Birth Stories

1 Samuel 1:4-20
Mark 13:1-8


Rockville United Church
The Rev. Suzanne Rudiselle

November 19, 2006

There were three young women, sisters-in-law, who married about the same time and hoped to start their families. Dora conceived right away. So did Hilda, but not Ann. Within three months, Hilda miscarried, and before Dora’s baby was born, she would miscarry again. They all rejoiced at the birth of that first child, though it was bittersweet for two. Several years later Dora was pregnant again, and then soon after Hilda was too. But not Ann. Dora breezed through her nine months while Hilda was sick the entire time. Both babies arrived at the same time, Dora’s son, healthy and strong. Hilda’s son, premature and small. It would be years before he was strong and healthy too. And still no child for Ann. But ten years later, after Ann had long since stopped hoping, her first and only child arrived. That’s my family story of three women who waited and watched with one another with three very different experiences. Each was blessed in a different way with hope and patience and finally joy.

This morning we heard Hannah’s story. Hannah was a faithful woman who was barren, considered by some to be a sign of God’s disfavor. The text says, “the Lord had closed her womb.” You can imagine the agony she felt as she was taunted by her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, even while her husband, Elkanah, who loved her, plied her with extra portions. It wasn’t enough.

Pregnancy is not noticeable at first - it takes a while for the signs to be evident - unless you count the cravings for chocolate ice cream and dill pickles! But as it becomes obvious that something is going on the speculation begins. Who it will be? What is the name? When will she/he be delivered? How long must we wait? It’s a long gestation. We ask “How long, O Lord, how long?” Some of us know that things get sluggish, we‘re lumbering around - tired, impatient with waiting, and then doubting, questioning and maybe suffering, until you just wish it was over. Giving birth to anything is a process that will not be hurried. Jesus must have despaired on occasion when it seemed as if the disciples were never going to get with the program, and give birth to anything. They were easily distracted, quarrelsome, and obtuse.

Our New Testament text comes from the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. He had entered Jerusalem with great celebration, contended with the scribes and Pharisees, and cleansed the temple. The temple was awesome and the disciples were impressed. “Teacher, look at the stonework! Look at those buildings!” The historian Josephus writes, “”…it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight. ..” Jesus said, “You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble.” (The Message).

They missed the point. Later when a small group took Jesus aside they asked what he meant - what would happen? They wanted to know. It’s hard to be disciples when you are in a waiting mode.

The events of the last week moved quickly. Tension was palpable. And then came the warnings from Jesus. He predicted that they would be led astray - handed over, beaten, maybe lose their lives. He promised that God rules the chaos. When it is time, the end will come, so their task was to proclaim the gospel everywhere, trusting that the Holy Spirit would give them the words. His prescriptions: be able to see; don’t be alarmed; don’t be fooled’ pray; keep alert; learn.

Mark’s Jesus looks at the end and sees the birth of a new day - a new understanding - a new hope, and it will come with all the travail of any birth. It will be long and hard and messy but the disciples are to stay strong and focused. As the end nears, Jesus cries out for followers who passionately exercise their gift of sight. This is an emotional charge for disciples to live confidently, testifying to God’s sovereign reign in the world.

This passage is sometimes called the little Apocalypse - the uncovering - the revelation. Kathleen Norris defines it in these words. “Apocalypse is meant to bring us to our senses, allowing us a sobering and usually painful glimpse of what is possible in the new life we build from the ashes of the old.” It is also meant to be inspiration that leads to calm, patient, courageous endurance. Diebert calls it “a corrective word of hope to the church in a difficult moment.” (p.83) It is Mark’s signal flare - an attempt to jolt the church awake for the rest of human history as we know it. There is a new vocabulary, tone and frame of reference - so that we are shocked out of our lethargy, for the time is urgent.

This passage had given rise to judgment between Christians and denominations. There has been much speculation about the end times. Myers writes, “It is not faithful for Christian sisters and brothers to passionately promote the precise day, hour, and minute for Jesus’ return, but it is faithful for sisters and brothers to be passionate. On the other hand, it is not faithful for Christian sisters and brothers to live boring and slothful lives, but it is faithful for sisters and brothers to refrain from obsessive details about the end of time.”

Jesus reminds the disciples that “there’s never going to be a single stone that cannot be torn down.” It’s easy to be impressed with institutional religion with big buildings and budgets and numbers, but disciples are judged on staying power that will not crumble in the face of difficulty.

So here we are in the Interim time wondering what comes next, bombarding God with questions when there aren’t any immediate concrete answers. Sometimes we look at the churches around us and marvel at how well they are doing. I pass a mega church where thousands worship every Sunday. They must be doing something right! Are they making disciples? Our job today is not to be preoccupied with the success of others or the details of the last days, but to be faithful stewards of today- focused on events of here and now and the needs of the poor and those on the margins. Some days that is hard. We get discouraged. We feel as if our efforts and our prayers are unnoticed, or unheard.

Remember the story of Hannah. Persecuted by her husband’s other wife because she was barren, demoralized because she could not fulfill her role as a woman, wanting with all her heart and soul to give birth, desperately pleading with God, she lived years without the answer she sought. The famous preacher James Forbes preaching from this text called his sermon “Hannah Rose”. He describes Hannah as a woman bent over with anguish, weighed down with the shame of her bareness, pleading with God to give her a child in order that she might be whole. And then the encounter with Eli, the priest in the temple – a priest who charges her with being a drunk. But hearing her explanation Eli then promises that God has heard her plea and will bless her. Dr. Forbes says, it was then – not when the promise was fulfilled, but right then, that, claiming the promise, the bent over, weighed down one began to pull herself up, straight and strong, and a newly confident Hannah rose! (If you can find Dr. Forbes’ sermon it is a treasure!)

Notice that her renewal didn’t wait until the pregnancy was documented or the child was born, but it began with a promise. From the moment she accepted that as truth she was changed, invigorated, ready to dry her eyes and step out with conviction. In God’s own time the birth would occur, but until that time she was to live fully and faithfully.

In our history, notice that our foremothers and forefathers struggled against all odds, had their friends turn against them, many losing their lives in the process of bringing this nation into being.

Notice that the slave rebellion did not occur in one massive effort, but in small incremental steps as the few escaped and aided others, and the code words rang true in the religious meeting houses, and they hoped against hope that the stars would begin to fall.

Notice that it took careful planning, much discussion, and daring to see what others could not, and prayer - much, much prayer for RUC to be born. Forty years ago Don Maccallum’s vision and action brought Rockville United Church into being. We’ll be celebrating that 40th anniversary all year long. We will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Church of Christ. We will celebrate the birth of our nation and the birth of freedom as well. The births, the beginnings are worthy of celebration.

There is a message for us. God is up to something at Rockville United Church. Years of faithfulness have not gone unnoticed by the Author of Life. This new life is beginning to stir almost unnoticed, and at the same time it seems to be taking too long. There are signs and questions, and sometimes discouragement. But the promise is real. God has heard. God will raise up those with vision for the next step in RUC’s ministry. It may come quickly with little fuss and feathers, as with Dora. Or it may be painstakingly difficult with false starts, as with Hilda. But as in the cases of Ann and Hannah, it will come. Either way, our job as disciples is to remain strong in our commitment to Christ, not dazzled by the things of this world - even the marvels of religion in another time and place.

So here we are with an unseen future ahead. This is a time of ultimate trust in the God who loves us and calls us to faithfulness. This is a time of focused perseverance, doing those things that bring life to others, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, advocating for those left out. This is a time of humility, acknowledging that we cannot do it alone – especially since we don’t know what “it” is. God knows. Gods wants a bright future for RUC and for each one of us. God promises presence and the Holy Spirit’s guidance – one step at a time. God loves us, and that’s enough. The birthing is in the works.