THE one...

I Corinthians 12.7 (RSV)
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

We have choices to make when it comes to what we do with almost every part of our lives. From what to watch on television to what detergent we use in the washing machine we all have preferences and choices to be made.

Sunday we thought with Samuel about what it means for us to get what we have asked for. The intended consequence was that the people of Israel would have a physical king that would lead them. The unintended consequences turned out to be how that was all going to happen with the king using the people’s resources (not his own) to wage war and to live. And it was up to Samuel to help the people see even when they were not ready to understand that in asking for this they were rejecting God’s leadership.

There is much more to the story of Samuel, as we will hear more about the story of his anointing of the next king. Learning to hear from God who is to be THE one, the next king, sup-poses that 1) God wants to be known 2) God is at work in the lives of individuals and communities, and 3) our abilities to perceive God at work are limited.

Sunday we will hear more about who is to be the next king and how he is chosen and how we might discern God’s leading us individually and communally.

Grace and peace,
Rev. Brian