In the Service of King

Elizabeth:  Another week has come and gone. Is it just me or do the weeks seem to be flying by right now?! I cannot believe another week has come to an end. 

This week we have been reading the book of 1 Kings. I won't say it is my favorite, but I'm liking it more than 2 Samuel. I started out really liking King Solomon. I thought he did his best to follow through with what David had started. He started out being obedient and doing right, but I think his wealth and wisdom got the best of him. Solomon had wealth to his name and that was alright when he used that wealth to build the temple. I think he did a fine job with that because his heart was in the right place, but I just have to wonder if God really wanted a temple that was as elaborately designed as Solomon made it. I mean, he did it in a way that was reverent, but it just seemed to be more elaborate than necessary. Perhaps that is comparable to churches today that pour lots of money into their church building for aesthetic purposes. Is that really pleasing to God? or do we just do that because we think it is nice? Is it possible that the money spent on detail work on a building could be put toward feeding and clothing the poor or perhaps designate the money for mission work? I just wonder if Solomon lost sight of the purpose and meaning of the temple when he made it extra elaborate. Also, I'm not quite sure why it was necessary for Solomon to build a palace just for himself. That seemed a bit showy, like he had the money and resources to make a palace for himself so he did. I think at that point he began to fall farther away from what God's will for his position of leadership was. I think he knew he was powerful in wealth and he was known for being wise, and the image he gave people got the best of him instead of trusting God and hearing what He wanted for him.

Now, those are my thoughts on Solomon. I didn't think he was a terrible king, but compared to the example that David set it seems like he takes a downward fall when he isn't consistently relying on God and turning to hear what God has to say. I think Solomon wanted to serve. He is like many of us who I feel want to serve, but get wrapped up in our everyday interests that we make our service to others second, third, or fourth priority in our lives. God calls us to go out serve Him and others. That's an easier task said than carried out. It was easy for Solomon to follow in the footsteps of David, but it may not have been as easy for him to maintain that. 

Let's take a look at another story in 1 Kings that appealed to me because of a woman's servant heart. 1 Kings 17 is about Elijah encountering a widowed woman at Zarephath. When Elijah saw this widow and her son, he asked for her bread and water. She initially told him that she couldn't do that because she only had enough for her and her son to eat, but Elijah tells her that if she goes home and makes bread for her son, herself, and for Elijah she will be provided with enough water and bread to live. This woman could have easily walked away from Elijah to continue caring for herself and her son, but she trusted in Elijah. She did as he asked and then she was pleasantly surprised at the result. This woman obviously cared for herself and her son, but she took the time to hear what Elijah was asking and she trusted that he was speaking on behalf of the Lord. To have a servant heart requires us to put aside our needs and to serve others. A quality of service is trust. We need to trust in God that He knows what is best and will be with us while we are serving. That He will guide our conversations, actions, and relationship with others as we serve both Him and our neighbors. 

From both story examples, I think we can reflect on what it means to be a servant leader. We can struggle with whether or not Solomon's heart was in the work he was doing during the entirety of his kingship or not. We can think about how trust is important when we serve. We can also see that service isn't always our first reaction; we like the fancy, elaborate designs/buildings and we don't want to stray from our own plans for ourselves and loved ones, but remember that we aren't called to serve ourselves. To be a servant means having a heart set to serve God and others.

Allison:  So this week has totally flown by! As has this weekend!  I’m working as an intern with the youth group at my church and we held a lock-in this weekend and managed about an hour and a half of sleep for the night…so needless to say I’ve been spending the weekend recovering.  In fact, let’s be real—this summer has flown by. I’ve been home now for over a month…WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?? Just an overview of the commitments I’ve made this summer (don’t worry, this pertains to what I’m talking about, I’m not just listing my resume): Taking an 8am Physics class and lab at a community college, half-way working as a Summer Youth Intern (I start full time in July when my class ends), doing long distance summer research with a professor at TLU, blogging every week, and various life commitments such as keeping in touch with friends, spending time with my family, etc.  Somehow I was sure I could manage all of this easily before the summer started, but let me tell you it makes the week go by in a blink, and sometimes I feel like I’m hanging on for dear life!  Things are getting especially crazy as we prepare for two weeks worth of camp in July, so my Intern responsibilities are increasing.  Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy and I love what I’m doing, but sometimes I find myself thinking I’m a little in over my head.  And it can get overwhelming at times. 

But alas, this week’s reading introduced us to the early propheting (I just made up that word) ministry of Elijah.  Not that I’m a prophet or anything…but Elijah feels a little overwhelmed as well.   If you don’t have the storyline of 1 Kings memorized, here’s a recap of chapters 17-19.  There’s this dude named Elijah who’s walking around Israel, serving the Lord, being fed by ravens, and just generally trusting God.  He meets this poor widow, whose circumstances Elizabeth described in her entry.  Things are going great, until tragedy hits and her son dies. But Elijah cries out to the Lord and brings the boy back to life. 

Later, he calls up King Ahab and goes up on Mount Carmel and has a sacrifice showdown with the prophets of the idolatrous god Baal.  Many of the people of Israel have turned to worship Baal, and so Elijah goes to demonstrate the awesomeness of God.  Basically Baal’s prophets pray and dance and chant around their altar but it never catches fire, and Elijah soaks his altar in water, prays to the Lord, and it goes up in flames.  The people are in awe and praise God.  Then Elijah prays for rain and relieves the Israelites of the drought they’ve had the past few years.  However Elijah receives a message that a King Ahab's wife named Jezebel (the instigator of this idolatrous worship), who has killed all the other prophets of the Lord, wants Elijah dead.  Elijah escapes alone outside of town, running from Jezebel, and sits down and tells God he’s done, that he can’t do this anymore—he just wants to die and be done.  An angel comes to him shows him food and tells him to eat and keep journeying.  He goes on and finds a cave.  He says again to God that he has served Him zealously, but now they want him dead, he feels alone, and he can’t go on.  At this point my heart breaks for Elijah—I can’t imagine feeling that alone, feeling his ministry means nothing, wanting to give up.  But God is not done with Elijah, not in the slightest.  God tells Elijah to go stand at the entrance of the cave to meet with Him.  There is a raging windstorm, an earthquake and a fire, but God is present in the last event—a still.  small.  voice.

Elijah’s life feels like a storm, a fire, overwhelming and crazy and he just can’t go on.  So he’s honest with God.  He cries out to him.  He’s tried to serve God, to serve the people of Israel, but he’s not sure it even means anything.  He has truly served with a servant’s heart, but he’s empty.  But God gives him that bit of strength to go on, and he speaks to him, reminding him that He is right there with Elijah.  In the stillness.  In the quiet.  In the weakest sound of a small voice is the presence of the almighty God of the universe.

God is never predictable, that’s for sure.  But God will never leave us without the strength to continue on in the work he’s called us to do.  Even when things feel crazy and overwhelming, even when we feel alone, even when we feel like we aren’t making a difference.

We are called to serve, to give, and to trust that God will continue to fill us up.  Not that we should run ourselves ragged, but that in those times of chaos, we trust in that still small voice.

So this week we challenge you to consider these alphabitz

Service  Strength  Distraction

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

The Footsteps of David

Allison:  Well hello!

This week we finished up the back half of 2 Samuel and stepped into 1 Kings.  I really loved the books of 1 and 2 Samuel.  I loved hearing the story of David’s life and taking time to learn about one person in depth, rather than jumping around to several people.  I felt like I got to know David in the same way that I would get to know someone I’ve never met through stories told about them by a friend.  By the end of David’s reign I felt I had learned so much from the life of this one man.  Last week I talked about how David had been a good leader and fallen into temptation with Bathsheba—and yet we couldn’t write him off for his one mistake, because he deserved grace just as much as the next person.  And I feel that even more strongly this week.

David endured a lot of hardship after he met Bathsheba.  Basically, his son Absalom had a sister named Tamar.  Tamar’s half-brother Amnon, another son of David, was in love with her, and raped her in order to claim her as his wife.  Absalom head about this and became extremely angry at Amnon, and two years later Absalom killed Amnon out of revenge.  David heard of Amnon’s death and was distraught.  Absalom escaped and hid away until David sent for Absalom and the two were reconciled.  However, Absalom decided he wanted to take over his father’s kingdom.  He started winning over the people and gaining the support of David’s staff.  Soon, David had to flee Jerusalem with his remaining faithful advisors and engage in the conflict his son had created within the nation of Israel.  In the end, the nation was reunited and David remained king of Israel.

Through all of this, David remained an incredible leader and a loving father.  Often times in the Old Testament you hear of how the opportunity for power turned family against each other, but David remains a loving father through it all. 

Also, there’s a moment as David is leaving Jerusalem where he comes upon a man named Shimei who is cursing David and throwing rocks at him as he passes through a town.  Now David is already burdened with worry for the nation of Israel, for his son, and the last thing he needs is this man shouting at him.  A man traveling with David suggests they kill Shimei, but David’s response is completely different.  He reprimands the man who wanted to kill Shimei and offers that perhaps this man is doing what God told him to do.  The point is, David isn’t quick to judge this man for his actions—he recognizes that he doesn’t know everything about what this man is thinking or what he has experienced, and perhaps he has a legitimate reason to be acting this way.  He knows the despair and hurt he feels from his son’s actions, and if his own son can turn against him, surely it is no surprise this man has too.  That understanding, that willingness to empathize even with someone who is hurting you is what makes David a great man.

And later as David is returning to Jerusalem he sees Shimei again.  Shimei begs for forgiveness for his actions earlier and David forgives him and spares his life.

I just really love David.  I love the leader that he is and the example that he sets for leaders today.  And I identify with him even more because he wasn’t perfect.  He messed up sometimes, and he endured a lot of hardship during his reign.  I could write all day about David but what have I learned from David in a nutshell?

---Don’t be so quick to write someone off when they screw up.  It doesn’t erase the good they’ve done and it only reinforces their humanity.  And this goes for everyone from your best friend to our government leaders.

---Lead with empathy.  Unless you understand your people you can never earn their trust.

---Seek out the will of the Lord in every step, and don’t be afraid to admit that perhaps you’ve got it wrong.

---Love unconditionally.  It can break your heart but it’s what keeps you going.

So let the stories of David challenge you to be a godly leader wherever God places you.  Leading isn’t easy, you won’t be perfect, and leading can be lonely, but know that when you are called to such a place, God will never fail to give you the strength and wisdom you need.  And perhaps your story could be a light and encouragement to someone else--and that makes it all worth it.

Elizabeth:  Hey there! This week, I could not wait to finish 2 Samuel. It was just not my favorite book. I was less than interested in what was happening. The one thing that I continued to appreciate through the remainder of 2 Samuel was David's faithfulness as King. I do think that David did show that he was human, but ultimately he tried to do what was best. He remained loyal to his duty as king and he remained faithful to God. Besides that I wasn't interested, so needless to say, I was super excited to finish the book and make it into 1 Kings. I'm ready to move on and see what happens next. So, I'm writing on a text from the beginning of 1st Kings that we have gotten to.

"When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son, "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' -1 Kings 2:1-4

Have you ever had to leave something behind? How did you feel about that? Perhaps you ended a job to take a new one. Maybe you finished a set of classes and you're headed into new ones? Maybe you finished a great book and now you're moving onto another one? Or perhaps, like David you had to step out of a leadership role.  Now, yes, David is in his old age and knows that he is near death and cannot continue his leadership as king. I'm not saying we need to be at the point of death to hand off leadership roles, but there are other reasons we step out of things like roles of leadership, jobs, classes, locations, etc. Life continues to change and that is a good thing. People don't stay in the exact same place all their life. They are called to new positions in jobs, new positions in organizations, new schedules, new lifestyles, and such. 

As a part of life, we do transition from one place to the next frequently. Which means when we're in a particular setting we should really make the most of it. If we are leaders we should lead to the best of our ability. We should make the most of our living situations, our classes, our relationships, etc. But, when that time ends, it can be rough to leave those places. 

For me, the end of every school year/semester has always been bittersweet. I always felt a sense of accomplishment that I had just completed an entire year of school and that I learned new things, met new people, and grew a bit personally. However, it was rough knowing I would have a break from the familiar routine and schedule that I had worked so hard at for the past several weeks. I wouldn't see the same friends, same teacher(s), same school, or do the homework that was required each night. Things would be different. I struggled with this a lot in college because the end of the semesters meant the end of hard work and countless hours put into the things I cared about such as my favorite classes and the organizations I was a part of. This of course will probably be hard for me at the beginning of next school year because I have graduated and won't be going back to college. One of the organizations that I dedicated a lot of my time to in college was the Peer Mentor program at TLU that helped new students become acquainted with TLU and college life in general. I put a lot of time into it getting to know my class of students, planning fun activities to do out of class, creating fun lessons to teach in class, and spending time getting to know other Peer Mentor staff members. I wanted to give back to my community at TLU and I was able to do that through the Peer Mentor program. I was able to help new students figure things out the way people did for me during my first year. I peer mentored for 3 years and in my last semester at TLU I realized I would be stepping out of that leadership role and passing it on to new peer mentors. I knew it was time for me to move on, but it was hard to leave behind something I was so passionate about. Want to know something really cool? Allison will be a peer mentor for this next school year and I'm super excited about that. I want her to know that it was something important to me and I want her to take that leadership role seriously and do awesome things in that position. I won't hold her to the same expectations that David did with Solomon, but I do want her to realize what an incredible position she is stepping into. 

I think it can be helpful to hear from others the expectations they have for you when you step into new places. David didn't tell Solomon he needed to do things exactly as he did, but he did tell him to do what was right and to observe the Lord's commands. David gave Solomon his blessing to be the next king, he passed his torch onto Solomon. I think it is admirable the way in which David passed his leadership on to Solomon. He clearly hopes for the best for Solomon and hopes that he has left an easy path for the next king to step into, but I don't hear David spelling out what the next king needs to do specifically. 

So, consider what expectations you have for yourself. What expectations does your job or setting have of you? Were they passed on to you in a good way or a bad way? Is it easy or hard for you to leave one thing and move onto the next? 

If you were Solomon, how would you feel coming in as king after David's blessing to you?

This week, consider these alphabitz:

Judgement  Leadership  Transition

Sisters in Christ,

~Elizabeth & Allison

"Get Back Up Again"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_-9FyIxQE--great song, been in my head lately and totally goes with this blog post :)!

Allison:  Hey there you!

So I don’t know about the rest of the world, but for me, this week has absolutely FLOWN by!  I can hardly believe we’re about to start another one, but alas it is true.  And so, we shall bless you with another blog :)!

This week we moved on to 2 Samuel where David’s reign begins.  Actually, it opens with the mourning of David for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.  My heart went out to David—gosh I cannot imagine the anguish he felt in that moment!  And he mourns both Jonathan AND Saul with the same respect.  Even though Saul had wanted his head on a plate for some time now, David still showed great respect for Saul as one who had been anointed by God and served as King of Israel.  And this isn’t an isolated incident either.  David is shown to be a man of great virtue and honor, which makes him a very good and honest king.

He faces some hiccups at the beginning of his reign.  There’s some misunderstanding with who exactly is the king of Israel, and a man named Abner has crowned Saul’s son Ishbosheth also the king of Israel.  The two “nations” engaged in a sort of civil war until the commanders of the troops realized there was no benefit to fighting between “Israelite brothers.”  So Abner contacted David and they formed a peaceful relationship and worked to unite the halves of Israel.  David could have chosen to be skeptical and wary, but he chose to trust Abner because he knew that was the only way to have peaceful progress for his nation.  However, the commander of David’s army didn’t trust Abner and he killed him.  David was disappointed in his commander and ordered his people to mourn the death of Abner, showing him great respect.  Soon after this, two men killed Ishbosheth, the son of King Saul and David’s “rival” (can we just pause for a moment and appreciate the name Ishbosheth).  The men came to David, thinking this news would bring him joy and satisfaction, but David was less than pleased.  He was angry that these men had killed one who he deemed to be an “innocent” man, and he did not condone this revenge.  David clearly had forgiven Ishbosheth and respected him.  Later David searched for the living members of Saul’s family so that he could show them kindness in memory of his friend Jonathan.

So basically here you have the writer of 2 Samuel telling story after story of how honest and honorable King David is.  I really like King David by this point, and I was excited for where his life was heading.  I just forgot that the story of Bathsheba was next.

Bathsheba is a low point in David’s life and reign.  It’s a moment of weakness and he gives in.  He’s not limited by power, and his morals aren’t strong enough to hold him back, and he stumbles.  And one bad decision leads to another, and soon he’s got on his hands a pregnant woman, who’s not his wife and whose husband has been killed per David’s command.  So how do you get from honorable honest David to that?  Wasn’t David a great leader? 

He was, and I believe he still was after he fell for Bathsheba.  But David was a human.  He was a great man, but he wasn’t perfect—no leader is.  And I think the writer of 2 Samuel knew this.  There are moments in the life of David the author chose to include to tell the story of David’s life and the story of David and Bathsheba could easy have been skipped.  The author could have chosen to only include favorable stories, stories that only reinforced the goodness of this leader.  But instead he chose to be real, and to show how even a great leader like David, a man with an incredible faith in God, had weaknesses and messed up sometimes--which in my opinion makes David an easier character to read about only because it makes him relatable.

Any person we know personally or read about, any leader or mentor we admire, everyone has faults.  Everyone messes up.  We’re all human, and we’re all in this together.  And that is important to keep in mind as we build relationships with others.  Holding each other to impossibly perfect standards only leads to existential disappointment when we come to realize that person isn’t perfect.  And we should also remember this when we oh so easily fall into judging people for their faults.  It’s so easy to condemn someone for a poor decision they've made, but the reality is, that decision shouldn’t define them for us.  It doesn’t define them for God, that’s for sure. 

I’ll admit, my first reaction was great disappointment in David.  And I forgot all the notes I had written about the virtue of David in earlier chapters.  But this sin by David didn’t erase the truth of that virtue, and in looking through the text again, I was reminded of what a great person David was.  Yeah, he messed up.  And it was a pretty big deal too.  But God continued to use David for incredible things.  God didn’t disown David or strike him down for his sin—because God knew David’s heart.  David had given in to temptation, but David loved God.  I think the woman who speaks to David in chapter 14 verse 14 says it best:

“Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.”

Elizabeth:  Hey there blog readers! This week I read some of 2 Samuel which was primarily more about David. Like Allison mentioned last week, there's a lot of good in David's character. I'm still not a huge fan of the continued fighting and killing that is discussed in the first few chapters. I really enjoyed chapter 7 where David turned to God in prayer to seek direction and guidance in what he should do and how he might lead Israel. It got me thinking about how all of us ought to turn to God in prayer in both the certainties and uncertainties in life. Francesca Battistelli who is a Contemporary Christian artist sings a song titled Worth It, where she says "love's not easy, but it's worth it" and I think that is how our relationship with God should be. We have a loving God who calls us to love Him, but that isn't always the easiest task. It calls us to some work. It calls us to seek Him first and go to Him in prayer. And in chapter 7 of 2 Samuel, David does this. He isn't entirely sure that what Nathan told him was true, and if it was, what was he supposed to do? where was he supposed to start? He turned to the loving and faithful God for answers. Battistelli continues to sing "What you gonna do when the bottom falls out? And you're left with nothing but your fear and your doubt to hold to, who will hold you?" David knew that he needed to spend a few moments in prayer to move forward and do what was best. I think all of us can learn from David and learn from Battistelli's song, that it takes time and some work to have a relationship. God desires relationship with us and He wants us to look to him for direction. That can be in both good and bad times. Like any loving relationship, God wants to help us out and direct us in our lives. So, I challenge you this week to find a little time in your busy life to spend a few moments in prayer. Where is God calling you to? What direction is God guiding you? Just as God spoke to David, He too will speak to all of us. Love's not easy, but it's worth it!
And if you haven't heard it, go ahead and round out this blog session with a little Francesca
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt8gp37w99A


And we once again leave you with these alphabitz....


Forgiving  Seeking  Revealing


Sisters in Christ,


~Elizabeth & Allison

It Ain't Always Easy

Elizabeth--This week I want to start out by asking you a couple of questions. Are there any verses or Bible passages that you find unsettling? Why is that? Have you found a way to cope with the unsettled feeling or do you still struggle with the text(s)? 

In reading 1 Samuel this week I found that there are a few places where this scriptural text makes me uncomfortable. 1 Samuel 15 is one of the places that really bothered me because at the beginning of that chapter, in the New International Version of the Bible it says "the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amelekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came to Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them." (v. 2-3) Now, I'm not sure how you read that, but that sounds extremely harsh to me. How can the loving God I know be so cruel to a group of people. Regardless of what the Amalekites may have done, where is the love? the grace? the forgiveness? gentleness? Is this the same God who spoke to Jesus, the same God I know and love? The beginning of this text shakes up my beliefs. As of now, I would have a hard time explaining these couple of verses to others who may not know God the way I do. I'm still wrestling with how I can make sense of this text. I expand on this so much because it upset me enough that I had  to focus extra hard on the rest of the story, because this harsh voice of God was the only thing I could think about.

I didn't put my Bible down at chapter 15 verse 2-3, I did continue on. The story continues with Saul carrying out this message from the Lord. Again, hard to read about so many people and animals dying. However, Saul got a little too excited about his responsibility to wipe out a group of people because he decided to put his own spin on things. He allowed for his people to save the best of the best animals to later be sacrificed as burnt offerings to the Lord. While at first glance, that may not sound bad, Saul did carry out his duty--he did wipe out people, but he saved some animals and not others...that was not in the directions. Because of this, the Lord got upset and decided he was not the best fit for king. He did not listen to the Lord and he did not follow through as asked and that was problematic because Israel needed a king who could listen to the Lord and carry out His plans. Those plans would benefit the people the king served. 

When Samuel shared with Saul what the Lord had said, Saul realized what he had done and was quick to be upset and worry about whether or not he could still worship God. Saul did get another opportunity to worship God, (1 Sam. 15:30-31) and that is where I see some love, grace, forgiveness on God's part. Here is the place where I see the God who I know and love. A God who may not have seen Saul as best fit for the position of king, but he was certainly still welcome in worship. 

As I discussed this text with some people I learned to keep in mind that this is a text that was written after these events happened, so this is one writer's understanding of what happened and before he could write it down he most likely heard the story from someone, who heard the story from someone else, who heard the story from someone else, etc. It is possible that what the writer wrote as the words of the Lord were not word for word what the Lord said to Saul. That helps me a little bit, but it still frustrates me that this harsh sounding God is seen in the Old Testament. I was also reminded that following God was something that the Israelite people struggled with. Prior to this time people were supposed to rely on God, but they didn't do a great job then, so when they ask God for a king, they get Saul and that ended up not being the best fit either. This text is a story of a people trying to sort out who they are and who they need to follow. In 1 Samuel 16, a new king is anointed--King David and that's where things seem to start settling down a bit and don't sound as destructive and harsh. David shows obedience and respect toward the Lord and the people he is serving...well at least up to as far as I have read. As I understand this particular passage as a story, I am reminded that characters are constantly developing. The people are changing and so are the relationships and understandings these people have with God. 

I think the important thing for me is that while this text and various other texts I have encountered so far are uneasy for me, I am keeping up with this challenge of reading through the Bible. I could have easily put the Bible down and quit at this point or I could have just skipped over chapt. 15, but what good would that do? If I recognize the story elements that the Old Testament has, by skipping a few verses, a chapter or two, or an entire book, I miss out on the full story. Without the story, I may have never known the loving God that I do now. I would not have seen the love shown in the past as it is today. If you're like me and find some rough patches in your understanding of scripture, revisit the texts that frustrate you. Talk with people you know about them. Search for the meanings that may be buried deep in the text. It may be challenging, but who ever said reading the Bible and understanding it was supposed to be easy?!

Allison:  So first of all, I second what Elizabeth said.  That unsettling feeling about a passage or two comes up every time we talk about what we’ve read, and it’s definitely something that should be addressed.  It’s not easy to reconcile, but it’s challenging, and it forces us to really think about what we believe and grow in our faith.  That really is the whole purpose of this journey, and we hope you will be challenged and grow with us.

This week Elizabeth and I have gotten through most of 1 Samuel.  It’s been an interesting ride, and there’s so much to talk about.  I was really intrigued by the story of David and his relationship with King Saul.

However, before I go into that, I must say that if it weren’t for the fact that we focused on friendship last week, I would love to write a blog purely about the friendship between David and Jonathan.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bond of brotherhood that formed between those two—it’s one of those once in a lifetime types of friendships.  Even though circumstances could have torn them apart, and Jonathan could have chosen to follow his father and persecute David—David is the reason Jonathan won’t be king—their friendships is so much stronger than that and Jonathan is the reason David escaped and lived.  You know that friend or two you have where from the moment you met, you just clicked?  You felt that friendship blossom, almost in an instant?  You would do anything for them, without hesitation?  That’s exactly what these two men had.  And it is so cool to read about.  But alas, that is not the focus of my blog.

The relationship between David and Saul is a stark contrast to the brotherhood I was just gushing about.  David was off minding his business, living life as the insignificant little brother in the family of Jesse and shepherding himself some sheep when Samuel—hybrid prophet and judge—came and anointed him as the next king of Israel.  But then Samuel just goes back home.  It’s not until King Saul wants a harp player to sooth his tormented soul that David comes onto the scene and starts rubbing elbows with royalty.  Now Saul has been pretty unhappy since his fallout with God, understandably so, and David’s music provides him some distraction.  David ends up saving the Israelite nation by killing Goliath with a stone and a sling (this guy is the bomb), and naturally the Israelite people start to really love David.  They start singing about how Saul has killed men, and David has killed even more, and Saul just loses it.  He is extremely angered by this chant the people are singing all around town, and it is in that moment that Saul begins to feel threatened by David.

Saul resolves to kill David, somehow, some way.  And he tries, a lot--whether it’s by hurling his spear at David while he’s playing music or leading armies to go find David in hiding.  It’s incredible the lengths that Saul goes to in his attempts to kill this one man.  He’s the king of a nation—you’d think he would have bigger issues to worry about.  But all he can think about is how he feels threatened by David, and he wants him dead.  Now granted, David has been anointed to replace Saul’s bloodline on the throne, but this is really the result of Saul’s own poor decision.  And when I compare the way Saul sees David through his jealousy and pride—letting it drive him to an obsessive hunt for David’s head, versus the way Jonathan selflessly loves David--openly acknowledging that one day David will be king and he, Jonathan, will be right beside him, supporting him, I can’t help but think that David and Saul could have had an incredible relationship if Saul had dealt with his own insecurities.  Saul was so concerned about what people thought that it crippled him as a leader.

Jonathan certainly had a reason to be jealous as well, but he didn’t succumb to that.  Jonathan took pride in being the best friend of a great warrior and the future king of Israel.  Jonathan was the son of the king, and he didn’t have a slew of military victories being chanted by the people—which might bother some men, but he wasn’t concerned about that.  He supported his friend.  He could be happy for his friend, truly happy.  And that wasn't the easy road, but I admire Jonathan for his attitude.  In fact, Jonathan may have made a good king.

My heart breaks for Saul.  He had no idea what he was missing and his sole purpose in life had become to kill another man.  Through the book we’ve seen where Saul was when he began as king, and we can also see just how far he fell.

How many times do we become so fixated on one thing, that we miss the beauty of life around us?  How often do we get so caught up in being the best, that we can’t sincerely congratulate others?  I myself am a perfectionist, and if there’s a score, my competitive nature takes over.  But we don’t always have to be the best or the greatest or the most loved.  Sometimes, God just calls us to be, and to humbly serve.  The God of the universe wants to be an integral part of our lives, and wants to show us what true life really is!  Isn’t that victory enough?  But often that's the last thing we're thinking of, and it's something we often skip over.

Pride is a tricky thing.  It’s the easiest way for Satan to bring someone down in an instant—and before we know it, we look back and wonder how we got so far off track.  It holds us back and it keeps us from growing enriching relationships with others. 

But I challenge you to work to be a Jonathan, especially in challenging situations.

Got any thoughts? Comments? Throw them out there! We love comments :)!

Wisdom Obedience Love

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

You've got a friend in me

Allison:   Hello blog world!  How’s life?

So the reading portion for this week gave us a good look at the lives of two people in the Old Testament: Samson and Ruth.  What really stuck out for Elizabeth and I was the relationships they had with other people.  As we were talking about the scripture readings, we both agreed that if Samson were alive today, we would be his friend, because let’s be honest—the poor guy didn’t have any good ones, so far as we can tell.  And we both really liked the relationship between Naomi and Ruth and the commitment they had to each other.  So, this week, we bring you a blog about friendship!

I love talking about friendship, and it makes me excited because I think it’s so cool how the different relationships we have in our lives mold us, and a huge part of that is the people who we call our friends.  Real friends that is—none of this “Facebook official business” but people you trust and love.

I feel I’ve been blessed with such incredible friends, and I can’t imagine going through this crazy life without them, and so my heart breaks for Samson.  This poor guy was chosen by God to do incredible things and had such incredible strength, and yet people were constantly taking advantage of him.  His fiancé, the 30 men who were supposed to be his friends and companions at his wedding, his father-in-law, his lover Delilah—all these people were people Samson loved and trusted, and they took advantage of him and manipulated him.  I find myself wondering how God could allow this to happen to Samson. This guy was filled with the Spirit and destined to rescue the nation of Israel from the Philistines, and he couldn’t even find a handful of good, solid, encouraging friends?  That’s not fair.  If this guy was called to such a great task, shouldn’t he have been surrounded by great people?  In fact doesn’t everyone deserve that?  And perhaps he did have some positive relationships that just aren’t mentioned because they don’t pertain to the story.  In fact I hope that there were some.  But my heart still breaks for Samson and for all the heartache and the less-than-ideal death he endured because of these false friends.

So then comes Ruth.  Ruth and Naomi were such incredible friends!  Ruth’s son married Naomi, and when both Ruth’s husband and Naomi’s husband died, Naomi decided to return to her home, and she encouraged Ruth to do the same thing.  However there was obviously a very strong relationship between the women, because Ruth chose to go with Naomi, her mother-in-law, instead, and vowed to follow her wherever she chose to go—which is incredible considering there was no blood relation between the women, and Ruth would be leaving her own family and homeland.  But Ruth insisted and the women traveled together to Bethlehem where they lived and worked and where eventually Ruth married a man named Boaz and carried on the bloodline that led to the birth of David—yes, King David.  So here we see a completely different picture of friendship.  I love this relationship because I don’t think friendships today are much different at the core.  There are ties of love that bind good friends together regardless of distance and circumstance, and Ruth and Naomi get that.

So what made these friendships so different?

Well we don’t know exactly, but there was obviously a difference in the kind of people Ruth and Samson had in their lives.  Ruth found people who cared about her, and who she loved in return.  And that’s something that’s lacking in Samson’s relationships—his “friends” were concerned with what they could gain from him, regardless of how it would hurt him.  I can’t help but think that Ruth’s friendships were closer to what Jesus had in mind when he called us to love one another.

So what would it take for me to be the kind of friend Ruth was? 

For me to build friendships like that between Ruth and Naomi?

 I’m only human, and it’s so easy to fall into thinking only about what I want out of a relationship, but what about what I have to give?  A good friendship is a two way street in communication, encouragement, serving and loving.  We can’t control others, but we can choose to love others.

And perhaps we will even find a Samson out there, who just needs a good friend.

Elizabeth:   This week we have finished reading Judges, Ruth, and we have entered into the first part of 1 Samuel. I have discovered that Judges is full of interesting stories. There are lots of people, events, and locations, but I have actually enjoyed some of what I read. I hope that when I re-read Judges one day or focus in on specific stories in the book one day, that I will learn new things. There are still quite a few mysteries in the text. I still have plenty of unanswered questions about the text, but I am okay with that. I know that I have finished reading the book, but I'm not done studying it and trying to understand it more clearly.

I really enjoyed reading about Samson. I began to really like Samson. I think he always tried to do the right thing. Sure there are some stories that involve Samson that are a bit rough around the edges. Samson did engage in fighting and he may come across as teasing Delilah. While I don't support either of those actions, I feel like he did what he felt was necessary in his situation. He fought with Philistines because they took advantage of him and gave his wife to his friend. How awful is that?! That isn't a fair act for the Philistines to do, so Samson took action. I'm beginning to think that fighting was the way people solved their issues in Samson's time because that seems to be  the tone of much of the Old Testament up to this point, especially in the book of Judges. Delilah once again took advantage of Samson. When he finally felt like he could trust Delilah, she turned on him. I really do think that Samson tried to do what was right and follow God's will, but he didn't have the easiest go at it. He was set up with a lot of temptation and I think he did a fair job balancing it all.

The book of Ruth is a refreshing change from Judges. The book begins with this great friendship that Naomi and Ruth have and there isn't fighting. That sounds super, right?! I think so, and that's why I liked the book of Ruth. The friendship between Ruth and Naomi is what could be considered the "perfect" example of Christian friendship. While qualities of that friendship may be valuable, there are some qualities to Samson's character that I like as well. If Samson were here today, I would be friends with him. I would want to be friends with someone who tries to do what is right and is trustworthy. Naomi and Ruth sure do highlight loyalty and I find that admirable in a friendship, but I want to look for more Samsons in life to be friends with.

My challenge for you is to consider what qualities do you look for in friendship? Do any of your friendships share qualities with Naomi, Ruth, or Samson?  

And consider these alphabitz this week...

Friendship  Character  Integrity

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

You Be the Judge!

**All credit for this witty title goes to Miss Elizabeth :)**

Elizabeth:  Since our last posting, I have graduated from TLU and have enjoyed most of a week of summer break. I have done some sleeping, reading, volunteering, and organizing since I have been on break. I have also been a whole lot better at reading my Bible daily and I have actually engaging reflection over the text. One thing I haven't done yet is meet with Allison over skype for coffee and conversation. Perhaps we will do that next week--Friday. Soooo, for our two blog followers, you don't have to be antzy...you can expect a new entry next Friday. In the meantime, let me share with you a few thoughts on the reading I have done this week.

Allison and I read Judges 1-12 over the past week. I'm finding that as I read the Old Testament, it really isn't as dry as many people make it sound, but it is extra confusing. When I can follow along to some extent, the text is interesting, but it gets so confusing when so many names and places are referenced. How am I supposed to keep up with all this information? On top of that, all these peculiar stories are happening. Jephthah has to sacrifice his daughter for the Lord?! (Judges 11) What in the world? Where does this stuff come from? And most importantly, why does it matter to me? How is this relevant?

As I shared this with Allison over the phone, she joked, "so you're saying that if you were the editor of Judges, it would all make more sense?" and at first thought I said yes! But, then I thought about it and if I were recording moments in my life it may sound as scattered as the book of Judges reads to me. When Allison and I carry on conversations, they don't always take a straight path. Often one thought leads to another, to another, and to another before we remind each other to go back to our original topic. And if I were to map out a single conversation, it may very well sound like a piece from Judges. One thing mentioned here and something else there. I found it especially interesting that when reading, I want something clearly defined, clearly mapped out. I don't want any gaps at all, but when I engage in my everyday conversations and experiences they're far from being clearly defined and I don't have a problem with it. In Judges I don't find any consistency. Each chapter seems to deal with different people and mention different places. In the first chapter Israel fights Canaanites, then judges are introduced, but more fighting takes place, more people are introduced. By chapters 10 and 11 Ammonites are the ones Jephthah is fighting. By that point too, the book has covered Gideon, Zebah, Zalmunna, Debroah, Abimelech, and many more. Among these people and places, odd events occur too, like the sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter to the Lord. It is all interesting, but it is a lot to keep up with.

Back to questions, where does this stuff come from? Well I'm not entirely sure. I cannot be sure that all of these things happened exactly as they are recorded, but I can say that each of these people were trying to find answers of their own. They wanted some direction, they wanted to see God more fully. The writer(s) of Judges most likely didn't record every detail of every situation, so there are gaps that I as the reader have to deal with. I'm left wondering what happened to the families of the people who died in the battles? What are these people thinking before they turn to God? Oh so many questions, but with gaps I have the opportunity to consider these things. So, why does this matter? Because ultimately the people in Judges were searching for a leader, some common ground, they wanted a foundation in their lives so that they could live fuller lives. And, this matters to me, because that is what I want in my life too. I want a fuller life where I know God is in control and can help lead me through tough times. God knows what happened in the gaps that were left open to the readers in the book of Judges; He was with those people. Like the people and places of Judges, God will be with me in rough times and will provide the direction I need in whatever place I may be.

My challenge to you is to think about the places in your life that seem most jumbled and consider how you may see God in the midst of it all.

Here, there, everywhere.

Allison:  Hello blog world!  Today is a big day!  You may not have noticed the small memo on your calendar this morning, but today is a day for celebration, because TODAY is the first official non-introduction blog of Alphabitz!  After reading this, feel free to pop open a bottle of your preferred champagne, or sparkling grape juice for us underage folks (….I think we actually have some leftover from New Years…).  But I digress….without further ado, I bring you a perspective on Judges chapters 1-12 :)!---that sounds lame…but don’t worry; it’s not.

So, Judges.  Aye, yes.  I’ll bet that hasn’t been a recent sermon topic!  And for a good reason too.  It’s a little all over the place, a little frustrating, and a little old (granted, it’s all old).  But there’s some cool stuff in Judges too, and I feel like I have more in common with the Israelites than I would care to admit.  But today I will admit away!    Judges 2 talks about how the people felt lost; they were turning to idolatrous gods, and basically doing anything but following the Lord.  Israel always seems to play the role of the poor and weak little brother, and it’s only through God that they ever reach any sort of victories (funny how God tends to choose those who we deem weak).  And so God took pity on them. 

Side note—while the Old Testament is notorious for presenting an “angry” and “harsh” image of God, I feel like there are quite a few places in this book so far that speak to God’s endless love and mercy, particularly in His dealings with the Israelites.  So chew on that.

Where was I?  Oh yes, so God took pity on them and gave them judges, who were more like political/military leaders than judicial figures. 

But what frustrated me was how they get one judge, that judge “rules” for however some-odd years, dies, and then the Israelites go right back to where they were before—goofing off, worshiping local idols, and basically living life like this judge never existed.  I mean my thoughts were something to the effect of, “Look Israelites!  This is ridiculous!  Can’t you just stay on track for a little while?”  And I was truly impressed that every time their antics got them in a situation of oppression or whatnot and they turned and “cried to God for help”, He immediately took pity and sent them another leader.  No hesitation, no lecture, no “this is the last straw”.  They realized their wrongs, turned back to God, and He welcomed them with open arms.  And He didn’t force himself on them when they turned away—it was a conscious choice on their part to turn back and follow the Lord’s leading.  And I couldn’t understand how God could be so forgiving, especially when they most likely were going to turn astray again by the end of the chapter.

But then I realized, I still don’t understand that forgiveness and that grace.  I still don’t get how God loves us infinitely and welcomes us back with open arms every time we realize where we’ve fallen, even though He knows we’ll mess up again.  I don’t know about you, but I am so much like the Israelite people.  Things are going great, life is good, I’ve got a great active faith community keeping me grounded, but the moment things change, the moment those circumstance get shaken up, it is so easy for me to fall away, to get off track, and try to do things according to my own plans.  And I’m sure anyone reading a story of my life would think the same things I did.  “Look Allison!  This is ridiculous!  Can’t you just stay on track for a little while?”  Because it’s so true.  I’m not perfect, and I definitely do my fair share of running back to God, teary-eyed and snotty-nosed and so truly repentant.  And that’s not to say it’s not sincere.  But I am so beyond thankful that our God is a God of grace, mercy and n^th chances.  That He knows our hearts and that He doesn’t give up.  So while the Israelites do frustrate me a bit, they hold a special place in my heart, because if I just substitute my name in there, those verses could be the story of my life.  But more than that, they are the story of the infinite grace our God gives and the incomprehensible love that is always within reach.  And that my friends, is the essence of the gospel.

So Judges eh?  Not so bad really.  Actually, I’m kind of liking this one.  Chime in!  What are your thoughts?  And as always, we leave you with some alphabitz to mull over…

Searching  Direction  Love

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

Chapel Coffee Conversation

Welcome to Alphabitz! We are Allison and Elizabeth. We met at Texas Lutheran University where we both went to school. Well, Allison is finishing her freshman year and I am getting ready to graduate. We thought it would be a good idea to start a blog to share our experiences with life in both college and in post-college life. Our faith is an important part of our lives and we have really enjoyed conversation about our faith. It was in campus chapels that we began to connect our faith to our everyday experiences in life. In January of this year we began a journey of reading through the Bible together. We did this by reading a little of the Bible each day and then we met on Fridays, after chapel, and joined each other for faith conversation over coffee. As the year went on we realized how much this journey challenged our faith. We began to understand why as Christians we often spend time reading the New Testament because the Old Testament is not always what we want to hear.

In Alphabitz we will share our experiences along our journey of reading through the Bible as we make connections with the scripture and our own lives as two young women of faith. We hope you will enjoy our thoughts and we hope you too are challenged and encouraged by scripture and everyday life!

Hi I'm Allison! As we've read through the Bible together so far, I've really enjoyed not only the different perspective that comes with reading scripture and hearing the thoughts of Elizabeth as she reads the same verses, but also the way the message comes to life. I've have also seen the way that sharing faith can create stronger relationships. I look forward to sharing this journey with you too, and I hope that you also can grow in your faith as you are challenged and strengthened by the scripture that has sustained our faith through the centuries.

Hey! I'm Elizabeth! I have really enjoyed this experience that Allison and I have had this year. I'm really sad that I will soon have to join her for coffee via skype to have our faith conversation about our Bible reading because I will no longer be living as close to her. I found that reading through the Bible is truly a journey which is much like faith. Reading hasn't always been easy. It hasn't always been easy to make the time to do reading and be faithful with it. Like my own faith, the experience of reading through the Bible has its own ups and downs, and begs many questions of me. As I enter the next chapter of my life after I graduate from TLU, I look forward to reading more of my Bible and I hope to spend a lifetime growing in my faith.

The two of us will end each blog entry with a few alphabitz for you to consider.

Friendship Journey Challenge

Sisters in Christ,
~Elizabeth & Allison