Covenant in Times of Transition Preached for Wollaston Congregational Church on June 13th, 2021 Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13 For these last weeks of the “program year” we are engaging with one of the biggest stories of the Old Testament. This big story tell truths about power and control in leadership, about humanity’s relationship with God, and about our failure to remain in covenant. In the narrative preceding the story we read today, the people Israel have failed to remain in covenant with God, yet again. In some part, this is because of the poor leadership of their king, Saul. Saul has been bold and aggressive in battle against Israel’s enemies, but he has not taken the time to pray and listen to God. And Saul has ignored the prophet Samuel and his admonishment to obey God. As you may remember from the text we read last week, Samuel was reluctant to appoint a king in the first place. Saul has proven him right. Saul stood head and shoulders above the other Israelites, he was handsome and visibly powerful. But his ego got the better of him. In times of crisis he depended on his own military skills and prowess, he ignored God’s guidance through Samuel. In God’s eyes Saul has failed as king and so Samuel has been called to go and anoint another chosen one. Samuel is aggrieved – his part in calling and anointing Saul has come to nothing. He is sorely disappointed in this first king. As our story begins, God admonishes Samuel again, asking “how long will you grieve over Saul?” The question is much the same as God’s directive for Samuel in last week’s text. It might be summarized by the acronym QTIP: “Quit Taking it Personally.” Instead of taking Israel’s sins and lamentations on himself, Samuel is called to get up and take the next step in God’s plan. He is to fill his anointing horn with oil, and go to a man named Jesse in Bethlehem. The next king will be one of Jesse’s sons. Samuel does as the Lord has instructed and, one by one, beginning with the oldest and tallest, meets Jesse’s sons. The Lord cautions Samuel not to look on stature and outward appearance, but to listen to whom God chooses for the king. As each son comes to meet him, Samuel realizes that none are them are the one. And so he asks Jesse if these are all his sons. Jesse admits that his youngest and smallest, David, still a child, is out watching the sheep. And so they send for David and bring him in. He is ruddy, we are told, with beautiful eyes. Later we will learn that he is a musician and a poet as well as a shepherd. The minute Samuel sees David, he knows that he is the one, and so he pours the horn of oil over David’s head anointing him as the next king of Israel. The narrative of the rejection of Saul and the anointing of David is important to us, because it concerns the larger issue of covenant and leadership in a time of transition. There is a transition from the rule of the Judges during which, we are told, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. You might say they operated in crisis mode, flying by the seat of their pants. The people realize that this way of being is not sustainable. Other nations seem to be doing better, because they have monarchs who keep things under control. And so they demand a king. The Israelites’ demand for a king is a break in covenant with God. They are supposed to keep God as their sole sovereign, listening to and deferring only to God. Rather than punishing the people for this transgression, God acquiesces and allows things to play out. Perhaps God knows that Saul will be tempted too much by his ego. Perhaps God knows that any man will be seduced by the power of such a position. The young boy, David, will eventually become king. But Saul will reign for years to come. Samuel will soon die, but for now the oil has been poured. David has been anointed. It is unlikely that he will forget the experience of being called in from the field, to meet the imposing, old prophet who poured oil over his head. When David grows and becomes king he will struggle with ego too. He will disobey God many times during his reign. But unlike Saul, he will return to God, bowing before him and crying out “create a clean heart in me, O God!” Author and theologian, C.S. Lewis, once wrote, “Human history [is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” [1] In the era of the Judges everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It was a libertarian time that didn’t really make anyone happy! Instead of returning to relationship with God, the people think that having a king will make them happy. And then King Saul thinks that winning battles for Israel and enjoying power and adulation will make him happy. Samuel grieves Saul’s lack of faithfulness, and God simply tells him to forget about it and move on. What will really make the people happy, both individually and collectively, is to remain in covenant with God. Don’t we often think we know better than God about what will make us happy? We chase dreams of fame and fortune. We indulge in small luxuries to distract ourselves from the loneliness and stresses of life. Mindless entertainment replaces the time we set aside for prayer. Or we work too long or too hard, neglecting our stewardship of our bodies and our relationships with our loved ones and with God. Our processes and covenants hold us accountable and call us back to relationship with God when we wander. And yet in times of crisis, like this past year of pandemic, we often throw out those processes and covenants. We fly by the seat of our pants. We get done what we need to get done. I’ll be the first to admit that this is a familiar mode of operation for me. During the mid to late 1980’s I worked for an electronic startup company. In order to get ahead of large, established competitors, we operated in a “putting out fires” mode. Working that way could make me feel like a hero. As a software engineer I could save the day by pulling a late shift and figuring out a last minute bug fix. Unfortunately, that work style can become addictive but it’s not sustainable. It’s important to stand back and take stock once in a while. Over this past year of pandemic we have been operating in a similar disaster mode, both in our church and in our lives. Fifteen months ago we had to “pivot” – oh how I’ve come to dislike that word - from worship in person to online programming. Pastoral care for one another became a logistical challenge. And over our program year we have performed each rite of passage – a baptism, funeral services, and a wedding - in ways that had been adapted for the pandemic. I’m sure that in your own lives, among your own family and friend groups, you have done the same thing. Perhaps, like me, you feel proud that you’ve figured out new ways of doing things, and also exhausted from the need to constantly adjust. This is a good time, like the Israelites emerging from the era of the Judges, to check back in with our covenants. Thankfully, the Stewards have been prodding me to do just that. Our Treasurer, Marian, has often reminded me, since I was hired, that the church agreed to provide a Pastor/Parish Relations Committee or PPRC. This is a small team that acts as a liaison between the congregation and the minister. They facilitate good communications and hold both the congregation and the pastor accountable to their covenanted life together. I admit that I haven’t paid attention to the need for this committee. Each year here at Wollaston Congregational Church seemed like another crisis year. But with the Stewards’ prompting, I invited Mary Treacy and Mary Phillips to serve as members of this team. They have graciously accepted. The PPRC’s first order of business was for me to review the Ordained Minister’s Code. This is the covenant I made when I was ordained. I was also prompted looked back on my covenant, or employment contract, with Wollaston Congregational Church. When I looked back at these covenants something jumped out right away. I realized that over the past year I stopped checking in on how many hours I was working. I have not taken the appropriate time away to rest. This is a typical pitfall for ministers. As I began to work with the newly formed PPRC, I realized that there is another covenant that is missing. It is a covenant that we – members of congregation together – make with one another: a behavioral covenant. This code of behavior governs the way we communicate with one another and handle concerns and conflicts. Behavioral covenants are typically grounded in scriptures like Matthew 22:39 “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” One example covenant says -We will approach all things in prayer -We will speak from our own personal experience -We will listen with an open and non-judgmental mind and try as hard to understand as to be understood -If we are unable to communicate effectively with one another we will invite a third party to be present and assist us -We will support the final outcome of a decision-making process -As forgiven people, we will choose to forgive one another. In the spirit of Jesus and with God’s help, we will show respect and love in all we do as we journey together. Over the coming months our church will be facing decisions and, yes, more challenges. And so this is the perfect time for us to covenant in the way we will be in relationship together. In our progression through the story of Samuel and the kings of Israel has reached a point where Samuel has done all that God required of him. He will die before David becomes king. The people of Israel continue to wrestle with their covenantal relationship with God. Generations later, Jesus will be born in Bethlehem and he will begin the movement that invites Gentiles into that same covenant. And so, we try – as individuals and as a church – to live up to our covenant with one another and with God. Often we fail. We have to be forgiven and we have to forgive. That is the nature of God’s love for us: seeking us out and restoring us to covenantal relationship. May all God’s people say, Amen [1] https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/156
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Leadership in Transitional Times Preached for Wollaston Congregational Church On Sunday June 6th, 2021 Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:4-20 I have to confess, Samuel, the character in our Old Testament story for today, is one of my favorites. I’m attached to Samuel’s birth narrative, the story of his mother Hannah praying so hard for a child at the temple in Shiloh that the Priest, Eli thinks she is drunk. Hannah promises to dedicate her child to the service of God at the temple in Shiloh. I’m also fond of Samuel’s call story, who as a young boy was woken by God three times in the night as he sleeps in the temple. Each time he thinks it was his Eli, now his guardian, who was calling him. Finally Eli helps Samuel understand that God is calling Samuel to service. The priestly duties would normally pass from father to son, but Eli’s sons are not up to the task. They drink too much, desecrate the shrine at Shiloh. They are not priestly material. And so Samuel takes over from Eli. Samuel becomes a priest in a time of the Judges, when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It was a time of chaos. He was the last judge of Israel and the first prophet. Later in the story he will identify first Saul and then David, as the ones whom God calls to be kings of Israel. This week we enter the story at the point where an older Samuel is serving both as priest and judge. Sadly, history has repeated itself. Samuel’s sons are not up to the priestly task, just like Eli’s children a generation before. There have been years of conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines. Israel’s sacred symbol - the ark of the covenant – was captured and subsequently returned. Eli’s sons died in the wars. And then Eli died when he heard the news. Since the warfare has ended, at least for a time, Samuel returns to his home town, Ramah, to govern from there. Today’s reading begins as the elders of Israel come to Samuel in Ramah to talk about leadership. They say to him "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." Perhaps Samuel is blindsided. He seems unaware of his sons’ failings. He does not acknowledge that he is growing old. These must be hard truths for him to hear. He is wise enough not to respond immediately, but prays on this matter. The way that the story is told, the Lord responds to Samuel directly with guidance. God assures Samuel that the people are not rejecting him. They are rejecting God, who is supposed to be their one true king. The Lord advises Samuel to let them have what they want. But, also, to warn them of the consequence of what they ask for. Samuel does just that. He lays it on thick. We do well to remember that this is history written by the victors favoring King David and highlighting the weakness of David’s predecessor, Saul. We will see this story unfold in the coming weeks. Samuel gives the elders dire warnings about the consequences of appointing a king. Samuel tells them that the king will wield power and control over them. He will take their property for his own and enslave them. Samuel doesn’t realize that the elders are left with little option. There are no new priests or judges following in Samuel’s footsteps. The people do not listen to the warning, but instruct Samuel to appoint a king. They want to be like other nations, and have someone to go before them and fight their battles. This is a major transition for the people of Israel. Leadership isn’t easy especially during times of transition. And still, leadership and governance is called for: in our communities, in our nations, in our churches. Democracy is considered to be the best form of governance by the western world. The word “democracy” means rule by the people. Democratic nations measure the will of the majority of people by votes cast. And still, this is not a perfect system. People sometimes think that the congregational church and the United Church of Christ have the same democratic style of governance as the culture as a whole. But that is not exactly the case. A key principle is that our church is in a covenantal relationship with the UCC. The UCC does not have bishops or any similar hierarchy. Each congregation is considered autonomous, and belongs, in covenant again, to a conference of the United Church of Christ. Our conference is the Southern New England Conference. Within that conference we belong to an association: the Pilgrim Association. The conference has ministers and administrative staff members who support and guide the churches and associations. The conference also discerns and promotes matters of justice among the membership and seeks to speak prophetically to the culture. The denomination speaks to but not for the local church. As far as the governance of the local church is concerned, each voice is valued and should be heard. But that does not mean “rule by the will of the people.” Our true calling is to be governed by the will of God. As the preamble to the Constitution of the United Church of Christ states: “The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior.” Each member of our congregation has access to the Spirit of Christ and voice of God, through prayer, study and reflection in community. It is our responsibility to be prayerful and mindful of God’s purposes for us and our church. Whether we speak or we vote, we are called to heed the will of our head, Jesus Christ, as best as we understand it. At best, local churches call leaders who listen and do not allow dominant voices and subgroups to drown out quieter voices. At the same time, our governing councils, like the Stewards in this church, are called to provide leadership, which is a stronger stance than simply gathering opinions. Once the leadership group comes to consensus over a particular issue they are empowered to act, unless the by-laws call for a congregational vote. The pastor provides spiritual leadership in the local church and the moderator provides organizational leadership. That division may sound clear cut and yet whatever we do in church is bound by our relationship with God. That relationship is, by definition, spiritual. The spiritual and organizational leadership of the congregation is intertwined. A strong covenantal relationship between the pastor, the governing board and the congregation is important. Of course, Samuel lived in times long before the creation of any democracy or anything like congregational polity. Israel makes a huge step forward by calling for a monarch. They move toward organization in the midst of chaos. The monarch is to be appointed and approved by God. Ideally he will be a strong, but benign leader. The task of seeking out a king is a change in plan for Samuel and it stings. It is hard for Samuel to accept that he is growing older and that his sons are not following in his footsteps. The elders of Israel rightly challenge him and bring the best proposal they can come up with. The people find it difficult to conceive of God as their sole leader, and so they look for human sovereign. The situation will not be perfect, and it will not be permanent. It is the best that they will have for the time being. Samuel’s role will change, he will become a prophet. This creates a balance of power. Instead of granting the spiritual leadership of the people solely to the king, God appoints prophets. The prophets “speak truth to power.” There is no limit on what a prophet can say, even though he must suffer the consequences when he bears bad news or harsh criticism. Prophets hold rulers accountable when they abuse their power. They hold the people accountable when they do not follow the will of God. Neither rulers nor the people are bound to listen, but the prophet’s voice is there to speak for God none-the-less. Friends, these times are certain transitional for all of us. We dearly hope that the pandemic we have been enduring for these past 15 months has at least abated in our corner of the world. It was such a joy to see so many familiar faces at the yard sale yesterday, and to gather together in person and in our sacred space again today. We knew, even before the pandemic began, that our congregation was being called to renew our vision of what it means to be church in this neighborhood. This requires a major transition on behalf of our leaders and our members. We can celebrate the fact that our lay leadership: Debbie Barrett, Moderator and Chair of Stewards, and our Stewards – particularly our Stewards of the Building and Resources, Kate Wylie and Marian Channon - have been discerning the best way forward in faith. This means reducing our footprint and adjusting our environmental impact to fit the current size of the congregation. It means researching and determining the best model of church to fit the spiritual needs of the congregation and our mission in the community. Each time we discuss this topic it seems that there is someone who is a little blindsided, like Samuel. Perhaps you are finding it difficult to accept that your role in this congregation is changing as you age. Perhaps you are concerned that the younger generation is not following in your footsteps. Things will look different in the church of the future, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. It takes courage to lead where people do not necessarily want to go. And it takes strength to accept the hard truths that leaders sometimes have to share. And so my prayer for us to day is that our leaders will take us where God is leading and others will have the courage and the grace to follow. May all God’s people say, Amen |
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