call:
The Lord be with you.
response:
And also with you.
call:
Today’s symbol is a lyre, which is a kind of harp. King David played songs of praise to God on the lyre. David was Israel’s greatest king, and he showed the people how to love and trust God.
response:
Thanks be to God!
Scripture reading : 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Do you remember Samuel, who listened to God? And do you remember David, who trusted God to protect Israel? Because Samuel listened carefully to God, he knew that David was the one God had chosen to be king. It’s good that he listened so well, because most people might have missed David. He was Jesse’s youngest son, and he wasn’t in the king’s army like his brothers. David wasn’t even home when Samuel came to Jesse’s house: he was out in the elds with the sheep!
But Samuel listened, and he looked, and he saw what God saw. God did not want the tallest, strongest, or ercest man to lead Israel. That kind of man would trust in his own strength and skill. God wanted a man like David: a king who would trust God to protect and lead Israel. God wanted a king who would show the people how to have faith, and how to love God. Israel was God’s special people, and they needed a special kind of king. When Samuel saw David, he knew that God had chosen him to be that king.
pray:
Wise and holy God, people look at appearances, but you look at the heart. Give us hearts that trust you to deliver us. Amen.