reconnecting with roots

Beautiful day that it was, Kevin and I curtailed the church service (although we stayed for the baby dedication!) and headed on a day trip to reconnect with my family’s roots in New Hanover, PA.

A bit of back story: even though it was a beautiful day and Kevin and I always get along and always love each other perfectly… we sometimes do have discussions that result in either (or both) of us feeling a bit grumpy. In this case, I was pestering Kevin to leave the apartment, and when he threw on a t-shirt, I smiled and asked him to change again… we were both wearing the same shade of purple. Just can’t do it. Anyway.

After a brisk lunch, we stopped by DD to get iced coffees. What a glorious day! Kevin was a little grumpy when he had to struggle with his iced coffee and shift gears at a traffic light and spilled a tiny tiny bit of coffee on his shirt… and I did my best to lift his spirits: “Kevin! Let spring shine its happiness to you!” He handed me his iced coffee as he tried to maneuver through traffic. I steadied my iced coffee between my knees so I could wipe off the excess coffee dripping down his cup. As this was happening, the light turned green and Kevin sped up… making my coffee tip toward me, and an unfortunate amount of coffee drained out through my straw. Of course, of course, this meant I was sitting in a puddle of coffee for the duration of the ride, which of course meant it looked like I had wet (like, wet) myself. I forced myself to smile (though my initial reaction was to shriek as I had last night when the boiling spaghetti sauce exploded onto my hand) because, after all, I had just chided Kevin for his grumpy response to coffee spilling on him.

Later… we arrived at New Hanover Lutheran Church. Cool fact: it’s the oldest German Lutheran church in America! We searched the entire cemetery once, the old section three times, and had yet to locate the single Davidhizar relative I knew to be buried there. Sad to say, we didn’t find her. However. We did spend a glorious afternoon treasure-hunting in a graveyard, working together, and having a blast. The church was beautiful, we learned to identify German characters on faded tombstones, and headed to Olive Garden to finish out the day. Such fun.

Sorry if we’re weird, but we really like to frequent graveyards.

studies in prayer, part one

Thoughts on Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 1:11, 2:1-10

Hannah, whose womb the Lord had closed, was “provoked grievously” and “irritated” by her rival (and husband Elkanah’s other wife) Peninnah, who had children. The poor, beloved wife wept bitterly her distress to the Lord. In her prayer of desperation, Hannah “vowed a vow and said, O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

First of all, she vows a vow. In our Western mindset, have we ever considered the possibility that vows are a righteous (much less viable) approach in prayer? Hannah’s prayer, in Talmudic tradition, is held as the prototype for the Amidah — “The Prayer”. So, it’s safe to assume there is much to learn (and emulate!) in this most sincere of prayers. However, do we… should we make vows to God? Let’s consider some of the passages of Scripture that address making such vows.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay in paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.

Numbers 30:10-11 (laws for women, as opposed to the laws of vows for men) And if she vowed in her husband’s house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath, and her husband heard of it and said nothing to her and did not oppose her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand.

For further reading: Judges 11, and the account of Jephthah and his daughter :(

Hannah’s heart was right - she was praying with kevanna (proper intention, inclination of the heart to worship God). And yet she vowed to relinquish the very thing for which she was begging God. There is a lot to be said about the vital need for a Jewish woman (one might argue any woman) to have children - particularly sons. One site mentioned that this narrative is the only instance recorded in the Bible in which a private individual prays in a sanctuary where sacrifices are offered. As such, it affirms for rabbinic Judaism its own continuity with tradition, the continuity between prayer and sacrifice, ritual word and ritual deed, between the synagogue liturgies and the ancient rites of Tabernacle and Temple.Pretty cool.

Her prayer of desperation demonstrates a remarkable honesty. She was clearly not afraid to let the Lord know the desires of her heart, yet her attitude is not one of entitlement or as if she’s commanding God to do something for her. Through her vow, and consequent sacrifice (because the two go hand-in-hand), the LORD was pleased to bless her.

And, as God granted her a son, Hannah gave up her son to His service. Look back to the reference I’ve listed above from Numbers - a wife’s vow could be voided by her husband. Elkanah, however, was aware of his wife’s devotion: “Do what seems best to you” (1 Sam 1:23). Neither would see their son but once a year, when the family went up to Shiloh to offer up their sacrifices. (Notable: God blessed Hannah with three more sons and two more daughters — whom she got to keep!)

Hannah’s prayer and resulting sacrifice paid the price for the anointing that was on Samuel over his entire life. She thought she was asking for a child for herself, but Israel got a Judge and a Prophet of unparalleled character and worth. In fact, had Samuel not been in place, the very line of Messiah would have crumbled.

Her prayer of exultation in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 serves as a model for our response to God’s blessing: praise Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. In the situation with her rival Peninnah, the LORD vindicated Hannah. Because of her humility, she was raised up, and the proud were put down. And, she has confidence in the future: The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; He will give strength to His king and exalt the power of His anointed (2:10b). Her prayer precedes the establishment of a king in Israel. At the end of her prayer, she making a very clear and obvious reference to the coming Messiah!

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These thoughts are not fully developed, or properly organized… but I thought them worth sharing. Hannah’s heart was in line with God’s; she came to Him, honestly, in her desperation; her prayer was effective; she gave back to the LORD what was His; and she (and the rest of creation!) was blessed by her prayer and sacrifice.

What are our thoughts on making vows to God? They’re… dangerous. It’s important to note that making a vow is not and should not be equated with bargaining. A vow is not saying to God, “If You do this, I’ll do this… but if You don’t do this, I will (or will not) do this.” Hannah trusted God’s sovereignty regardless of whether or not He chose to fulfill her desire. Had He not given her a son, she would have gone on praising Him and bringing her requests to His attention. See the difference between a vow and bargaining with God? Certainly, very serious business.

It may be beneficial to keep in mind, however, the mutual responsibility in prayer. We have a relationship with the LORD God. There is give and take. He is wholly above us, but there is, as the rabbis say, “continuity between prayer and sacrifice, ritual word and ritual deed.”