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St. George's Episcopal Church Roseburg, Oregon Proper 6 , 18 June 2006 Go To St. George's Home Page

1 Samuel 15:34-35; 16:1-13
Psalm 20:1-9
2 Corinthians 5:6-17
Mark 4:26-34
Collect of the Day
From the Revised Common Lectionary as Adapted for Use by the Episcopal Church
and Authorized by the 74 th General Convention of the ECUSA

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. “ And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 15:34-35; 16:1-13)

No Actors, Just Character
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop

     As you know, I like to watch movies. In addition to things like plot, character development, emotional impact, imagination, cleverness, and transforming potential I am also fascinated by the more technical aspects of movie making. So I am one of those who sits in my seat like a contortionist to watch the credits, with my head bobbing and my body twisting to see them as people file by in front of me. I like to know where the film was made, where it was edited, where the post production was done, and who composed that catchy little tune I can’t get out of my head. I have apparently been doing this since I was a little kid, when I would watch the credits roll by for TV shows. I still remember that Max Factor did Lucille Ball’s makeup for I Love Lucy, and that Florence Bush was the hair stylist for Gunsmoke and Leave it to Beaver among others.

     One of the things I find amusing among the credits is the names that are given to supporting members of the cast; names like “Man on Stairs,” “Girl Number One,” “Dead Man One,” and “Cop in Street.” Wouldn’t that look nice on your resume? The part of “Dead Man One”. Was that a challenging role?

     Many very good actors got their starts as extras like these. I remember watching a 12 episode Republic Serial called Zombies Of The Stratosphere, in which a little known actor played the part of Narab. That actor’s name was Leonard Nimoy. Big name now, but until an actor achieves that kind of reputation, he’ll just be the “Man on Stairs” or “Dead Man One.”

     Remember the TV show called NYPD Blue? In 1994 there was an episode in which an actor had his debut playing the part of “Man in Sleeping Bag.” In film his debut was playing “Heckler Number 2” in the TV movie She’ll Take Romance. His name now is quite well known: Paul Giamatti. Don’t know who he is? Time magazine gave him the title of “The World’s Best Character Actor” last year, and he was also nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the boxing manager in Cinderella Man.[1] He has performed in over 50 films and shows. And if you are still having trouble placing a face with his name, don’t feel too badly, because many of the characters he’s played are more descriptors than they are characters. Descriptors like “Kissing Man,” “FBI Technician,” “Richard the Bellman,” “Control Room Director,” and “Tim the Gate Guard.”[2]

     But oftentimes, it is a character like “Tim the Gate Guard” that is the most memorable person in the show. Importance doesn’t always go with reputation. Look at those three hundred pound blockers who are almost never mentioned on Monday night football, yet it is their work that makes it possible for the million dollar line backer to become a household word and to get the shoe and underwear endorsement deals.

     In the Old Testament text reading for today, we can hear the producer issue a casting call for a new King of Israel. The producer needs a new leading man because “the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Uh, oh. Saul, the lead in the original would not be playing that part in the sequel!

     Samuel, the casting director, set about looking for a new lead. He came upon the Jesse, the patriarch of a family with eight sons. As they went before the altar of the Lord, to make sacrifice, Samuel began to look at Jesse’s boys. All Samuel had to do was cast them in the role, and wait for God the producer to make the choice. Eliab, the eldest, came first. He was apparently a handsome fellow, a sort of a Bethlehem Brad Pitt. He was tall – and height is a good thing for a leader. Indeed, modern research shows that the average height of a male CEO of Fortune 500 companies is six feet – three inches taller than the average man in the United States.[3] Saul, David’s predecessor was also tall, standing “head and shoulders above everyone else” (1 Sam 9:2). But God told Samuel the casting director to pass tall Eliab by. And so it went with seven of eight of the brothers, all of who I imagine were hunks. The producer nixed them all.

     Finally, and although likely exhausted by the auditions, he asked Jesse if there was anyone else. “Well, yeah, I guess there is one more. The little one. The youngest. The one who’s with the sheep.” Samuel must have been expecting the addled runt of the litter the way Jesse had treated his youngest son. But when Samuel saw David, he was impressed. This son “ was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.” And the producer immediately made it known that this was the one. “Rise and anoint him.” And so Samuel anointed David in the presence of his entire family – using a whole horn-full of oil (Sam 16:13). This is in contrast to how the King was anointed in the first episode. Saul was anointed on the outskirts of town with only a small vial of oil (1 Sam 9:27-10:1). If you think this is an editorial comment by the script writer, you are correct!

     This should be a familiar story to you. The A-list leading men – the first born sons, the favored ones – being passed over for the Paul Giamattis. What Samuel the casting director saw in Jesse‘s sons was on the surface. He saw their resumes, and their auditions. When Eliab performed, Samuel said “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But God said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” And God chose the one who seemed the least likely.

     But the proof of the Producer’s choice lies in the outcome. And in this case, David turned out to be the greatest King Israel ever knew. He was a pop-star of Israel. He was also among the most human, with very human weaknesses. He lusted after power, life, and women. And yet he was among the most humble leaders in the Bible, and he was clearly among the most passionate to speak about God, if we can believe that at least some of the Psalms were actually written by David himself.

     All of us can act. We can dress up and play the part of a committed Christian. We can come to church, and present an external Christianity that has duty and sacrifice and good deeds written all over it. What God wants is authenticity. God wanted a king, not just people who could act the part. What God wants is character not character actors. We need to be more concerned with our character than with our reputation.

     I believe that we can all find that character within ourselves – largely because I am absolutely convinced that God planted that character in us. We just have to do the same thing that actors do: we need to find our motivation. This is what actors do when they center themselves in the persona of the character they play in order to be convincing. We have to find our God given character.

     One way we can find that character within is to be completely honest and straight with God, with ourselves, and with others. No pretense is allowed here we must be totally authentic; full admission of faults and full acknowledgement of successes are required. No false humility or artificial bravado are allowed. And there can be no holding back. If we hurt, we need to exclaim it. If we are remorseful, we need to reveal it. If we love, we need to profess it. If we care, we need to show it.

     When we live our lives authentically before God and others, we will discover the strength to throw off the pretense and falseness than can encrust and isolate us from each other and from God.

     It is then we will become who we were meant to be: Children of God.

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1 Samuel 15:34-35; 16:1-13

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. “ And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Psalm 20:1-9

1 The LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

2 May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion.

3 May he remember all your offerings,
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. [Selah]

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.

5 May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD will help his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.

7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God.

8 They will collapse and fall,
but we shall rise and stand upright.

9 Give victory to the king, O LORD;
answer us when we call.

2 Corinthians 5:6-17

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Mark 4:26-34

He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Collect of the Day

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

[1] http://www.oscar.com/nominees/bestsupportingactornominee3.html
[2] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316079/
[3] Timothy Merrill. “Character Actors.” Homiletics 18(3):53, May-June 2006.

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Copyright © 2006, William G. Stroop - All Rights Reserved.
15 June 2006

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