May 8

OT – 1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
The call of Samuel is a familiar one to most church goers. There are continuing echoes of Samuel’s call in Isaiah, Jonah, even Paul.
As a matter of fact, one of the most beloved hymns, Here I am Lord, was written for Isaiah 6 but the songwriter was thinking of Samuel’s call. Here is his story about the writing the hymn and a lovely YouTube version of the song.



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The call of Samuel was interspersed with the awfulness of Eli’s sons. Clearly, Eli was a good priest. But he was either a really bad father or he had really bad kids. These boys were doing the unthinkable – messing with the burnt offering. And we remember from Numbers what God does to burnt offering messers!

NT – John 5:24-47
John the Baptist pops up again. Jesus is being compared to John and not in a favorable way. My guess is that the Sabbath rules were a big, big problem in John’s (the author of the gospel) congregation. Each of the gospel writers seem to be wrestling with differing problems in their midst. This must have been one of John’s. John offers the reason for the Pharisees’ hatred as the abuse of the Sabbath and Jesus’ familiarity with God. So, Jesus deliberately provokes that anger by doing his big miracles on the Sabbath. Mean Jesus.
But if we believe that scripture speaks to us today, what is this scripture telling us? We don’t keep Sabbath rules. Today(I am working ahead on Sunday as I have Matthew’s graduation’s this week and have a party to give), I have washed windows, curtains, and clothes. I have vacuumed and dusted, and gosh, I have moved more than one mat. I am cooking dinner where I will have sausage, grits and milk all mixed together and if I have any energy left, I am going to the grocery store where I will drop a wad of cash to feed 2 teen boys, one husband, a dog and a cat and me. I think I broke a bunch of Sabbath rules.
But maybe, Jesus’ message was not really about Sabbath rules so much as it is about rules made up to practice religion. So that made me think, what rules do I have that make me practice my religion? The get dressed up rule. No. Sometimes I go to church in jeans. Not often but I am not hung up on that. Organ playing? No. I love good piano, great guitar and drums, I can handle just about anything except really bad choir. I like diversity, I like change. What are my rules????
Well, after a lot of thought, an episode of Lost, and a walk around the block with Howler, the best dog in the world, here is one. I have a hard time sitting still. I have a hard time with folks who just want to sit and listen. I think incredibly bad thoughts about the moms who do not help with Vacation Bible School. In short, I am judgmental. I expect everyone to be a-doing and a-going and involved and if they aren’t, well, they are not worthy. There is one of my rules. I suspect that Jesus wouldn’t like my rule. I suspect he would be in my face about it, A LOT.
What about you? What are your rules? And how would Jesus feel about them?