Proclamation
of the Word #1
WARNING: Some
of what I talk about this morning may be upsetting for some people. Please don’t
leave early, there are 2 parts to the sermon, each with a hymn. Also please don’t leave if you are sad without
speaking to me or one of the elders.
The big picture:
In the book
of Genesis we read about creation, and amongst other stories, we hear about four
people – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Biblical history then tells us about
the move to Egypt, slavery, Moses, exodus, the covenant. After the death of
Moses, Joshua leads the people into the promised land, and the nation of Israel
is established.
A few more
generations, and God raised up leaders – judges – people who called the people
of Israel to return to God.
At the end of
the book of Judges:
“There was no king in Israel at that time.
Everyone did whatever they pleased.” Judges 21:25 (GNT)
Then comes
the book of Ruth. At the end of the story, Ruth has a son Obed, the father of Jesse,
the father of David – David who becomes the king of Israel.
And this week
we heard the passage from 1 Samuel, the birth of Samuel to Hannah. Samuel who becomes
a priest and is the one who anoints David the shepherd boy, knowing he will
become King of Israel.
While
the Bible has a big story, of the presence of God with people throughout
history, of how people related to God and each other; there are also stories
that make up that bigger story. Today we look at the story of Hannah.
Hannah is married to Elkanah, but she doesn’t
have any children. This was a cause of sadness for Hannah, even though Elkanah
loved her. But as well as sadness, there were practical issues to contend with.
Without a son, Hannah could be destitute when Elkanah died. Then there was the
idea that women without children had done something wrong, it was Gods
punishment for sinfulness. [Jo Anne Taylor, http://pastorsings.com/?s=hannah%27s+song]
And Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah taunts
Hannah, because she has children and Hannah does not.
For Hannah, not having a child was a
practical, spiritual and emotional problem.
I can tell you that things have not changed much.
Ian
and I had been married for a few years, and we were at that stage of thinking
about starting a family – all very normal stuff. But I didn’t get pregnant, a
few months and a friend tells me she is pregnant, six months later and her
daughter is born, and I’m still not pregnant. A few months later we moved to
another part of the state with Ian’s work, and found a new GP, who started with
tests. Even though there are plenty of
options for women today in terms of being in the workforce, there is still a
standard expectation that if you are married, or in long term relationship you
will have children. One of the hardest things I remember doing is telling our
parents that we looked like we might not have children. Ian and I each have one
brother, and at that time neither was married. My brother is now married but
they have decided not to have children, given they were forty when they
married. So for both sets of parents,
there are no grandchildren.
We
had treatment, I got pregnant, ended up in hospital, went on IVF, got pregnant,
ended up in hospital again. Each pregnancy damaged my reproductive system
further. But worse than that was what happened to me as a person. I have been
told that I come across as confident, efficient, capable, all those kind of
things, but I don’t always feel that way. As a teenager and young adult, I was
unsure of myself, as I think most people are at that age. But as we went
through the trauma of losing pregnancies, I became depressed. We lived in a
small country town, and girls dropped out of high school at fifteen and had
children, and I couldn’t manage to get pregnant – how dumb and useless was I
that I couldn’t even have a child.
Some
well meaning friends, Christians, told me to pray – as if I hadn’t thought of
that! I got told that God was trying to teach me something – I already thought
I was stupid because I couldn’t get past 6 weeks pregnant, and now I was told I
wasn’t learning whatever it was God expected me to learn. I was told that it was God’s way of
letting me know I wouldn’t make a good mother, what with how tired I get and
all – something else for me to be bad at, but why get pregnant and lose the
pregnancies. What kind of a harsh, judgemental, sadistic God was this? For me
God felt distant, and anyway I wasn’t sure I wanted much to do with this God
who was tormenting me in the name of education, or was it judgement. Was I
really that bad or that dumb?
So
I can feel for Hannah, and the way she is treated by Penninah, by the tribe,
even by Eli the priest. But Hannah, as countless people have in their lives
before and after this, turned to God, not because it is the right thing to do,
or because it guarantees a reward, but because there are so few people around
who you can tell your heartache to. Here we hear of Hannah’s prayer, a heartfelt cry to God, lips moving, but no
sound, It reminds me of one of my favourite verse from Romans, where the Spirit
intercede for us when we can’t pray ourselves. (8:26) This is prayer, when we
are open and vulnerable with the God of the universe. Prayer isn’t flashy,
prayer isn’t long winded with big fancy words, prayer isn’t about trying to
impress God with our theological understanding, our ability to pray for long
periods of time or our great faith.
Prayer
is saying to God, this is what I feel my life is like,
prayer
is sitting with God watching the sunset,
prayer
is being aware of God as you hold a dying friend’s hand.
Prayer
is being open to the life that God offers every moment of the day.
Hannah’s
prayer was answered, one of the commentaries notes that Samuel is a gift of
God’s grace, not a reward for prayer – it isn’t like a graduation present
because she got it right. God is gracious and merciful and wants us to live
full lives. This story is about more than Hannah having a child from her
barrenness, it is about the new life that comes to Israel as a result of this
child. God enters into hopeless, barren, desolate situations and brings about a
future, newness, fresh possibilities and liberation. We will soon be looking
forward to the birth of Jesus, another child whose conception is
unconventional, who ushers in newness and possibilities and future hope for the
world.
So
where did I find newness of life, fresh possibilities in my situation, it isn’t
as obvious as with Hannah, we never did have children, not through IVF or
adoption even though we were in both systems for many years.
A
big change occurred for me when I finally spoke with my minister – telling her
I didn’t think I could go to church. I was an elder, God felt distant, and
uninvolved in my life, I found that image of God easier to cope with than the
image that friends were drawing for me. My minister gave me another image. Not
distant, but close; not judging, but crying; not sadistic but comforting. Here
was an image I could relate to, in the midst of my pain, an image of God
holding me as I cried, crying with me, much as a parent or partner might do.
The
newness that came was a new relationship with God, I’ve learned along the way
life isn’t about what might have been, life is about what is. God is present in
the celebrations and in our tears. With God there are new possibilities that
come from the difficult places in our lives.
Where
are the empty or barren places in your life?
Are
you willing to invite God, to beg God, to enter into your lives and bring
transformation?
[reflection time]
Hymn/song Faith will not grow from words alone
Proclamation
of the Word #2
Hannah
has a son, Samuel. After he has been weaned, she takes him to the temple.
Then
another prayer from Hannah, this one is often called Hannah’s song.
“This time, she
lifts her voice in song, and sings of God’s victory, not only for herself, but
for the whole nation of Israel, for all the people of God. The Lord God
Almighty is about to do a new thing among his people, and Hannah’s song gives
us a glimpse of what that new thing is to be. [Jo Anne Taylor,
http://pastorsings.com/?s=hannah%27s+song]
Hannah’s
Prayer/praise
All: The Lord has filled my heart with joy;
how happy I am because of what he
has done!
1: I laugh at my enemies;
how joyful I am because God has
helped me!
2: No one is holy like the Lord;
there is none like him,
no protector like our God.
3: Stop your loud boasting;
silence your proud words.
For the Lord is a God who knows,
and he judges all that people do.
4: The bows of strong soldiers are
broken,
but the weak grow strong.
5: The people who once were well fed
now hire themselves out to get
food,
but the hungry are hungry no more.
6: The childless wife has borne seven
children,
but the mother of many is left with none.
7: The Lord kills and restores to life;
he sends people to the world of the
dead
and brings them back again.
8: The Lord makes some poor and others
rich;
he humbles some and makes others great.
9: The Lord lifts the poor from the dust
and raises the needy from their
misery.
10: The Lord makes them companions of
princes
and puts them in places of honour.
11: The foundations of the earth belong to the
Lord;
on them he has built the world.
12: The Lord protects the lives of his
faithful people,
but the wicked disappear in
darkness;
13: People do not triumph by their own strength.
14: The Lord’s enemies will be destroyed;
he will thunder against them from
heaven.
15: The Lord will judge the whole world;
he will give power to his king,
he will make his chosen king
victorious.
Along
with Miriam, Mary and Hannah we too can recognise the new possibilities that
come from the difficult places in our lives. We can also sing of the wonderful
things God is doing,
Hymn/song Tell
out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
