November 14, 2021 - 7:30am & 9am
/Proper 28
1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25; Mark 13:1-8
The Rev. Jeff Bohanski
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Most Sundays after the 7:30 Service someone in the group asks me to tell them a story from my first-grade class. This person’s spouse has lovingly dubbed this story time as “a Tale from the Crypt.” My friends, consider this my “tale from the crypt” for this morning.
A few weeks ago, we celebrated Halloween. At our school we observed the day by having a “Character Day.” The children were invited to come dressed as their favorite book character. They were also asked to bring the book their character was in. We had lots of Spidermen and Transformers and one Hulk. We found ourselves in the company of a few Elsa’s from Frozen, a few princesses and one very creative unicorn.
If I had thought through the idea more thoroughly, I would have come dressed as a Who and brought my copy of Dr. Seuss’ book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you don’t remember who a Who is, a Who lived in Who-ville, and they liked Christmas a lot. The Grinch who lived just north of Who-ville did not. He hated the Whos and the whole Christmas season. He especially hated the thought of them hanging their mistletoe wreaths and their stockings. But most of all he hated their noise, their feasting and especially their singing! It was then he hatched a fiendish plot to stop Christmas from coming. The Whos inspire me. They inspire me because they knew who and what they were doing. The Whos had faith that no Grinch could stop. The Whos knew what Christmas was about. They knew they were a people who when united would bring light and love to their world. I should’ve been a Who.
As you probably know, I love a good story of many different genres. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a great story. So, it’s no wonder I’ve been enjoying the readings we’ve been hearing these last several weeks. For the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing the colorful intriguing story of Ruth who at the beginning of her story had nothing. By the end of the story, she was the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth, who was in the midst of chaos, in the midst of turmoil believed God loved her and God was and would be with her. Ruth was a woman of faith.
In the first reading we heard this morning; we heard the story of Hannah faithfully ask God for a son and promised to one day return him back to God in thanksgiving. Hannah prayed so diligently for her son; her lips moved. She was accused of being drunk. In our response to this reading, we prayed Hannah’s powerful prayer of rejoicing for her son. It was this prayer that many scholars believe was used to format the Magnificat sung by Mary in Luke’s Gospel. It was this son of Hannah’s son who one day would be the one to find and anoint Ruth’s great-grandson as King of Israel from whose line Jesus, Emanuel – God is with us – would one day be born into. Hannah, who in the midst of chaos, in the midst of turmoil believed God loved her and God was and would be with her. Hannah was a woman of faith.
Then we come to today’s Gospel story. Jesus comes out of the temple and his disciples are marveling at the stones of the temple. They don’t get it. Now, I think it is important at this point in my message to recall, that Mark’s Gospel was probably written just before or very close to the time the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. Mark’s community was living in the midst of turmoil and chaos. I believe Mark has a message here for his community. I believe his is the message of Ruth and Hannah. Have faith. Turmoil and chaos are coming, it may be here. But have faith in God. Have faith Jesus, Emanuel – God is with us. I think the message of Mark is the same for us today. Believe. God is with you. God is with us. Find your strength in and God’s love for you. Believe, have faith like Ruth and Hannah had faith.
In a few minutes Tony will speak about Stewardship. I invite us all to listen. Have faith of Ruth and Hannah. I have found Saint Andrews to be a place where I find God’s love. I have found it a place where I am free to grow into the person God created me to be. I ask you to have faith, believe, do what you feel called by God to do. I invite you to be a person of faith like Ruth and Hannah.
Later this morning, during the 11:15 Service people of faith will stand up in front of Bishop Fisher to profess their faith, to renew their faith. I invite you as a member of Saint Andrew’s Community to come back at 11:15, represent this congregation to bear witness to their faith, to your faith, to our faith and to show support for these new members of God’s community.
Like Ruth and Hannah, I invite us all be people of faith in Jesus, Emanuel – God is with us. Believe in the midst of turmoil.