From Emptiness to Abundance
Delivered by Rev. Jonathan Oh on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
英語のテキストの後に日本語訳があります。こちらはChatGPTによる機械翻訳であり、文法的な誤りが含まれている可能性があります。基本的な正確さを確認しております。
Passages:
1 Samuel 1:4-20 (NRSV)
4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. 11 She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”
1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NRSV)
1 Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.
2 “There is no Holy One like the Lord,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does one prevail.
10 The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed.”
Sermon Text:
Tokyo: We are truly blessed to live in a land that is quite prosperous. Some of us were born and raised here, and others of us moved here from other countries, settling here for a time for all sorts of reasons. No place is perfect, but we live in a country that is safe, clean, and courteous. Our church is located in Mitaka City, a suburb that hosts many people who work within the 23 wards to the east of here. Places like Kichijoji are known to be one of the highest ranked places to live in the area. On the surface, there are many positives, and we have to keep in mind that so many in this world do not have the privilege that we get to enjoy.
Hidden: Yet behind the shiny image of prosperity and excitement that the world tends to see, there are those among us who are suffering and may be hidden from our eyes. There are those who are homeless and don’t even know when their next meal may be. There are those who are barricaded in their homes, struggling alone with the pressures of society and life. There are those who are out and about, going about their day, putting on a good face for their work or at school, but deep inside, there is a true sadness, maybe even a sense of shame that they can’t be happy and don’t deserve to be happy.
Introduction: I might even guess that there are some here today who are feeling a little bit like how Hannah was feeling in our Scripture reading today. I hope that as we look at what she endured and what took place in her life, we are able to hear Good News about the hope that God gives to us in the midst of our suffering.
Context: The book of 1 Samuel, which is the first part of two books called Samuel, starts off in the period where the nation of Israel is in chaos. They had no central leader, and even though the Lord sent judges to lead the people of Israel, no sooner had the judges died that the people chose to abandon God and live in their own way, and the land continued to suffer and diminish because of their unfaithfulness. It is during this time that we read about the story of Hannah. Hannah is one of only a few women that we get to read about in any sort of detail in the Bible, and I think there is a real purpose to why she is here.
Hannah: Now Hannah was the wife of a wealthy man named Elkanah. The fact that he actually had two wives meant that he had the money to support two wives as well as his children (polygamy was not a practice that was recommended but was still done at the time). They even participated in feasts where he could give Hannah a “double portion” of food, which could also mean the special part of the meat dishes they enjoyed. Elkanah really loved his wife, valuing her deeply.
Suffering: And yet, Hannah was suffering deeply - on multiple levels. Society was telling her that she was not valuable because she had not borne any children. She was pressured by society to have children, and because she did not, she was seen as a failure because she did not fulfill her “duties” as a wife to have children. This shame brought upon her by the culture of that time weighed extremely heavily on Hannah. Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, constantly insulted Hannah, possibly out of jealousy since Elkanah showed Hannah love even though Peninnah is the one who bore children. And in the midst of this, even though Elkanah loved his wife, he didn’t understand the misery and sadness that she was suffering. “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (Oh, we men really don’t get it sometimes.) Hannah truly must have felt alone - so alone, that even in the midst of this huge feast that followed the annual trip for the sacrifice, she could not eat or drink. She could only weep, and then, in our passage today, we read that after the others had finished eating, she leaves and goes to the Tabernacle (which is where people went to pray before the Lord before the Temple was built many years later).
Question: What do you do when you are in the midst of suffering? People deal with this in different ways. Some people shut out the world. They isolate themselves from what may be hurting them and try to cope with their suffering away from what’s causing them pain. Others lash out, inflicting pain on others so that they can try to contain their own. Still others numb themselves to the pain. They take the path of absorbing the pain enough to where it seemingly doesn’t hurt them anymore.
Tabernacle: Hannah takes another approach that we might also have taken. Hannah goes to God at the Tabernacle and begins to weep bitterly. She just cries before God. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, we just need a good cry. Hannah is pouring out her soul to the Lord, and as she does so, she prays silently, but we’re thankful that her words are recorded here so that we can know what she is praying. She asks the Lord the following in verse 11.
First, she asks the Lord “to look upon the misery of your servant.” Hannah does not come to God as a person who has been wronged and is demanding restitution. Instead, she describes herself as a servant of the Lord, and she is in misery. It is so hard for us to pray this sometimes because many times in our suffering, we have been unjustly and unfairly treated. Our circumstances sometimes come not from our actions but from actions thrust upon us. Hannah just tells the Lord to look upon her, asking for compassion in her difficult circumstances.
Second, she asks the Lord to “remember me, and not forget your servant.” If you think about this request, we have to put into perspective who she is in relation to God. The Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, seemingly might have “more important things to do”. Yet the God of the Universe is not limited by the capacity of knowing who people are. God is not Someone whom we can define. Rather, our God is truly beyond our ability to comprehend. The Hebrew word for what we see here as “remember” really hints at “bringing to mind, to bring into focus” as opposed to “forgetting and then remembering”. Another way this word has been translated is “to mention”. Hannah’s request is not implying that God has forgotten her but rather asking for attention to hear the request that she is asking.
Third, Hannah is asking the Lord to give her a son, but she’s not asking for a son whom she can keep for herself. She asks the Lord for a son so that she can give this child back to the Lord to serve as a “nazirite” for his entire life. Hannah wants this child to serve before the Lord in a special way, a man who will never drink wine or alcohol, and he will never have his hair cut. This strict vow is stated within Hebrew law as someone who is set apart and fully committed in service to the Lord. One might wonder why a woman who has not been able to have children would ask for a son whom she will not be able to keep and raise? For Hannah, the reproach of not being able to have children was weighing most heavily upon her. The culture that she was in valued her only in terms of being able to carry a child. For her, being able to bear a child would not only vindicate her in society but also testify to what God can do beyond human understanding. For God to answer her prayer for a son would clear her of shame among her people, and when submitting to God, she would show that having a son was not the object of her desires or worship.
Priest: While Hannah is desperately pouring out her heart to God, the high priest Eli comes up and accuses her of being drunk and tells her to put away her wine. I can only imagine what Hannah must have felt - additional pain of an untrue accusation on top of her suffering. It goes to show that even people who are religious leaders can get it wrong too. Yet after Hannah explained that she was just pouring out her heart to the Lord, Eli blessed her. Hannah left, and she not only ate and drank, but she was no longer sad. Clearly, this experience had changed her, even though she had not yet had a child. In due time, she does have a son, and his name is Samuel.
Aftermath: We didn’t read the remaining verses of chapter 1, but Hannah took care of Samuel long enough to when he was weaned. She then returned to Shiloh where the Tabernacle was, and she presented Samuel to the high priest Eli, and Samuel stayed with Eli because he was dedicated in order to serve the Lord. Toward the middle of chapter 2, Scripture mentions that Hannah did still see Samuel each year during the annual trips to Shiloh, and she even presented him with a new robe each time. Hannah had not forgotten her son even though she was not with him the rest of the year. After Eli’s blessings, Hannah had more sons and daughters. She went from what was emptiness into an abundance that God provided in her life.
Testimony: Hannah’s prayer in our second reading shows us her response to what God has done. She lifts up the name of the Lord, stating that it is God who is in control of all that takes place. No human action can succeed against the plans of the Lord. He brings people back to life and lifts up those who are lowly and down. In contrast, the Lord humbles those who are in high places. God is on His throne, and He will be the One who ultimately judges. Hannah’s prayer shows that she believes in God as the One who listens and hears. It’s not because of power or prominence that the Lord listens. Rather, He hears and listens to those who need Him.
Good News: Here is the Good News of today’s passage - God hears us when we come to Him with a humble heart. When we are suffering and are barely able to hold any words before Him, God hears us. When we are ashamed and are feeling shunned by the world or are isolated, God sees us. When we are running on empty, God is the One who can fill us up. When we have absolutely nothing, when we have God, we have all that we need because of Him. Hannah did not know it at the time, but this is made possible for us because of Jesus, who came to this earth, suffered on our behalf, died our death, and rose again to new life so that we may find life and life abundantly.
Reality: Now let me say this. God can work miracles. We can see how God can do incredible things. That does not mean that God will work miracles. There are times when we will still endure suffering and hardships. There will be times when we will still find it difficult to deal with shame and struggles in this world. God’s work in this world does not mean that everything is going to be resolved right away. However, because of Jesus, we are given hope that some day, all things will be made new. There will be a day when those who have hope in Jesus will no longer deal with suffering and hardships, no longer deal with shame and struggles. God will one day make all things completely new, and we have hope in this promise.
Addition: One other aspect that we can take comfort in is that even though things will not be completely changed now, God gives us the Holy Spirit and gives us this community - the church - to pray with each other and support each other in this life where we face many challenges and difficulties. We can still say the prayer that Hannah said in 1 Samuel 2 because we know that God is faithful and has done great things and will continue to do great things.
Wrapping up: I would like for all of us to close our eyes right now in a spirit of prayer. We’re going to take a moment to come silently with our burdens before the Lord. If you are currently going through something right now, if you’re currently suffering right now, whether you are in physical pain, or emotionally drained, or otherwise feel hurt, ashamed, or just need prayer, if you would like, please raise your hand. It’s okay if you are suffering but don’t want to raise your hand. The Lord knows where you are. I’m going to pray for you, and I want those who did raise their hands to keep them up during this prayer, but I want to remind you that just as Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord, take a moment right now in silence to just pray to the Lord. Give your sufferings and your pain to Him now.
Prayer: Let me pray for you. Dear God of all comfort, you know those who have raised their hands and those who could not even do that because of the pain that they are facing right now. O Lord, you know where they are right now, and what they are seeking. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayers. Give our sisters and brothers the assurance that You see them and hear them in their time of need. May You fill their hearts with hope. May You help them see that You do care in the midst of their pain.
Last Point: Please put down your hands and continue in a spirit of prayer with me. There will be a time later during the service where if you would like, you can share more about your request, or you can always reach out to our prayer team later too. Now, for all of us, whether we are suffering or not, we are reminded in today’s passage that it’s so important to have humble and listening hearts, that instead of having a knee-jerk reaction in the way Eli first did, we are to bless and to uplift. The Lord has given us an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ to the world. Let us now pray that the Lord will help us do this.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we ask that You will help us to be Your hands and feet to our community. Help us to have compassionate, loving hearts, to hear the needs of those around us and to be sensitive enough to be able to know when someone needs us. Help us to have hearts of compassion, hearts that reflect Yours. May we, who have abundantly received Your love and grace, pour out that love and care to those who need it the most. We pray this in Your name, Amen.
日本語の翻訳：
東京: 私たちは、本当に恵まれた繁栄した土地に住んでいます。ここで生まれ育った人もいれば、いろいろな理由で外国から引っ越してきて、この地に住んでいる人もいます。完璧な場所はありませんが、この国は安全で清潔で礼儀正しい国です。私たちの教会は、三鷹市という郊外にあります。三鷹市は、この東側の23区で働く多くの人々が住んでいる場所です。吉祥寺のような地域は、このエリアで住みやすい場所として高く評価されています。表面的には多くの良い点があり、私たちは、この世界の多くの人々が私たちが享受している特権を持っていないことを心に留めておく必要があります。
隠れた現実: しかし、繁栄と活気の輝かしいイメージの裏側には、目には見えない苦しんでいる人々がいます。ホームレスで次の食事がいつになるかもわからない人もいます。社会や人生のプレッシャーに押しつぶされ、一人で家に閉じこもっている人もいます。また、日常生活を送りながら、仕事や学校で表面上は笑顔を見せているけれども、心の中では本当の悲しみや、自分が幸せになる資格がないと感じるような恥ずかしさを抱えている人もいます。
はじめに: 今日ここにいる人の中にも、聖書の中のハンナが感じていたような気持ちを少し感じている人がいるかもしれません。彼女がどのようなことを経験し、彼女の人生でどのようなことが起きたのかを見ていく中で、私たちの苦しみの中でも神様が与えてくださる希望についての良い知らせを聞くことができることを願っています。
背景: サムエル記第一は、二つのサムエル記の最初の部分であり、イスラエルの国が混乱状態にあった時代を舞台にしています。この時、イスラエルには中心となる指導者がいませんでした。主がイスラエルの人々を導くために士師を送ったにもかかわらず、士師が亡くなると人々はすぐに神を見捨て、自分勝手な生き方を選び、その不忠実さのために国は苦しみ、衰退し続けました。この時代に、私たちはハンナの物語を読むことになります。ハンナは、聖書の中である程度詳細に語られている数少ない女性の一人であり、彼女の存在には重要な目的があると思います。
ハンナ: ハンナはエルカナという裕福な男性の妻でした。彼が二人の妻を持っていたという事実は、二人の妻とその子供たちを養うだけのお金があったことを示しています（当時、一夫多妻制は推奨されていませんでしたが、行われていました）。彼らは宴会に参加し、エルカナがハンナに「二倍の分け前」を与えることもできました。これは、彼らが楽しんだ肉料理の特別な部分を意味することもあります。エルカナは本当に妻を愛しており、彼女を深く大切にしていました。
苦しみ: それでも、ハンナは深く、多くのレベルで苦しんでいました。社会は彼女に子どもを産まなかったために価値がないと言いました。子どもを持つようにという社会的なプレッシャーを受け、それを果たせなかったことで、彼女は妻としての「役割」を果たせない失敗者と見なされました。この時代の文化によってもたらされた恥ずかしさは、ハンナにとって非常に重いものでした。エルカナのもう一人の妻、ペニンナは、ハンナを侮辱し続けました。それは、エルカナが子どもを産んだペニンナではなく、ハンナを愛していることへの嫉妬からだったかもしれません。その中で、エルカナは妻を愛していましたが、彼女の苦しみや悲しみを理解していませんでした。「私はあなたにとって10人の息子以上の存在ではないのか？」（ああ、男たちは時々本当にわかっていませんね）。ハンナは本当に孤独を感じていたに違いありません。孤独のあまり、毎年のいけにえの後の盛大な宴会の中で、食べることも飲むこともできませんでした。ただ泣くだけでした。そして今日の聖書箇所で読むように、他の人々が食事を終えた後、彼女は立ち上がり、幕屋（その後、何年も経ってから建てられる神殿の代わりに人々が主の前で祈るために訪れる場所）へ向かいました。
質問: 苦しみの中にいるとき、あなたはどうしますか？人々はこれにさまざまな方法で対処します。一部の人は世界を閉ざし、自分を傷つけているかもしれないものから隔離し、その痛みの原因から離れて苦しみに対処しようとします。他の人は怒りを爆発させ、他人に痛みを与えることで自分の苦しみを抑えようとします。また別の人々は、その痛みに麻痺する道を選びます。彼らは痛みを吸収し、それがもう自分を傷つけないかのように見せかけます。
幕屋: ハンナは私たちが取ることもある別の方法を取りました。彼女は幕屋で神のもとに行き、激しく泣き始めました。彼女はただ神の前で涙を流しました。皆さんはどうかわかりませんが、時には良い涙を流す必要があることがありますよね。ハンナはその魂を主に注ぎ出しながら静かに祈りましたが、その祈りの言葉がここに記されていることに感謝しています。彼女は11節で次のように主に願いました。
1つ目に、彼女は主に「このしもべの苦しみを御覧ください」と願いました。ハンナは、不当に扱われ、償いを求めている人としてではなく、主のしもべとして自分を表し、苦しみの中にいることを告白します。この祈りをするのは簡単ではありません。というのも、私たちは苦しみの中で、不正に扱われることが多いからです。私たちの状況は、多くの場合、自分の行動によるものではなく、他人の行動によるものです。しかし、ハンナはただ主に自分を見てほしいと願い、困難な状況の中で憐れみを求めます。
2つ目に、彼女は主に「私を覚えて、このしもべをお忘れにならないでください」と願いました。この願いについて考えるとき、私たちは神との関係の中で自分がどのような存在であるかを理解しなければなりません。全能の神、宇宙の創造主は、一見すると「もっと重要なこと」をしているかもしれません。それでも、宇宙の神は、人々を知る能力に制限はありません。神は私たちが定義できるお方ではありません。むしろ、神は私たちの理解を超えた存在です。ここで使われているヘブライ語の「覚える」という言葉は、「忘れていたことを思い出す」という意味ではなく、「心に留める、焦点を合わせる」という意味を暗示しています。この言葉は別の方法では「言及する」とも訳されます。ハンナの願いは、神が彼女を忘れていたという意味ではなく、彼女の願いを聞いてほしいという注意を求めています。
3つ目に、ハンナは主に息子を授けてほしいと願いましたが、それは彼女が自分のためにその息子を保つためではありませんでした。彼女は息子を主に捧げ、一生を通じて「ナジル人」として主に仕える存在にすると願いました。ハンナはこの子どもが、ワインやアルコールを飲むこともなく、髪を切ることもない、特別に主のために奉仕する人物になることを望んでいました。この厳格な誓いは、ヘブライの律法に記されており、主のために完全に身を捧げる者を表します。子どもを持つことができなかった女性が、なぜ自分で育てることができない息子を求めるのでしょうか？ハンナにとって、子どもを持てないという非難は、最も重いものでした。彼女の文化では、彼女の価値は子どもを産む能力で測られていました。彼女にとって、子どもを産むことは社会の中で彼女を正当化し、さらに人間の理解を超えた神の力を証明することでもありました。神が彼女の祈りに応えて息子を授けるなら、それは彼女が人々の間で受けた恥を取り除き、子どもを求めることが彼女の最終的な願望や礼拝の対象ではないことを示すことにもなります。
祭司: ハンナが必死に心を主に注いでいるとき、大祭司エリがやってきて、彼女に酔っていると非難し、酒をやめるように言いました。ハンナがどれほどの痛みを感じたかは想像するしかありません。苦しみの上に、さらに事実に反する非難が重なったのです。これは、宗教的な指導者であっても間違うことがあることを示しています。それでも、ハンナが自分がただ主に心を注いでいるだけだと説明すると、エリは彼女を祝福しました。ハンナはその場を去り、食べたり飲んだりし、もう悲しむことはありませんでした。この出来事が彼女を変えたのは明らかです。まだ子どもがいない段階でも変化がありました。その後、彼女は息子を授かり、その名をサムエルと名付けました。
その後: 1章の残りの節を読みませんでしたが、ハンナはサムエルが乳離れするまで世話をしました。その後、幕屋のあるシロに戻り、サムエルを大祭司エリに捧げ、彼は主に仕えるためにエリと共に過ごすことになりました。2章の中頃には、ハンナが毎年のシロへの旅の際にサムエルを訪ね、彼に新しい上着を渡していたことが記されています。ハンナは、一年のほとんど一緒に過ごしていなくても、息子のことを忘れてはいませんでした。そしてエリの祝福を受けた後、ハンナはさらに息子と娘を授かりました。彼女は空虚さから、神が与えられた豊かさへと変えられました。
証: 第2章でのハンナの祈りは、神がなされたことに対する彼女の応答を示しています。彼女は主の名を高め、すべてが起こるのは神が支配しているからだと述べています。人間の行動は主の計画に対抗して成功することはできません。主は人々を命に戻し、低くされた者や苦しむ者を引き上げられます。それに対し、主は高い地位にいる者を低くされます。神はその御座におられ、最終的に裁かれるのは神です。ハンナの祈りは、神が聞いてくださる方であると彼女が信じていることを示しています。それは権力や地位のためではありません。むしろ、神は自分を必要とする者に耳を傾け、声を聞いてくださいます。
福音: 今日の箇所の福音はこうです。私たちが謙虚な心で主に近づくとき、神は私たちの声を聞いてくださいます。苦しみの中にあり、主の前に言葉すら出せないとき、神は私たちを聞いてくださいます。恥ずかしさを感じ、世界から疎外され孤立しているとき、神は私たちを見てくださいます。心が空っぽになったとき、神は私たちを満たしてくださいます。私たちに何もなくても、神が共にいるならば、私たちはすべてを持っているのです。ハンナはその時には気づいていなかったかもしれませんが、これはイエスによって可能となったのです。イエスはこの地に来られ、私たちのために苦しみ、私たちの死を背負い、復活されて新しい命を与えてくださったのです。それにより、私たちは豊かな命を見出すことができます。
現実: ここでこう言いたいと思います。神は奇跡を行うことがおできになります。神が素晴らしいことをなされるのを見ることもあります。しかし、それは神が必ず奇跡を行うことを意味しません。私たちは時に、なお苦しみや困難を経験することがあります。この世界の恥や苦闘に向き合うのが難しいこともあるでしょう。神がこの世界で働かれることは、すべてがすぐに解決されることを意味しません。しかし、イエスによって、いつの日かすべてが新しくされるという希望が与えられています。イエスに希望を持つ者が、もはや苦しみや困難に直面することなく、恥や闘いに悩まされることがない日が訪れます。神はいつの日かすべてを完全に新しくされるのです。そして私たちはこの約束に希望を持っています。
追加: もう一つの側面として、すべてが今すぐ完全に変わるわけではないとしても、神は私たちに聖霊を与え、この共同体である教会を与えてくださいます。この人生で多くの課題や困難に直面する中で、互いに祈り、支え合うことができるのです。私たちは、ハンナが1サムエル記2章で祈ったように祈ることができます。神は真実であり、偉大なことを成し、これからも成し続けてくださると知っているからです。
終わりに: 今、私たち全員が目を閉じ、祈りの心でいる時間を持ちたいと思います。静かに、自分の重荷を主に持っていくひとときを持ちましょう。もし今、何かを抱えているなら、もし今苦しみの中にいるなら、身体的な痛み、心の疲れ、傷ついていることや、恥ずかしさを感じていること、祈りを必要としているなら、手を挙げてください。苦しんでいても手を挙げたくない場合でも大丈夫です。主はあなたがどこにいるのかをご存じです。今から祈ります。手を挙げた方はその手を祈りの間ずっと上げたままでいてください。しかし、ハンナが主に心を注いだように、今、静かに主に祈り、苦しみや痛みを神に委ねてください。
祈り: 祈らせてください。慰めの神よ、手を挙げた方々、そして痛みのためにそれすらもできなかった方々、彼らが今どこにいて、何を求めているのかをご存じです。主よ、憐れみのうちに私たちの祈りを聞いてください。彼らに希望を満たしてください。彼らが苦しみの中でも、あなたがともにおられることを確信できますように。彼らに、あなたがその痛みの中で彼らを気にかけていることを示してください。
最後のポイント: 手を下ろして、祈りの心で続けましょう。礼拝の少し後に、もし希望があれば、あなたの願いをもっと共有することができます。または、後で祈りのチームに連絡することもできます。私たちが苦しんでいるかどうかにかかわらず、今日の箇所で思い出させられるのは、謙虚で聞き入れる心を持つことがどれほど重要かということです。エリが最初にしたような反射的な反応をするのではなく、祝福し、励ますべきです。主は私たちに、キリストの手足として世界に仕える機会を与えられました。主が私たちを助けてくださるよう祈りましょう。
祈り： 親愛なるイエス様、どうか私たちがこの地域社会で、あなたの手足となれるよう助けてください。周りの人々の必要を聞き取れる、思いやりと愛に満ちた心を与えてください。そして、誰かが助けを必要としているときに、それに気づけるような敏感さを持たせてください。あなたの心を映し出すような、思いやりのある心を私たちに与えてください。私たちが豊かに受けたあなたの愛と恵みを、必要としている人々に惜しみなく注ぐことができますように。この祈りをイエス様の御名によってお捧げします。アーメン。