NOTE: I am putting my weekly sermons on the church website. It will be on for two weeks (usually posted on Friday) and then placed in the Archives area by date. You can download in a matter of seconds.
This is my last sermon at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, thus my last posting of sermons through the yahoo group set up here. Thanks for all of the feedback over the past several years. My thanks to Hal W. for his untiring work as webmaster and yahoo supervisor. Blessings,Larry
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Sermon: “Also Participated”
I Samuel 15:34 – 16:13
Star potential isn’t easy to spot and sometimes it’s even harder to develop.
Movie trivia. What actor got his television debut playing “Man in Sleeping Bag” on NYPD Blue in 1994? Here’s a hint: His film debut came as Heckler #2 in the memorable 1990 made-for-TV movie She’ll Take Romance. Chances are you don’t remember the movie, let alone the name of Heckler #2.
It’s a household name — entertainment giant Paul Giamatti.
Still can’t place him? Last year Time magazine dubbed him “The World’s Best Character Actor.”
That’s a nice way of saying “Guy who isn’t sexy and brawny enough to play the leading man, but, dang, he’s a fantastic actor.” Character actors are like scenery props with a few lines to perform. Whatever gives the star a brighter orbit and a bigger box office draw.
Cementing his “always-a-bridesmaid-never-the-bride” status, Giamatti played Sgt. Hill in Saving Private Ryan while Tom Hanks and Matt Damon received the big-star attention. But after being the background support for so many A-list stars and starlets, he’s starting to be noticed for the actor of seemingly limitless talent that he actually is. Last year in the Depression-era boxing film, Cinderella Man, he played Joe Gould, the trainer-manager of the boxing hero Jim Braddock played by Russell Crowe. Sure the spotlight shined the brightest on Crowe and his co-lead Renée Zellweger, but critics claimed that Paul Giamatti turned in the best acting performance of the film, for which he took home the Golden Globe as best supporting actor.
The most talented guy in the movie is not the one with the acclaim and star-power. We see that story played out all the time.
Pro football running backs get millions-dollar contracts and shoe endorsement deals while the 300- pound hogmollies who do all the blocking for them never get their names mentioned on television (unless there is a holding penalty).
Ever heard of a ghostwriter? They are the people who actually write the best-selling “autobiographies” of the big-name popular crowd. The Paul Giamattis of writing.
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your county.” The words were spoken by JFK, but the phrase was actually crafted by his talented speech writer, Ted Sorensen. It is even widely believed that Sorensen was the actual author — the ghostwriter — for Profiles in Courage, Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of heroic U.S. senators.
In the text we are looking at, a casting call’s going out for the role of king of Israel. Samuel is the casting director filling the request of the Producer. If the story is going to work, the Producer needs a new leading man, because “the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:35).
Jesse is the proud patriarch of an eight-son family, most of whom were real standouts. And God has decided to cast his next king from this proud family of performers.
Have you ever seen or been a kid competing in a swimming meet? There are ribbons given out to first through eighth places, then just to make the losers feel good about themselves, the also-rans (or also-swams) each get a yellow “participant” ribbon.
Well, in Jesse’s family, there were only ribbons for first through seventh places, and then there was a “participant” ribbon given out as well.
First place went to the oldest: Eliab. He was good-looking and tall. We don’t know for sure, but chances are he was a hunk and a leader among men. A Bethlehem Brad Pitt of sorts. A sure box office smash.
But the Producer tells the Casting Agent to skip him, “for the LORD does not see as mortals see” (v. 16:7)
And so it continues with perhaps the strangest audition Samuel might imagine. The next six of Jesse’s sons are paraded by, all fine options to play the lead of Israel. But none please the Producer.
And finally the “participant” ribbon gets handed out. The actor who doesn’t even get invited to the audition. David’s only performances to date were in measly hunting roles — killing lions or bears in movies nobody has seen (I Samuel 17:34).
Sure he was handsome as well — all of Jesse’s sons were. But this actor was unproven. A no-name who shouldn’t even be allowed to play the role of Heckler #2.
Most of us are familiar with the story of the casting call that day — David gets the part. The unknown talent cast as king. What’s going on in the Heavenly Hollywood is that the A-list leading men are getting passed over for the Paul Giamattis of Israel. This Producer is either avant-garde or off his rocker.
If you look at David’s subsequent career, casting him was real genius. He turned out to be the greatest king Israel ever knew. And anyone who has ever read through his journals in the Psalms knows that David was the real deal, a man of poetic passion for God.
The question we might consider is why isn’t Eliab — the apparent obvious choice — the next king of Israel?
First, he was tall.
Second, he was good-looking.
Third, he was the oldest son of the family. In his day, that meant he was the heir apparent. The next in line to rule the roost in a patriarchal community. It was absurd to think that a youngest son might be favored over the oldest. Even in our world the oldest child in the family is usually the most natural leader. And research findings summarized by social scientists from Indiana University have shown that the firstborn in a family is usually the most intelligent child.
With all of this, why wasn’t Eliab the shoo-in?
Maybe the real issue we tend to miss is that in the grand story of the Producer, you can’t be an actor. And apparently that’s all Eliab was. Someone who was a natural on the outside whose soul condition didn’t please the Producer.
God looks for the real deal. In this casting call, he “sought out a man after his own heart” (13:14). People can dress things up nicely and look really good on the outside. They can play the part of church on Sundays. They can present an external Christianity that has duty and sacrifice and good deeds written all over it.
But God sees deeper into our inward condition than we can present to others in our outward condition. Our text this week is haunting. “For the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
God looks for transformation in our lives in the places that nobody else sees or knows about.
What kind of performance would Eliab have needed to win the favor of the Producer and land the role of king? He had the Blue Ribbon from the mortals, but ended up with an “also participated” yellow ribbon from God.
David lived a real, gritty life of honesty and difficulty before his God. He asked hard questions and didn’t shy away from tough answers. He wasn’t perfect — we know that. But nobody is. When faced with most of his difficult choices, he made mostly right decisions. Hr received an “also participated” yellow ribbon from the mortals, but the Royal Purple Championship Ribbon from God. What color ribbon do you think God would, or has, given you for your participation in His Kingdom? What was, or is, your motivation for receiving the color ribbon you have?