|
|
 |
|
 Saturday and Sunday, November 14, 15, 2009 Sermon: "God's Affirmation" Scripture: I Samuel 2: 1-10 Reverend Larry Gerber In Hannah's prayer, we hear a woman's triumphant shout to God's affirmation of her deepest desire. "Yes!" She's celebrating like Tiger Woods after draining a 40-foot putt on the 18th hole at Augusta. Can't you imagine Hannah throwing that same signature fist pump? She not only got what she wanted, but she's watching -- with considerable satisfaction -- her opponents eat dust! Hannah offers an ecstatic and emotional prayer but with bracingly mixed motives. Her prayer was free and private. A lot of the ways we celebrate are much more costly and conspicuous. For the most fantastic -- and narcissistic -- of public celebrations, turn to the sports world. Take any sport and watch the celebrations after scoring a goal, touchdown or other victory include gymnastics tumbling runs, break dancing, team conga lines and all manner of dance routines. Players shadowbox, karate kick and stage mock gun duels. Perhaps some of the most outlandish antics occur in football. Forgive me for a little more football analogy, but flash back to a few touchdown celebrations in recent years. Few can forget the 380-pound "Refrigerator" Perry doing the Super Bowl Shuffle. The Bengals' Chad Johnson took a knee after scoring and did a pretend proposal to a cheerleader. Terrell Owens produced a Sharpie from his sock, autographed the touchdown ball and threw it into the stands. But the most outlandish TD festivity involved the Saints' Joe Horn pulling a hidden cell phone out from under the goalpost padding and making a celebratory call after he scored. In 2006, the NFL cracked down on such end-zone antics. Celebrants no longer can use any props or celebrate with any other player at the same time. Well, back to Hannah... Hannah's end-zone celebration An end-zone dance and a triumphant "YES!" That's the emotion that comes through Hannah's prayer in our text. To fully understand her prayer, we need to remember her situation. Hannah was one of Elkanah's two wives. In 1 Samuel 1, we read that there was some serious competition between Hannah and Peninnah, the other wife... Bearing children was considered a blessing for women, while barrenness was a curse. Fertile Peninnah was mocking Hannah's infertility (1:6). The barrenness, the competition, the perceived absence of God, perhaps the husband sharing -- the whole thing left Hannah despondent (1:8), bitter (1:10) and desperate (1:11). She was at her wits' end, and if God would just give her a son, she would gladly give him back to God as a priestly servant. God responded, and Hannah gave birth to Samuel -- a name meaning "asked of God" or "heard by God." True to her word, Hannah presented Samuel as God's servant at the temple (1:28). Our text is Hannah's psalm-prayer in response to the entire season of chapter 1. This prayer has much on which to reflect: -As poetry, it was intentionally and carefully crafted. What can we learn about worship? -It reflects Hannah's experiences while also paralleling Israel's exodus experiences with God. -It goes far beyond her answered prayer, focusing on the character of the one who answered it. -Hannah's praise is prophetic, looking to Israel's future king and calling him anointed -- The King and not merely an earthy ruler. -Her praise comes at the moment when she is leaving her son behind in ministry -- an amazing juxtaposition! But of everything that's there, we note how distinctly human Hannah's prayer is. It's full of joyfulness and spitefulness in the same moment. A home run for her and a strikeout for others -- YES! Beyond the parallelism to Israel's enemies, the "others" in mind is really the other woman -- Peninnah. Hannah derides her enemy and claims her own victory (2:1). She chastises prideful, arrogant words (v. 3). Hannah says the one with many children is forlorn (v. 5). When people celebrate their own fortune, that's fine. But what happens when they celebrate the ill experienced by those around them? That's just inhuman, right? No, its schadenfreude, and it's quite human actually. Schadenfreude is a borrowed German word referring to one person's pleasure in another's suffering or misfortune. Researchers have shown that two things lead people to report higher levels of enjoyment at another's hardship -- if they possess low self-esteem and if they were previously envious of the other person. Given Hannah's history, don't both seem likely? Her celebration might not be completely gracious, but you can understand where she's coming from. You can understand her "YES!" Like any other human being, Hannah is a complex blend of motivations, attitudes and actions. Not all are good, and not all are bad. Every person has seen this kind of fractured nobility. So many ideas are present in this story, but let me focus on just one, the most important one I think. It is God we celebrate. He ultimately provides all that we have. God is sovereign over all and is often gracious in giving us what we desire. "Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). Most of us are far better at desiring and asking than we are at being thankful for what we receive. Like Hannah, we can look for God at work and be intentional in giving him credit and praise for how he moves. It is no different from the kind discipline of writing thank-you notes when we receive gifts. These gifts are God's "Yes!" to us. And so it is: today is Dedication Sunday. We take time to reflect on what God has gifted to us and we return to Him a thank you note with our own gift back to Him. Many of you have already turned in your pledge card, your thanks to God for all the gifts given to you. Others of you hold that card in your hand waiting for the dedication ceremony. When Hannah asked God for the gift of a child she in turn said she would return him to God. How have your responded to the gifts God has given you throughout your life? What have you decided to give to Him in a way of thanksgiving? If we are to be good stewards of our resources and if we are to be the people in action that we say we are with our mouths we need to step to the plate, we need to score a goal, we need to sink a hole in one, we need to through strikes down the bowling alley. We need to rally for the cause. Your pledge card is a thank you note to God for all He has done. The pledge card is a record of our intentions. It can be changed throughout the year. You can surprise God with extra gifts any time during the year. Have you thought of writing a bonus check, but keep putting it off? Now is the time. A bonus gift toward the $8,000 we need for the new sound board would certainly be an acceptable gift to our Lord and this church. Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church will only be as strong a witness for Jesus as you allow it to be through your gifts. Have you taken time to really thank God for the things He has done? Let us take a moment to collect our pledges and lay them all on the altar in a matter of true thankfulness for God's blessing and the things He has done. Bring your pledges and your prayers as we sing the great hymn written by Fanny Crosby: To God be the Glory! Hymn number 98 Source: St. John, Warren. "Sorrow so sweet: A guilty pleasure in another's woe." The New York Times, August 24, 2002. nytimes.com/2002/08/24/arts/sorrow-so-sweet-a-guilty-pleasure-in-another-s-woe.html. |
