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Monday, February 22, 2021
“Hannah made a vow, saying, ‘LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” —1 Samuel 1:11
I love this prayer because it’s so real.
Hannah was a woman living in the land of Israel in the time before Israel had a king. She was one of two wives of a man named Elkanah. Hannah and Elkanah had no children, but Elkanah and Peninnah, his other wife, did have children. Elkanah loved Hannah and treated her well (setting aside the minor fact that he had another wife), but Peninnah was cruel to Hannah, mocking her for not bearing children.
Hannah longed for a child—apparently a son, specifically—and she cried out to God, promising that if God would allow her to conceive and give birth to a son, she would dedicate the son to the Lord’s service. (The “no razor will ever be used on his head” is a reference to a particular set of vows some people, known as nazirites, made to God.)
Here’s what I love about this prayer: we can poke a bunch of holes in it (Why does Hannah care what Peninnah says? Does it make sense to bargain with God in this way? Why does she want a son instead of a daughter? Not having a child shouldn’t really create “misery,” should it? Surely being unable to conceive isn’t a sign that God has forgotten someone, is it?), but Hannah’s not worried about censoring her prayer so that it all passes theological muster. She’s speaking from her heart, an imperfect person in a painful situation in an unjust society in a broken world.
I think all of those objections to Hannah’s prayer mentioned in the previous paragraph are legitimate. This prayer is not a model in terms of its content. But it is a model in terms of its honesty. God has heard it all before. We can bring our flawed, broken, half-thought-through prayers to God. If we speak honestly to God and also listen to what he’s teaching us, over time God will shape our prayers to better match his truth. But the most important thing is to get started, to get the conversation going. That’s what prayer is: a real, honest conversation. So be real with God. Be courageous. Don’t forget to listen, but also don’t wait to talk until you’re sure you’ve got all the words and ideas worked out just right. Because you never will, which means you’ll be choosing not to talk to your Father in heaven. And that’s never a good thing.
Friday, February 19, 2021
Today’s reflection is written by Deacon Karen Katamay.
“God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” —Colossians 1:27
The mystery of God. How much do you feel you know about God and God’s will? When Job thought he had all the answers, God responded with a long lecture about how little Job actually did know or understand (see Job, chapters 38-41).
In my Lutheran theology class at seminary, we learned about Luther’s theology of the Hidden God vs. the Revealed God. Luther explained that God reveals himself to us through Jesus and through the words in the Bible, but God’s glory and majesty and wisdom are much greater than we could ever fully comprehend, so a part of God and God’s will for people and creation will always be beyond our understanding.
Jesus once told his disciples that he spoke in parables because most people would not bother to try to fully understand what he was saying or even ask for an explanation. They were not like little children who love stories and love to learn; they had closed their minds to what Jesus was trying to reveal to them. Only those, such as the disciples, who stayed close to Jesus and listened to his teachings could even begin to understand. And even then the disciples would have to ask Jesus, “What does this mean?”
We are fortunate that God sent Jesus so we could even begin to understand. And every time we read the Bible, listen to a sermon, or attend a Bible study, a little bit more understanding is revealed to us. Yes, part of God’s will and God’s nature will always be a mystery to us. But we can relish in what we do know—the glory and hope that is revealed to us through Christ. Amen.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. —1 John 2:2
I’m going to go out on a limb and declare that it’s pretty difficult to miss when someone is walking past you with the sign of the cross on their forehead. Because of this, I bet that on average, today is the day every year that those who follow Jesus most outwardly demonstrate their belief to the world around them. While I know that ashes aren’t necessarily an accurate barometer of the spiritual health or faith of those I pass, it’s hard not to feel a sense of encouragement and solidarity when I see others declaring that they follow Jesus as Lord. Conversely, lack of ashes can make me wonder about where a person is on the spiritual continuum. Do they follow Jesus but didn’t go to church yet? Did they follow Jesus but leave the faith? Do they practice another religion? Are they moving toward God or away from God? This verse from 1 John reminds me that solidarity and encouragement of fellow believers is a very good thing, but God’s intention is for every person to come to know Jesus, and we are invited to participate in making that happen. So may we remember to demonstrate our faith every day and in every encounter, especially when the ashes have been wiped away.
