1-samuel – onewhoponders

Pondering for Thursday, July 24, 2025

Office Daily Readings for Thursday of Proper 11: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 50; Evening, Psalms 66 and 67;
1^st Samuel 28:3 to 20; Acts 15:1 to 11; Mark 5:1 to 20:

“Moreover, the Lord will give Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me;” (1^st Samuel 28:19).

Samuel has died. But the spirit of Samuel has been brought to the presence of Saul by a medium. This is a Hebrew (Old) Testament acknowledgement that there is at least some sort of spiritual existence after death. Now, Saul has been told that he and his sons will join him (Samuel) in this form of life on the next day.

My beloved of the Lord, all of us will be raised before the great throne, believers and non believers alike. The biggest concern we should have is “what happens next?”

Because we will be raised to some new form of awareness does not mean that we will absolutely remain that way for all eternity. There will be judgment. Saul is discovering this in this scripture. You and I are also learning this now. We, each of us, have the living responsibility now to live our lives to the best of our moral ability. We do this best by making for ourselves a “Rule of life.”

My personal creed or rule of life is stated thus: “I Trust in the Creating Word through the Holy Spirit of the Incarnate Word, in whom we live and move and love and have our being, and to whom we must give an account.” I had to work in the words, “must give and account” part. Everything in scripture leads me to believe that there will be a resurrection for each of us and there will be judgment for us in our resurrection. We should make it easy on ourselves now while still in this life. The old saying still holds true, “Forewarned is forearmed.”

Saul and his sons are joining Samuel in death with short notice. But I’m here to tell you all, that this very night is not promised to us. We know not when our mortality is required of us. The time to start getting ready was yesterday, but today is not too late. We want our mortality to become our immortality. And through our Lord Jesus it can happen. We however must do our part with Christ.

I know it sounds corny, but the one way to begin a change in our lives is to strive to love others as best we can. This was hard for Saul. He was jealous of David and jealous of how much the people loved David. Only near the end of his life did he come to terms with his shortcomings. But I suppose that’s better than never. Are you jealous of anyone? Is there anything in your heart pushing love out? It’s not too late to change. If we need anyone to come back from the dead as did Samuel, then we have our Lord Jesus, who has already done it for our sake. Thank You Lord Jesus.

Today we remember Thomas a Kempis, priest, monk and writer (July24, 1471) and his information may be found at: Thomas a Kempis.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 503)

Almighty God, with whom still live the spirits of those who die in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful are in joy and felicity: We give you heartfelt thanks for the good examples of all your servants, who, having finished their course in faith, now find rest and refreshment. May we, with all who have died in the true faith of your holy Name, have perfect fulfillment and bliss in your eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering for Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 9: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 5 and 6; Evening, Psalms 10 and 11;
1^st Samuel 15:24 to 35; Acts 9:32 to 43; Luke 23:56b to 24:1:

“As Samuel turned to go away, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” (1^st Samuel 15: 27 and 28)

There are three things for me to ponder in this 1^st Samuel reading for today. The first two are in the verses above.

Is this where the tearing of clothing began? Saul grabbed the garment of Samuel as Samuel had turned to leave and Samuel used this action as an explanation of how God is tearing Saul from being king over Israel. This tearing of clothing will appear elsewhere in scripture whenever someone is upset or angry about something that has happened, or was said. It’s just something to ponder.

The second thing to ponder is that sometimes people better qualified to do what I like doing will be chosen to do the work. Samuel tells Saul that, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” I don’t believe anyone is really “better” than anybody else, but some might be better at certain deeds than others, and the need of the community is what is most important. First comes the “what” that needs to be done, and then comes the “who” that is best gifted to do what needs doing. As part of my community I too benefit from the best possible person in the right position.

Lastly, I think Samuel is incorrect when he says that God will not have a change of mind. When Saul requests prayers in an effort to see if God will have a change of mind regarding his kingship, Samuel tells Saul, “Moreover, the Glory of Israel will not recant or change his mind; for he is not a mortal, that he should change his mind;” (1^st Samuel 15:29). However, when Moses engaged with God about God’s plan to destroy the Israelites because of their worship of an idol that they made with their own hands, he got God to have a change of mind. ^“And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” (Exodus 32:14 NRSV). There are other places as well where God has a change of mind about what was planned. If God can have a change of mind, and we are created in God’s Image, can we not also have a change of mind? I think we should ponder this. We should especially consider having a change of mind if such a change results in a more loving response to life’s challenges.

Today we remember Priscilla and Aquila, Co-workers of the Apostle Paul, and their information may be found at: Priscilla & Aquila.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

O Lord, God Almighty, Help us, we pray, to not be so fixated in what we think and do that we can’t hear Your guiding presence in our lives. Open to us the sacred mysteries revealed in the early writings of our relationship with You in order that we might have a change of mind if necessary, and that such a change results in a more loving response to life’s challenges. In Your Name we pray; Amen.

Pondering for Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 8: Year 1

Morning, Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123; Evening, Psalms 124, 125, 126, [127];

1^st Samuel 11:1 to 15; Acts 8:1 to 13; Luke 22:63 to 71:

In our readings for today we have the action of two Sauls.

The Saul of the Hebrew Testament rejoices after a victory and calls the people to renew his kingship. After reading about this Saul the next reading is about the New Testament Saul who consented to Stephen’s death by stoning. The two Sauls will go different ways. The Saul of the Hebrew Testament will lose favor with God while the Saul of the Christian Testament will gain favor with God. The death of people is involved in both.

The biggest difference between the Sauls is the “why” they did the things they did. The Hebrew Testament Saul begins to praise his own kingship, the kingship of himself. The New Testament Saul was always zealous for God but learns to honor the Kingship of Christ Jesus and lives out the remainder of his days as Paul only to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Perhaps many of us have names that are recycled through our families. I am named after my uncle and my dad. I don’t know that with my name I also received any of my uncle’s or dad’s personality traits. No matter our name, in Christ Jesus we are a new creation, and maybe even have our names changed as did Saul to Paul and Simon to Peter.

Today we remember Pauli Murray, Priest (July 1, 1985), and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Writer and Prophetic witness (July 1, 1896) their information may be found at: Pauli Murray and Harriet Beecher Stowe, respectively.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray:

O Lord God Almighty, we pray that we are called by who You name us to be. May we live the best lives we can in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.