Sacred Mundane: The Blog

We saw last time that despite God’s warning through the prophet Samuel, the people of Israel insisting that God give them a King, and the handsome Saul was the perfect man for the job.

In Greek Tragedy, the main character always possesses some tragic flaw, called hamartia.  Hamartia refers to a hero’s one error whether in character or judgment, which brings about the tragic spiraling events which lead to his demise.  Interestingly, this Greek word is translated in the New Testament as “sin.”

I always think of this when I read about Saul because his story is so much like a Greek tragedy. A quick read of the account would lead us to believe that Saul’s hamartia was a lack of attention to detail. When the did the King-of-Israel Job Interview he should have listed that as his greatest weakness. Check it out.

First,

Do you ever find yourself surprised by joy?  Find that you set out simply enduring and end up truly enjoying?  I think sometimes I have this weird view that there’s a list of “hard things” that someone must endure. Each person’s list is different, but I envision God sitting up in heaven with his checklist of “Kari’s list of hard things.”  I envision him sitting there with glasses resting down low on his nose, with his pen checking off items.  “Ok, let’s see here.  Nightmare church situation–check.  Living in a windowless pit with rotten bathroom floor–check.  Unemployed and living with parents–check.  Seminary with two children–check.”  And because of this, when the house we lived in sold and we had to move in with another family–I saw it as another item to check off.  They’re wonderful and I wasn’t dreading it, but I admit I treated it kind of like another item on that divine checklist.   Like God was saying, “Ok, hmm.  They already lived with their parents. But they haven’t lived with their pastor yet. Let’s try that one! That oughtta be a new twist.”  I thought of it as some test that I had to pass before I’d “earn” a house of my own.

And yes, the first week was tough for all of us.  The church moving, us moving, them moving, getting adjusted to each other, being WAY overtired, and me being totally stressed out over my crazy two-year-old and my non-sleeping newborn. Yes, I cried every single day.

But I would be lying if I said that this was a trial.  Tonight after my internship meeting at seminary, I got in my car and started driving and I found myself so excited to get home and see my “family”–my whole family.  All 8 of us!  And that’s so not like me.  I usually feel like the only way to really relax and wind down is to be alone, but I find myself loving the times when we’re all together.  Joy and I meet every Tuesday to go over schedules, coordinate meals, and pray together, and these incredibly sweet times have knit our hearts together like nothing I could have imagined.  After our long and crazy Easter weekend, with 4 services and over 2,000 people (including kids) coming through the church doors, we were all ready for bed by 8pm Sunday night. After tucking in our 4 little ones, we stood downstairs, joined hands, and prayed thanking God for His amazing work that weekend. WHat an incredible blessing!  The four of us, partnering together for the gospel, and experiencing profound community, vulnerability, and relationship so far beyond what we could even have manufactured any other way.  What I thought was a trial has been a blessing.

I’m learning so much too. I’m taking notes as Joy trains her children. I’m being discipled in life.  And I only have to cook 2 nights a week!  The shared cooking responsibilities has turned out to be a huge blessing for both of us! 

So of course it’s a dance we’re still learning. Coordinating laundry, keeping Dutch from getting too riled up while playing with the kids, taking turns holding Heidi when she cries during dinner. We’ve all made adjustments. But on the whole I have to say that I feel like I’m getting a glimpse of what community really means.

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”   Psalm 133:1

Perhaps God doesn’t have a checklist…perhaps He jus wants to bless us.  I pray He’s glorified through this house situation, and that perhaps even others would be inspired to experience community and “get into” each other’s lives in ways that go beyond the norm.  We might just be pleasently surprised. 

Last night Jeff showed me a clip from a sermon by Matt Chandler.  I’ll never forget these four words now, which summarize the gospel, “Jesus wants the rose.” Watch it here:

So, back to 1 Samuel and our discussion of Saul and David.  The question of we’re headed toward is, “What was such a big deal abot Saul’s sin?”  (the “u” on my keyboard isn’t working so well and I’m pretty stubborn about not going back and revising these posts, so if there are some u’s missing, fill in the blank.  We might be talking abot “Sal” a lot, hahaaa).  Anyway, for those of you not familiar with the gist of the story, here we go.  Before we get to the question of Saul’s sin, we first want to see how Saul got to the throne in the first place.

Saul was Israel’s first king, a head taller than anyone else, and good-looking. According to studies the two key characteristics for successful leaders in the world are 1) height and 2) physical attractiveness. (Sad but true)  Sal (did you mentally stick the “u” in?)  had both going on. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”  Did you catch that?  Not just handsome. The most handsome man in Israel.   He was a supermodel material.   And the nation of Israel was thrilled to have Mr. Calvin Klein himself leading them onward. I think we miss this little point when we read quickly through this account. Why does it matter?  Because they and subsequently you and I are really influenced by status, looks, charm.  In essence, we’re a whole lot like the world.  And it’s good to remember that while we no longer wear sandals and offer animals on rock altars, things haven’t changed a whole lot since the days of Saul.  The beautiful people still rule the world.  Saul was a celebrity.

The whole reason for wanting a King was so that they could be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:5). In fact, they decide Samuel’s no longer a good man for leading them because he’s too old.  Translated into Today’s Version:  “Samuel, you are old news and nobody is ruled by judges anymore and your sons did a garbage job of it anyway (which they did).  The new thing is to have a KING, that’s the thing to do.  We want someone new, attractive, successful, so that not only will we be like the nations around us, we’ll be cooler!”  Sound frightningly similar to how a lot of our churches choose their pastors and staff?  Or perhaps at least we can admit that that’s our default mode.  The coolness factor, the status symbols, the keeping up with the Joneses of the world.  We do it.  Celebrity status still rules, even occasionally in the church. 

So even though God warns them that having a king is not all it’s cracked up to be (1 Sam 8:10-22), they insist that’s what they want: “Tthe people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we may also be like all the nations” (vv19-20).  OH Lord protect us from insisting on our own way!  When You warn us, by giving us checks in our heart or by showing us a different path, or by sending us signs, when you do this, please by Your grace keep us from insisting.   I sometimes wonder how often God simply gives me what I am insisting upon in my heart.  God is such a gentleman, never forcing Himself upon us.  And I wonder how often He’s simply saying, as He did in verse 22 when He commanded Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.”  Oh Lord, please do not obey my voice!  It is a sad day indeed when God obeys the voice of a people who demand their own way. 

What do we insist upon?  Perhaps we don’t vocalize it, but the commentary is telling.  The people wanted a tall, attractive King because that would give them status in the eyes of the surrounding nations.  They were deceived into thinking that those qualities would ensure a happy Kingdom…that beauty somehow created peace. How sadly mistaken they were. 

What do I insist upon?  Am I deceived into thinking that a beautiful home will ensure peace?  A beautiful family?  A well-put-together life?  How am I influenced by the philosphy of the world? My prayer is that God would not obey my voice when I stomp my foot and demand my way, but that He’s soften my heart and graciously allow my lips to utter, “Thy will be done.”