Loading...
Sermon June 24, 2018
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
//lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp7_RCL.html
Audio
Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40
Please be seated
Did you go on a school field trip to Gettysburg? That was our 5th grade field trip. I remember climbing around those HUGE rocks at Devil’s den. And the tower climb at Little Round Top scared me when I was young. I was not fond of heights.
My father loved to study the Civil War. When he was a teenager growing up in Hanover, PA in the late 1940s, he used to ride his bike the 16 miles to the battlefield. When I was growing up, we visited many civil war battle sites. In recent years, we learned that members of our family lived in Gettysburg during the hot July battle. They even went out at night on the battlefield and brought home and nursed a soldier from a New York regiment.
Recently a friend gave me a book about how each and every one of our lives matter. It’s called: The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews. In it, Mr. Andrews tells the story of Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain who fought for Maine in the Civil War.
You see, Chamberlain and his men were one of the units that were supposed to prevent the Confederate army from breaching Little Round Top. That part of the union line had been left undefended and Chamberlain’s group had to hurriedly rush in to defend it. The confederate forces were strong – 650 men and outnumbered Chamberlain’s 360 men. What was he going to do? Against all conventional wisdom, he ordered a bayonet attack. He led his few men down the hill towards the oncoming and larger force of the confederates.
Some report that the sight of these men, led by Chamberlain, who was brandishing a sword, confused the confederate army. They believed that such a charge would only happen if the unit had reinforcements and other soldiers and support behind them. The confederates retreated and that part of Little Round Top was defended. Some credit this as one of the most important maneuvers during the battle of Gettysburg and even the entire war. Chamberlain and his men had faced Goliath and like David, they had won.
The story of David and Goliath is a familiar one to most of us. It was the title of a children’s tv Bible show when I was growing up. Remember those early clay animation figures?
The Philistines and Israelites were often at war. During the time of our story today, the Philistines controlled the smelting of iron. The Israelites even had to go into Philistia to sharpen their agricultural tools! In the eyes of the Israelites and other small nations nearby, the Philistines significantly stifled their economy and their politics.
In today’s passage, we read that the Philistines were taller and bigger than the Israelites. A particular Philistine, called Goliath, was over nine feet tall. Goliath challenges the Israelite army to a one-on-one battle. That way only two people fight and whoever wins that fight, also wins the battle.
Needless to say, the Israelites were very afraid to take on Goliath. David, who has not been fighting, comes to bring his brothers some food and David tells King Saul that he is willing to fight against Goliath. King Saul is nearly incredulous, because David will fight with a sling shot. Finally, Saul agrees, and dresses David in Saul’s armor. David cannot walk in the heavy and probably ill-fitting pieces and shed them. There goes David right up to this much larger man, Goliath with his sling shot and five smooth stones. Just one stone fells Goliath.
Now hopefully we do not have these types of physical battles to fight like Chamberlain at Little Round Top or David against Goliath. However, I do believe we have times in our lives and in our life together when challenges seem so large and huge, that we are nearly paralyzed and we are filled with fear. Times when we, like the disciples in the boat with Jesus during a storm, rant to Jesus that we are perishing and why is he sleeping so soundly.
What are the Goliaths you’ve faced in your life? What are your biggest fears? Are there situations at work or school or home or with friends or family? Are there things you would like to try, but are too afraid? Are there disappointments? Are there concerns you have for our country, our town, our environment or our relationships with each other? What are the Goliaths you are facing?
And next, what are the five smooth stones you choose to face those Goliaths? Do they include the church, friends, family, the Bible, prayer, meditation, spiritual direction, therapy, medical treatments, self care, education? David had just five smooth stones and he only needed one to fell Goliath, but the others were there just in case.
The Israelites were right to be cautious and concerned. Our Goliaths should not be taken lightly. Yet David had confidence in his skills and his five smooth stones that they could win the day. Col. Chamberlain had faith. David had faith. Jesus reminds his disciples in the boat to have faith.
Let us individually and as a community, find those five smooth stones that will fell the Goliaths in our lives.
Amen.
//www.historynet.com/little-round-top
