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Showing posts from June, 2018

Super Hero Training

– The Rev. Zach Sasser 1 Samuel 3:1-11; 19-20       1 Corinthians 12:14-27      John 3:16-17 Before reading the Old Testament lesson, Jeff asked you to think about the roles of Eli and Samuel in listening for and receiving God’s calling. For those who may not know the backstory, this took place in a town called Shiloh, and it happened before the time of Kings in Israel. Shiloh was a central meeting place for the 12 tribes as they divided the promised land and began to expand their territories. It also became a source of power to compete against in the internal struggles between tribes. In the midst of that a barren woman named Hannah, Samuel’s mother, made an oath to God – which was blessed by Eli – that if given a child she would dedicate her child to God. Samuel was eventually brought to the temple, and Eli became kind of a father figure to him. Samuel was still young enough that he would listen to Eli – which was important given that Eli’s own sons were abusing their a

Hold On

Psalm  139:1-6, 13-18       2 Corinthians 4:5-12       Mark 2:23-3:6 A few years back I was on my way to work and I heard this brilliantly raw and simple voice on the radio telling me to “hold on.” Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes sang: Bless my heart, bless my soul Didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old There must be someone up above Sayin', "Come on, Brittany, you got to come on up!” You got to hold on! I don’t know what was going on at the time, but it struck me. It played me like I was a string on a guitar. It rang in and out of my soul, and it suddenly became my song. Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever have those moments where something you see or hear reflects where you are in the world? In these media rich, frenzied days we get image after image, meme after meme, and vine after vine that we drink like junkies and never get enough. And yet we keep looking. We keep looking for some reflection of our souls. If we listen, the