Date: 10 Nov 2000
Time: 21:41:01
a great deal of sensitivity is required of anyone preparing to preach on this lection. please be aware that in your congregation are women who want desperately to have children but cannot. be careful that you don't add to their pain by saying something that they will hear as "God doesn't love you enough or think you are good enough to have a child."
Date: 13 Nov 2000
Time: 18:12:29
Rather than read this one, I think I might be inclined to substitute "Hannah's Song." I have a hard time reading past the request for a male child. Need to be cautious re: the female children and adults in the congregations. BB in IL
Date: 14 Nov 2000
Time: 21:46:32
I am looking at Hannah's intense need to have a child-- yes, a boychild, and I'm going to deal with the patriarchal society-- even though Elkanah tells her that he loves her, she is still unfulfilled. When she is finally fulfilled, that is, when she has her son Samuel, she gives him to the Lord. So the ideas I'm circling arethat we 1) need to express our deepest wants and needs to the Lord; and 2) we need to give to God EVERYTHING we have, whether God gives us what we think we need or not. In doing so, we will be fulfilled. Andy
Date: 16 Nov 2000
Time: 03:59:03
I like the texts that make us uncomfortable. It's a good opportunity to discuss how to read the Bible and deal with the differences in cultural values, or to challenge the cultural values which may still prevail. There's always another message besides the obvious superficial one (if you are barren and pray fervently and sincerely, God will grant you a child...)
There's an interesting subtheme here of playing favorites in a family. Was Elkanah's preferential love for Hannah the source of her problem with Peninnah?
Or we could dismiss the whole thing by saying it's just a story to set up Samuel's entrance into the world as divinely willed.
The Interpreter's Bible had an interesting point about prayer here. Hannah's prayer in the temple really is a selfish prayer, motivated by her rivalry with Peninnah, and to alieviate her own misery in feeling useless as a wife. And it's manipulative. She says to God, ...if you do this... I'll do that. But God hears her prayer anyway. We don't have to have pure motives to ask anything of God. Who can offer a completely selfless prayer?
This isn't to say that fervent sincere prayers will always be answered the way we want. We often don't get what we pray for or long for the most. And here may be some loose tie to the Mark passage (it's still early in the week, and my thoughts are always fuzzy at this point...) Israel's sense of hope and pride centered on the temple. But the temple fell down. Sometimes the things we long for the most have to fall apart (birth pangs) before we get throught to what's most important.
Another article in the Interpreter's Bible compared today's gospel lesson to last week's of the poor widow, and contrasted the temple (which did not last) with the poor widow, who's generosity and faith did last.
Sorry for going on so long... just rambling. All of your ramblings are always so helpful to me.
DG in NYC
Date: 16 Nov 2000
Time: 18:58:55
As I preach this passage I am- due to situational circumstances, not biological- one of those "barren" woman who would love to have a child and can't. Yet I don't hear this as a prayer to God that if we only pray right, we could have our hearts desire. Nor do I see Hannah's prayer as purely selfish.
Hannah lived at a time when the only way to have an existance after death was through your children- they did not believe in an after life. So she is facing not only her barrenes, but her lack of continuity into the future, as well as a demeaned social status as a barren woman. Do we call it selfish when we praying for healing or other things for ourselves and loved ones? Would a poverty striken person be considered selfish if she prayed for bread? In Hannah's time, to be barren was devasting, not only from a strictly maternal sense, but also societial and spiritually.
I focus instead on her willingness to give her future to God- both in her prayers and in her promise to dedicate a son to God. And yes, male children were more important in that day- that doesn't mean that they were right, or that we have to whitewash it either. For Hannah to receive a boy was the ultimate indication of God's hearing her prayer-not an indication of God favoring males. After all, it is HER prayer and promise that God hears.
Can you tell I really love the story of Hannah and Samuel's birth? :D Samuel's story as a whole is one that speaks to me- it is probably my favorite. So I look forward to preaching this Sunday on it!
Pastor (again YEAH!) Deb in Bangoor, ME
Date: 16 Nov 2000
Time: 21:17:48
So...in 1 Samuel 1:12ff-
Is not Eli's rush to judgment of Hannah sadly too typical of many priests and ministers, and of the church? Forgive us, Lord.
It would have been nice in verse 17 if, before he pronounced blessing, Eli would have said to Hannah, "Sorry."
Oh, what violence across the years the church has done, we have done, to the beloved of God with our quick judgments.
Tom in Jamestown, NY
Date: 16 Nov 2000
Time: 23:30:17
I am thinking of doing a monologue from Hanna's perspective. I think Elkanah is trying to cheer up his wife, who he loves dearly. When he says "Am I not more to you than ten sons?" I can hear him saying it with faigned humour. I think men often crack jokes when they don't know what else to do. It may be inappropriate, but is as desperate to relieve Hanna's suffering as she is to have a child.
Date: 17 Nov 2000
Time: 06:41:29
I too am going to do this speaking as Hannah. Of telling her story 'for some of it will connect with other people's stories. Talking of her longing, and how we all have longings for particular things. When we wait and wait, and nothing happens. How helpful it is to pray, and to speak to others about our situation. But also pointing out that it is not simplistic in the sense that as long as we pray hard we will get exactly what we want. But that we may find that from situations that seem barren and bleak, new beginnings in surprising directions may occur.
Rose Luxford Auckland New Zealand
Date: 17 Nov 2000
Time: 13:22:54
I am going to preach this from the idea of having the child later in life as people are chosing to do now is also a blessing. Especially in the bible. It meant a change in their lives and a blessing from God. It does not mean the same thing today, but in those days society judged a woman by how many children she had and while it was not right, just as judging people today for one thing or another is not right, never the less it was the way things happened. Hannah had enough confidence in God to also give back to him that which she wanted most. How many of us have that much confidence? How many of us would part with that which we had prayed for? How many of us love God enough to give back what he gives us?
MR in NY
Date: 18 Nov 2000
Time: 13:03:25
A great many good themes have already been mentioned, but I see this text as a good one to apply to my congregation's particular situation. We are an aging Church. The average age in Sunday morning congregation is about 65. Because the neighborhood has changed and all their families have moved to newer neigborhoods, there is little to zero chance for "Generational evangelism" (biological growth). But opportunities for evangelism still abound all around us, if only we can get past the color and language issues (and the issues of worship style). Can a congregation that always assumed it would grow easily one way make the shift to accepting growth another way? Can I use the term "barrenness" in this context?
Boyd in NC
Date: 18 Nov 2000
Time: 15:39:50
We too like Hannah should present our requests to God and trust that God will answer. When He does then we too should be faithful to follow through on our promise to God and live for Him.
Date: 18 Nov 2000
Time: 19:42:20
Late contribution.
I will use Hannah's story to introduce the passage from Hebrews.
Our culture seems to value people not for who they are but for what they do. Children feel the need to perform for their parents. Many only find parental approval when they receive high grades or score game-winning goals.
Hannah also felt the pressure of societal expectations. She literally was not producing. Though Elkanah expressed his unconditional love, she was still depressed.
The Hebrews passage tells us that it is not a matter of what we do that brings us God's approval. We can go in the Temple and offer all the sacrifices we want, but it will never be enough. Christ's deeds are good enough for all time and all people.
JKK
Date: 18 Nov 2000
Time: 20:42:51
It is Saturday and surely your sermon is done. I'm still polishing, myself. Here is roughly where I am coming from; Looking back at Naomi(nee Mara) from Ruth, she cried out,"I went away full and came back empty." Must have made Ruth feel good! Later, the townswomen declared,"Ruth has been better to you than 7 sons." Likewise, Hannah wants sons and nothing else will do. Elkinah asks,"Aren't I as good as 10 sons?" He certainly loves her as much! When we fall for the world's standard of what is valuable, we often ignore, lose sight of, cut ourselves off from the very blessings right under our noses. Ruth would give Naomi an heir, as would Elkinah give Hannah a son, by God's grace. This is a Thanksgiving sermon designed to make us look at our blessings which we often ignore, right under our noses. Each woman got what she wanted eventually, but also gained insight to how blessed they already were.
Date: 19 Nov 2000
Time: 04:05:09
I have been doing a series on "stewardship" and the difference between contributions and different kinds of committments. Following Ruth, the widow's mite, the passage from Samuel is about understanding that our most precious gifts are from God, and that when we give them back to God (be it money, children- baptism/confirmation, our lives etc)then he takes our offering and turns it into something divinely special and with unique promise. It is tied to experiencing frustration, lack of fulfillment, indeed desperation which leads to our turning to our only realy hope, God. I may tie it in with Christ's turning his life over to God and what his sacrifice and commitment means to us. Finally, there is nothing that we cannot "give" to God...
Date: 19 Nov 2000
Time: 04:05:57
I have been doing a series on "stewardship" and the difference between contributions and different kinds of committments. Following Ruth, the widow's mite, the passage from Samuel is about understanding that our most precious gifts are from God, and that when we give them back to God (be it money, children- baptism/confirmation, our lives etc)then he takes our offering and turns it into something divinely special and with unique promise. It is tied to experiencing frustration, lack of fulfillment, indeed desperation which leads to our turning to our only realy hope, God. I may tie it in with Christ's turning his life over to God and what his sacrifice and commitment means to us. Finally, there is nothing that we cannot "give" to God...