the Word, accomplish what God has said they will accomplish.

So let's watch God at work - using simple people, a simple message, and simple tools.

 

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

1 Samuel 17.1-19, Acts 26.1-23 - Lectionary for 8/1/10

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 17.1-19 and Acts 26.1-23.

Today we read about a truly terrifying figure - Goliath.  This monster of a man was enough to make anyone nervous.  Towering over the enemies, saying that he would fight with any of Israel's champions and if he won than all Israel would be enslaved, he presented a very formidable figure.

There are people and things in all of our lives that we fear to face.  They scream against God's people.  They tower over us.  They have us out-gunned.  They hold authority we cannot combat.  They are just plain scary.

In the midst of this war with the Philistines, observe that Jesse's life on his farm was continuing much as it always had.  God was giving him sunshine and rain.  The Lord was blessing his crops and his livestock.  He was able to send provisions to his sons, as well as gifts for the people who were leading his sons.  

As we look at our world and its terrors, let us also look at our Lord and his provision.  He has provided us with what we need.  He goes on showing mercy and grace no matter what kind of people are trying to scare us.  Our Lord is greater than Goliath and all the Philistines together.  Our Lord is able to give us our daily bread.  He is even able to forgive us our sins.  He is able to bring all things to pass according to his infinite riches in glory through Christ Jesus.  Let us look to God, our Rock.
 

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com

Ecclesiastes 1.2, 12-14; 2.18-26 - Sermon for 8/1/10

Vanity of vanities!  Have you ever had a day when you are tempted to say that?  I know I have.  They actually come around pretty frequently.  There are some days when I leave the office and close the door behind me very carefully.  Like you would make sure the unruly dog stays in its pen, I am stepping away from some temptations, some frustrations, some sort of turmoil.  Vanity of vanities!  Sufficient for the day is the trouble thereof!  Thorns and thistles!  Yes, there are some days when everything seems to be going well.  You're at the top of your game.  You're riding the wave.  You are ten feet tall and bulletproof.  There are some of those days.  Then there are days that don't lead themselves to any sort of exclamation.  We probably have a lot of those.  But then there are those exceptional days.  You close the office door on the way out.  You try to lay down your troubles on the way home from work.  You have the feeling there are monsters chasing you.  Like that dream we've all had - running away from something but your legs won't move - the day's troubles are going to dog you.  Vanity of vanities!  Why did I ever bother to get up this morning!  Is that what I've been working for?  Did I knock myself out so I could miss that promotion?  Did I try to lead my team to excellence so they could all be laid off?  Did I learn to teach this subject so my students could utterly fail to get it? Did I learn conflict resolution so that guy could punch me in the face?

This is the problem that faces "the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (Ecclesiastes 1.1, ESV).  It doesn't make sense that the righteous do their work, that they labor and toil and then what they produce will go to someone else.  It doesn't make sense that we struggle through this life which is full of thorns and thistles and then we die.  This is the kind of situation that would lead him to despair.  It is the kind of life that leaves us hopeless.  We want to do great things. We want to solve world hunger. We want to keep the neighborhood safe from crime.  We all want to be above average, all the time.  We want people to be grateful for what we have been doing.  All these are good things.  But do you see what I see?  We want, we want, we want, we want.  And in all this wanting, all this striving, all this being busy about doing the things we can do, we see in chapter 2 verse 23 that we have days full of sorrow, work that is vexing, nights that are not restful.  We have vanity, and we have it in a big way.  It's striving after the wind. We may think we caught it, but just like when we captured fresh sunshine in a shoebox, once we put it in the closet and opened it later, it wasn't there.  I thought I caught the wind once.  Took it home.  All I had was air.  It's vanity.  And it seems no matter how early I get to work, how hard I work, how tired I am when I come home, how many people I yell at, how many people I don't yell at, it all adds up to a big fat zero.  I get my paycheck, at least I hope I do, but that's really all spent by the time I pay for a place to live, some clothes, food, and a few other things.  I could always do with more.  None of it is satisfying.  It's all vanity.

So where's the purpose in this?  You might be sitting there wondering where I'm going with this.  It's a pretty negative message, right?  You may as well have stayed in bed.  Oops, more vanity there.  But there is a purpose, and that's the purpose that the author of Ecclesiastes gets to in chapter 2, starting in verse 24.  We read it earlier but I want to read it again.  "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?  For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind" (ESV).  

Here's our fulfillment.  It's the fulfilling life that our Lord Jesus Christ has given us.  As we pray in the Lord's Prayer, we look to Jesus for our daily bread.  And as we look to him we see the forgiveness of sins he has provided through his blood shed on our behalf.  We see he has appointed us with work to do every day.  We see that he has commanded us to go and love our neighbors as ourselves.  We see that he has promised to be with us always, wherever we are.  We see that our Lord has given us a life and that our lives are in community with other people.

What are we doing in our daily work but providing the needs of our neighbor, as the Lord is using our neighbors to provide for our needs?  What are we doing in our daily work but doing the works that our Lord wishes to do in and through us?  In short, what are we doing in our daily work other than being God's hands here on earth?  Does this give you any perspective?  It does me.  

Let's take that idea and put some flesh and bones on it.  Maybe you spent time among a group of Christians who were like the ones I used to worship with.  They were very mission-minded.  They were very enthusiastic in their evangelistic outreach.  They were very warm in their demonstrations in worship.  The seemed very vivid in their attempts to live out their faith.  And week after week we were told that we should have jobs, good jobs, so as to earn money and be able to go and do the real work of the ministry.  We would have an occupation so as to provide for us to do the vocation God gave us.  As a result, the people who were really serious about serving God would always go into pastoral ministry.  The rest of the people would try to earn money so as to support the work of the really dedicated Christians.  There was another group of people, sort of a second tier of Christians, who would work at their jobs and then engage in street ministry or save their vacation time to go on mission trips.  Now there's nothing wrong with serving the Lord in pastoral ministry.  There's nothing wrong with dedicating some of your financial resources to enabling others in ministry.  There's nothing wrong with going on mission trips and engaging in other service in the name of Christ.  Quite the contrary.  Those are all very good things.  But there's something wrong with the overall pattern.  Did you catch what's wrong with it?

Christ never called you to do anything outside of his grace.  Our Lord has never appointed us to any tasks that are not his hands reached out to this world.  Jesus who is with us always is with us when we are sweeping the floor.  He is with us when we are cleaning the window.  He is with us when we are unclogging the toilet or taking out the trash.  He is with us when we are screwing part A into panel C.  He is with us when we are answering the phone in the office.  He is with us when we are fixing the telephone line.  All that our Lord has given us to do is his work, his ministry, loving and serving our neighbor.

So we see that our enjoyment comes not from what our toil brings us.  Our enjoyment comes from the work we are doing.  Why are we doing it anyway?  As Christians we are working for Christ.  We are serving in His kingdom, being His hands and feet, providing people with their daily bread, showing them the mercy that our Lord wishes to show.  Our benefit from our labor comes in the fact that we are serving our Lord.  Our benefit from our labor comes in the fact that we are able to love our neighbor.  Our benefit from our labor comes in the fact that our Lord has appointed the labor for us.  God gives us what we need, but he gives it to us through other people.  Likewise, our Lord uses us to give others what they need.  This is a deeply spiritual service.  It is the heart of Christian vocation.

Maybe the Lord gives us some days that we see only the thorns and thistles in our lives.  Maybe he gives us those days as a special ministry of mercy, bringing us to repentance.  Maybe the Lord wants us to realize a bit of how rough life would be for those we are to love and serve if we weren't there doing our duty.  Maybe the Lord wants us to realize how life would be if we had no hope of salvation in him.  Wouldn't life be futile without knowing that Jesus is there with us?  Just think, if the only thing you received for your labor was a piddly little paycheck and a tired body.  But that is not the hope our Lord has given us.  No, while we are getting that little paycheck and the tired body we are doing our Lord's work.  We are loving and serving our neighbor.  Vanity is the last thing in the world to describe that.  We are given the privilege of sharing the riches of God in Christ with the world.  Now that's work. That's what brings enjoyment.  "To the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy."  Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has appointed us our daily work.



 

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com