Musing Worship

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:4-9, 16-28    Sometimes I wonder if King Solomon was truly wise, or if he just got lucky when the mother spoke out to protect her child. Years ago in high school I had to do an independent study on Huckleberry Finn, and in that book you may know is a conversation Huckleberry Finn has with runaway slave Jim about King Solomon and this perceived wisdom. Huck tells Jim about Solomon’s 700 concubine wives and hundreds of children, and then recounts the story of the 2 women and the 1 child trying to impress Jim with Solomon’s wisdom, but Jim comes from a very different background than Huck or any of us do. Jim comes from a background of slavery in Southern US. He has seen slave owners who own dozens of black families and seen how little most care for the slaves. “ From Jim’s understanding, King Solomon wasn’t raised with a good teaching that embraced the value of human life. Jim takes a big jump by comparing the king’s lack of appreciation of h...

Scripture Readings: Psalm 100:                    Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. John 15:9-12:             Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one ...