A Permanent Home - repreach 2009

July 21, 2024 2 Samuel 7:1-14 A Permanent Home 9th Sunday After Pentecost Year B Prelude Call to Worship Come away, disciples of Christ, and rest from your labors. We are weary from our work. Come away, disciples of Christ, and leave the demands of the crowds. There are always more who need our help. Come away, disciples of Christ, and be renewed in fellowship with our shepherd. We too love the sheep, but need our own renewal. We too need to hear anew the teachings of Jesus, to give us strength for the journey. Come away, disciples of Christ, and draw courage from the one who gives us peace. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, BJ Beu) Invocation Wonderful Creator, you come to us with power and gentleness, strength and compassion, peace and joy. We come to you with hope and hopelessness, love and heartbreak, thanksgiving and lament. You fortify us as we go on our journey, assured of your presence and renewed by your love. Give us rest in our coming and our going. Give us joy in ministering in your name. May our worship restore our soul as we dwell in your presence. Amen. (Disciples of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsey) Song Near to the Heart of God UMH 472 Children’s Sermon Title: God’s Promise to David Scripture: 2 Samuel 7 Target Age Group: 3rd-5th grade Lesson Opening Ask: Has someone ever made a promise to you? What was the promise? Did they keep it? Say: People don’t always keep their promises, but you know who does? God! Throughout the Bible we read about many promises that God made to different people, and He always kept those promises. Our story today is about a promise God made to King David, and what’s really cool about this promise is that in some ways it was fulfilled in David’s lifetime, but in other ways God’s promise was kept throughout all eternity! Tell the Story Explain It (Book): This is where you school ‘em! Say: Our story comes from the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel. This is the book that tells the story of David’s life. We have heard several stories from 2 Samuel already, including David being anointed as king, and David fighting Goliath. Last week we learned that Saul, Israel’s first king, was so jealous of David that he wanted to kill him! Say: During a battle between Israel and the Philistines Saul and David’s friend Jonathan, Saul’s son, were both killed. David was finally free from Saul’s attempts to take his life, but he was still saddened by the news that they had died. Say: God had strengthened David and given him victory over all his enemies. Finally there was peace in Israel and David settled into his palace. As he looked at all the splendor around him he said to Nathan the prophet, “How can I possibly go on living in such a beautiful palace while the ark of God stays in a tent on the outskirts of the city?” Say: You see, David had brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, but there wasn’t yet a place for it to rest permanently. So the Ark remained in a tent that David had set up for it. Say: David wanted to build a house for God! Ask: If you were to build a house for God, what would it look like? What would be inside? Ask: Can any building or house truly contain God? Of course not! But David wanted to build a house, or a temple, where God’s presence would dwell and the people could worship the Lord. David wanted to honor God by building a temple. Say: That night the Lord spoke to Nathan telling him what to say to David. God said, “During all the years that Israel traveled in the wilderness I never asked anyone to build me a house. My presence was with you and I traveled in a tent so that I could be near to you. But now I will establish my people in this land and they will have peace at last. I will make David’s name great and I will bless him greatly.” Say: As God continued speaking He made an incredible promise to David. Let’s hear to God’s Word together, and as I read, listen for the promise that He made… Read 2 Samuel 7:11a-16 The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever…Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Ask: Did you hear the promise God made to David? What was it? Say: God promised that even though David wouldn’t be the one to build a house for him, David’s son would. God also promised that there would always be someone from David’s family on the throne ruling over Israel! Ask: If you were David and had just heard God promise all these wonderful things to you, how do you think you would feel? How would you respond to God? Say: David responded by worshipping God. He was overwhelmed by God’s goodness toward Him and he prayed a prayer of thankfulness. Let’s read David’s response to God. Read 2 Samuel 7:18-29 (portions) Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?…. How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears…. And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘the LORD Almighty is God over Israel!’ Connect it (Look): Apply it & Answer “How?” Ask: Do you think God kept His promise to David? You bet He did! After David died his son Solomon became the next King over Israel. And just like God promised, Solomon built a beautiful temple for God. We’ll hear more about Solomon and the temple in a few weeks! Ask: What was the other promise God made to David? (That someone from David’s family would always rule over Israel.) Say: God also kept that promise! Ask: Did you know that Jesus was David’s great, great, great, great, great, great grandson? Say: Even though Jesus didn’t sit on a literal throne in Israel, Jesus is the King of kings! He is the ruler of the entire universe! God kept His promise to David by sending Jesus through David’s family. God’s promise is still being fulfilled even to this day, because Jesus is still the King over all creation. Ask: Will there ever be a time when someone else becomes king instead of Jesus? Say: No way! Jesus is our King forever. There is no one more powerful than Jesus, and we can praise Him because He is a good and perfect King in every way. Ask: What are some reasons that Jesus is a good king? Say: One thing that makes Jesus a wonderful King is that He truly loves and cares for us, His people. He cares so much for us in fact that He was willing to die for us. Apart from King Jesus we are totally separated from God because of our sin. But Jesus is such a kind and good king that He died on the cross so our sin could be forgiven. Jesus has made a way for us to be brought back to God! Now, whoever puts their faith in Jesus is part of His forever kingdom! God’s Kingdom isn’t just in heaven when we die. His kingdom is also here and now! We can live in God’s kingdom now by following Jesus. Ask: What are some ways that we can be part of God’s kingdom? (Obey and love God, love God’s Word, care for others, share the gospel, etc.) Say: We can thank God for inviting us to be part of His Kingdom by sending Jesus to be our forever King. Let’s pray and thank God now! Review Questions • What did David want to build for God? (A temple) • Who did God use to tell David that he wouldn’t be the one to build the temple? (Nathan) • What was God’s promise to David? (David’s son would build a temple, and someone from David’s family would always be on the throne.) • Who is our forever King? (Jesus!) • What does this story teach us about God? Affirmation of Faith UMH #887 Passing of the Peace Scripture 2 Samuel 7:1-14 Sermon Walls – why we need them Walls are an important part of our life. What would we do without them, especially in our climate. They protect us, they help us define ourselves, it separates us from people and things that are not in our best interest. And there are certain walls, in certain buildings with have great meaning for us. They tell our story of who we are and what is important to us. Houses – beautiful homes Walls are an important part of our dwellings. They create beautiful homes and buildings. Beautiful houses of God Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world are the ones that we build for God. Churches are beautiful buildings dedicated to God. We just got someone asking to get married in our sanctuary, because it was such a beautiful place. Creating a beautiful place to worship God is a part of our worship experience. So when David decided that he was going to build a beautiful house for God – he was just trying to make sure that his God, had the same respect that all of the others gods of the people around him had. When a national leader came into power, it was expected that you would build a momument for God. What better monument to God could there be besides a house to come and to worship, and say thank you and to acknowledge God as the king of our lives. David’s intention -If he was going to be king – God had to be king David’s intention were very pure. He realized that if he was going to be King, that God had to also be King. God ad brought him from a very long way. God had brought him through some pretty tough times. God had bought his people through some times which questioned the very foundation of who they were and who they were supposed to be. But God had bought David to a good place now, he had bought the country to a stable place. And it was time to make sure that God was in that same place, and taken care of just as well. David had to learn an important lesson that day. Just because the world changes, just because our understanding of God changes – God remains the same. Nathan said no David was told that he was not the build God’s house. That God was not ready to join him in the mist of his success God is still king. God lives with the people.God doesn’t live inside of walls. David could not build a house for God – but God would build a house for David. God promised David that there would always be a member of his family on the throne. That his son would build the temple That his sons would be blessed, and that his son would have to power to be raised up so that David’s name would be remembered forever. People are the true house of God. God doesn’t live within walls, and never will. The true house of God is the hearts of his people. That is where God has always lived and where God will always live. God is free to live with the people. The real problem are walls of our hearts. Walls are important to us, they protect us. They define us, they tell our story. But walls can also hold us in, they can keep us trapped in beliefs that no longer serve out best interest, they can keep other people out, they can keep us from really witnesses what god is doing in the world. They do not contain the spirit of God. The real problem is not the walls that we build around us, the real problem is the walls that we build inside of us. Soldier story In World War I, there was a soldier who was killed in France. His friends wanted to make sure that he was buried before they had to move on. They went to the nearest cemetery to ask if they could bury their friend. The priest asked if he had been baptized catholic – and he had not. So the priest said that he could not be buried. Distraught they buried their friend right outside of the walls of the cemetery. The next day – the priest feeling guilty for not allowing the soldier to be buried within the walls –went outside and moved the fence, so that the soldiers grave would be inside. There are barriers that still need to be torn down People still need to bring them down. Ephesians talks about the walls of our hearts. The ways that we define ourselves in order to exclude those who are not like us. There were still ways that the congregation was dividing itself. Jews felt that they could not associate with gentiles. Greeks felt they could not talk to barbarians. - Anyone who is not like me is an outsider was the mindset. Ephesians message was that through Christ we are a new people. We are one people. Like to priest of the cemetery. He doesn’t change the rules, he just expands them to include everyone else. He changes definitions. The jews separated themselves as a way to get close to God – Through Christ, we are all bought near to God. Ephesians – we go from strangers to family All people, no matter who we are go from strangers and aliens to citizens, saints, members of the household of God. We go from divided, suspicious, self destructive to unified, loving and most importantly hopeful. Kindergarten story There is a television documentary about a kindergarten teacher who noticed that the thing she heard most on the playground was “No you cant play with us”. So she made a rule that from now on, all children had to play with whomever asked to play. Even in kindergarten, the children protested. How could we play with anyone who asked. We have a right to define who we want to play with. Other kids in the school could not understand this rule either. Why would you play with just anyone? The kindergarten agreed that they would try to go along with the rule for a week. When they say it worked – they agreed to do it all of the time. It helped them to meet new friends. A few years later, the teacher saw one of her former students in the store. Lisa was twelve now. She asked her old teacher if she still used the play with anyone rule. Yes replied the teacher. Lisa told her teacher that she too stuck to the rule – if including anyone who wanted to play with her in her world. It was very difficult. She got a lot of flack from her friends. A lot of people did not understand her, even more criticized her. But it was important for her to carry on with the rule to learn to play with anyone. How do we play with others? Walls are beautiful things. They are an important part of our life. But they also keep us locked in, they trap us, they stop us from seeing what God is doing in the world, and they stop us from participating in the real work of God. God inside of our walls, but God is also in the world. God dwells in the homes created for God, but God also lives in the hearts of his people. Those inside and outside. Who are the outsiders today? Who are the ones asking to play with us, and what are the ways that we tell them no? Today we live in a world that is so global, that we are neighborhood is bigger them we can comprehend. Jesus is calling us to think beyond being a good neighbor – to become a family of brothers and sisters. In spite of our differences, inspite of our different understandings – there is only one God. One god who has been with the people and always will. Where are we? Song I Love Thy Kingdom Lord UMH 540 Pastoral Prayer God of peace and hope, we are a nation focused on activity. From every source of media we have opportunities to go and see and do a host of activities. They beckon us to come and have fun, there are activities for all ages. But one of the most necessary activities we neglect is our need for rest. We crowd each day, that has been given by you as a blessing, with busyness. We forget what it is like to sit and listen, to rest, to take time to reflect. Help us to find the quiet moments in which our souls can be made whole again. We know that there will always be much for us to do to serve you in this world, but if we keep up this hectic pace, we will be unable to accomplish anything. We have lifted before you this day names of dear ones for whom we have concern. We feel helpless to lift their burdens and their sorrows. Let us turn these concerns over to you, for you are the Master Healer who restores our souls. Help us to place our trust and our lives in your unending care. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Paul, writing to the Christians in Corinth, describes in great detail how he and his companions have engaged in ministry despite the hurdles they needed to overcome. How are we engaging in ministry in our own community, in 2024? Are you, are WE, engaging every day with patience, kindness, genuine love and truthful speech? Can we honestly declare and defend our work as servants of God? We can demonstrate our own desire to join with Paul as loving followers of Jesus as we share our morning offering. Will you let your financial contribution be one signal of your desire to fully engage in ministry? When you give a significant gift (meaning a portion, not a pittance; a tithe, not a token), you show your connection to those who endured much to share the Gospel. With a wide-open heart Paul appeals to the Corinthians to respond to his letter by opening their own hearts. Today, I do the same. Friends, let’s share our gifts, helping us open wide our own hearts to the love of God we know in Jesus Christ. Prayer of Thanksgiving With deep gratitude, God, we offer these gifts to you. We’re grateful for the many people of faith who have gone before us: Paul, Lydia, Peter, many from our own congregation. Help us use each gift to extend your Realm here on earth, sharing Good News with those who yearn to live in loving relationship with you, with others in this community, and with the wider world. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Beloved, listen! God calls us to worship in our gathering and in our scattering. May the Triune God bless you as you go from this place to answer God’s call to worship in everything you do in thought, word, and deed that you may be a blessing of love, hope, and peace to all you meet. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2024. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction In your coming and going, may you encounter Jesus on the journey. In your coming and going, may you touch the source of power and healing. In your coming and going, may you find rest. Come and go in peace. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsey) Additional Illustrations

What's Inside

March 22, 2020 1 Samuel 16:1-13 What’s Inside 4th Sunday of Lent Year A Children’s Sermon Object: Box of chocolates with mixed fillings and Card stock printed with 1 Samuel 16 (reference only) (Open the box of chocolate. Take one out, bite it, and announce its filling. Take out a second piece of chocolate, bite it, and announce its filling.) These pieces of chocolate are very good! From the outside, they very much alike, but when you bite into them, you find out that they are very different. Without the map that sometimes comes with the box, you have to break or bite the chocolate to know what’s inside. Sometimes we judge people by how they look on the outside, but a story in the Bible lets us know that God looks at us differently. (Hold up the card stock with 1 Samuel 16 printed on it.) In 1 Samuel, chapter 16, God told Samuel, his prophet, to anoint a new king for Israel. Anointing is an old practice that involved pouring oil onto the head of a person chosen for a special job. God sent Samuel to the town of Bethlehem, where he was to meet a man named Jesse. Jesse didn’t know it yet, but one of his eight sons was going to be chosen as the next king. So Samuel came to town, and Jesse called together his sons. First, Samuel met Eliab. The Bible doesn’t tell us what Eliab looked like, but Samuel was impressed. After seeing Eliab, Samuel thought that he must be the next king. But do you know what God said? In verse 7, God said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Samuel looked at Eliab on the outside and was sure that he would be the next king, but God told Samuel that he was looking at our hearts. Finally, Samuel met David. David was the youngest. Usually, the Bible doesn’t say much about the way a person looks, but in this case, it does give us some clues. The middle part of verse 12 says, “Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.” Do you know what ruddy means? It means “red.” We don’t know if verse 12 means that David had red hair or if he had a reddish complexion from being out in the sun while he was watching the sheep, but the Bible says that he was ruddy and handsome. The Bible doesn’t say this, but it’s possible that David was short. Remember that in verse 7, God told Samuel not to consider Eliab’s height. Saul, the first king of Israel, was tall, so Samuel and the other people might have expected another tall man to be the new king. When Samuel saw David, he probably thought, “He’s young, he’s short, and he smells like the sheep he watches all day. He couldn’t possibly be the next king.” But remember what else God said in verse 7. God looks at our hearts, not our faces or our heights or anything else on the outside. God knew that David loved him very much and that David was the best choice for the new king. So God told Samuel to anoint David. Stewardship Moment When Alaska experienced a terrible earthquake a couple decades ago, the governor’s wife said that she had received many letters and phone calls asking her to help people’s relatives and friends. She also received many offers of help. But she received one letter she won’t forget. It was from a ten-year-old boy from Bemidji, Minnesota, who sent her two nickels. He said he hoped it would help some of the suffering the quake had caused. In a postscript to his letter he had written these words: "P.S. If you need more, please let me know." scripture 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Common English Bible (CEB) Samuel anoints David 16 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to grieve over Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have found[a] my next king among his sons.” 2 “How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “When Saul hears of it he’ll kill me!” “Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say, ‘I have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make clear to you what you should do. You will anoint for me the person I point out to you.” 4 Samuel did what the LORD instructed. When he came to Bethlehem, the city elders came to meet him. They were shaking with fear. “Do you come in peace?” they asked. 5 “Yes,” Samuel answered. “I’ve come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Now make yourselves holy, then come with me to the sacrifice.” Samuel made Jesse and his sons holy and invited them to the sacrifice as well. 6 When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, That must be the LORD’s anointed right in front. 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his appearance or stature, because I haven’t selected him. God[b] doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the LORD sees into the heart.” 8 Next Jesse called for Abinadab, who presented himself to Samuel, but he said, “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either.” 9 So Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “No, the LORD hasn’t chosen this one.” 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD hasn’t picked any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all of your boys?” “There is still the youngest one,” Jesse answered, “but he’s out keeping the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel told Jesse, “because we can’t proceed until he gets here.”[c] 12 So Jesse sent and brought him in. He was reddish brown, had beautiful eyes, and was good-looking. The LORD said, “That’s the one. Go anoint him.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers. The LORD’s spirit came over David from that point forward. Then Samuel left and went to Ramah. Footnotes: a. 1 Samuel 16:1 Or seen b. 1 Samuel 16:7 LXX; MT lacks God. c. 1 Samuel 16:11 MT; LXX we won’t sit down (that is, to eat) Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon Speaking of Facebook, there was a facebook post that said, when I decided to give up something for lent, I wasn’t planning on giving up quite this much. Lent, the season of preparation for Easter, now there is a concept. It seems like so much has happen since the beginning of lent. This is the fourth Sunday of lent. There are some years, where I get to do lent, and then there are years like this where lent does me. Lent is definitely doing me this year. It seems like the whole world has changed, every day there is a new development in this coronavirus pandemic. In the next few moments, I am going to invite us to put all of that stuff aside, and get back to the lent at hand. Let us focus, and think – where do we find God in the midst of all of the things going on in the world. And how do we continue in our busy lives to develop a relationship with God. Our scripture for today is an invitation for us to look at David as an example of someone with an awesome relationship with God. Whatever David did in life, whereever he was – he always stayed in touch with God. He found God in every circumstance. The stories of David are some of the most lively in the bible. David was the king of Israel, but he was also a father, a husband, a sinner, a child of God – given a purpose in life. There are many stories of David, - David and Goliath, David and Bathesheba, David and Jonothan, David and Saul. The psalms are David’s writings about how we went through life and hound God in the good and the bad. Our scripture is the story of how David was chosen and anointed by God. – God must have know all along that God wanted David to be king. But it was not obvious to Samuel the prophet. He sets out on a journey to Bethlehem. He does not know who he is looking for. And since Saul was tall, and strong, he assumed that the new king would be also. When he went to the house of Jesse, the father of 7 sons, Saul assumed that the oldest would be God’s choice, or at least the second or even third choice. Michael Jordan was actually not the first choice of the bulls, ot even the second, but the third choice – but I am sure they picked him, even though he wasn’t the first choice. Our ways are not God’s ways – we look at outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Sometimes God does not look for A people, or even B people. God looks for C people – ordinary people who are committed, consecrated and compassionate. God chose David because he was humble, good hearted and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we look at people how do we judge them worthy? What do we look for? What God Sees In the midst of our Lenten journey, God doesn't see us as everyone else sees us. People around us may see us as cool, successful, unattractive, popular, old, whatever. It doesn't matter at all how others may see us. God sees our hearts, sees us as we really are. Perhaps we wish we had him fooled, like those we've led to believe that we're less frightened, more confident, happier than we really are. Or perhaps we're deeply grateful that God sees through all the shallow, negative judgments which so many people have placed on us. Probably it's both. Our Lord, to our joy and to our sorrow, looks into our hearts and sees us as we really are. In Lent, that's a call for introspection: to confess that we have not loved our Lord with our whole hearts, nor loved our neighbors as ourselves. In Lent, it's especially important that we confess our sinfulness as specifically as we're able. In what ways have we failed God and ourselves? Because we can't hide from God, we dare not use all our usual ways to avoid our sinfulness. We're used to denying our sins, minimizing them, excusing them, blaming them on others. This Lent, let's examine ourselves, asking God to search our hearts. We benefit from naming our sins, our needs, and losses, and failings. And we admit to God that only by his grace and guidance can we find healing and help. G. Edward Whetstone, Caught in the Acts, CSS Publishing When we look at people it is important that we look at them as God sees them, not as we see them. God sees the inner heart. That makes all of the difference in the world. Jim Eaton, looks back on his life and remembers being in high school in 1965. His family moved around a lot so as Freshman, he was a little insecure. Until they moved to small town in Michigan. His English teacher was Mrs. Sonnebonne. He remembers her as a short lady who always wore high heals, but she had a spunky personality. Everyone’s desk was arranged in a circle. And everyone, the boys and girls has long hair. It was important for Mrs. Sonnebonne to look you in the eye, if your hair was in your face, she would take a hair clip and pin it back so she could see you. It only took one time for the students to get the point. One of their assignments was to rewrite a fairy talk. This student took that task seriously, and wrote a play. Not only did he get an A – the teacher had students in the class perform the play. After class, she had the student stay after. She said to him, Jim I didn’t know who you were until today – not I know that you are truly a writer. Those words meant the world to a young insecure man looking for identity. That was who he became from that day forward – writer - he went on to write several more plays for Mrs. Sonnebonne’s class. He continued to write, he still writes for the church as an adult. He will always be grateful – that teacher gave him a very special gift – the gift of himself. The Lord sent Samuel into a small desert town – to anoint a king. I small, insecure you shepdherd boy became the king of Israel. When Samuel anointed David, he gave David the gift of himself – a man after God’s own heart – and he lived that role for the rest of his life. How does God see you? What gift of self has God given you, how are you using it? We cant’ love anyone else until we love ourselves as God loves us. We cant give to others that we have not given ourselves, we cant see the gift of light in others, unless we see the light within ourselves. In the mist of the chaos and confusion – get back to finding God in every person and every situation – especially within ourselves. That is God’s gift to each of us. Let us pray….. Amen. Take a moment to remember God’s grace as we listen. Not go forth. Additional illustrations Humor: It's The Blind Man Mrs. Smith was stark-naked and just about to step into the shower when the doorbell rang. She hollered, "Who is it?" He shouted back, "It's the blind man." She figured it was safe, so she opened the door. He looked at her in shock and asked, "Where do you want me to hang these blinds, lady?" Ann Landers, The Washington Post, October 13, 1998. Years ago, there was a story of a candidate for Congress who never missed an opportunity to go after a vote. Just before election time, he would tear all around his district getting acquainted and passing out campaign brochures. On one occasion, he walked into a backyard where a little girl happened to be milking a cow. As usual, he introduced himself and explained that he was running for Congress. Just then the mother stuck her head out the back door and called, "Mary, who is that fellow you're talking to?" Mary explained that the visitor was a man running for Congress. "You come right in the house," commanded the mother, with great concern in her voice. And then as an afterthought, she added, "And if that fellow is a politician, bring the cow in with you." Politics, politics - vote when the time comes, but do it as properly as you can. Not on the basis of simple partisan politics, not on the basis of pure self-interest, and not on the basis of image. Paul makes it clear that, whether we are voting or doing anything else, as Christians we should "do it as unto the Lord." Wilma, 20th of 22 children, suffered from polio as a very young child. By age six, Wilma had also survived double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and whooping cough. She was frail and weak, often needing assistance to accomplish even the smallest tasks at home or school. Based only on her outward appearance, Wilma was destined for a life of poverty, dependence, and frustration. However, Wilma had a fierce determination to overcome this crippling illness. Through grueling exercises and relentless discipline, Wilma not only began to walk, she started to run. Then Wilma not only ran, she ran fast, faster than anyone in her school. The little girl with frail legs and a fragile body had become a young woman with a powerful body and a courageous heart. At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Wilma Rudolph didn’t just run, she sprinted her way to three Olympic gold medals: for the 100 and 200 meter dashes and as anchor in the 400 meter relay. “The Lord does not see what mortals see… the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Second, our scripture lesson reminds us that the Lord’s presence and power are deep inside our own hearts. Few, if any of us, will become great world leaders like David or Olympic champions like Wilma Rudolph. Nevertheless, it is the Lord’s power within us that prepares us to enter the new and challenging spaces that lie just before us. The world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his faithful companion, Dr. Watson, were on a camping trip. They were in their sleeping bags looking up at the sky. Holmes said, "Watson, look up. What do you see?" Watson answered, "Well, I see thousands of stars." "And what does that mean to you?" Holmes inquired. "Well," said Watson, "I guess it means we will have another nice day tomorrow." Watson paused for a moment and then asked, "What does it mean to you, Holmes?" "To me," said Holmes somberly, "it means someone has stolen our tent." This world is governed by "C" people - not "the best and the brightest" only, but the committed, the consecrated, and the compassionate. In scriptures you find over and over again that "C" people also prevail. Indeed, God chooses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary tasks. The things we say we'll never do - "It's not in me" - become the very things God's grace leads us into. God gives us the resources we need at the time we need them.