1 Kings 8:22-24, 37-39a
In my weekly letter to Outlook readers last Thursday, I reflected on the power of shifting our perspective from the individual to the communal. This was in connection to a recent article where solo pastor Haley Ballast wrote about partnering with two other solo pastors (and their churches) to explore Christian nationalism through the lens of Presbyterian Confessions. Ballast noted that the shared conversation awakened hope within her and her congregation — hope at what the church had done before, hope of what the church can do in the future. This hope was birthed from the blessing of perspective and community.
I believe a central gift of the church is that it pulls us out of our natural focus on self into a communal way of thinking and being. Our eyes are opened to see beyond our current moment to acknowledge our connection and obligation to those who have come before us and those who will come after us. We understand that our lives matter beyond ourselves. I see similar themes in today’s reading from 1 Kings.
Our September unit explores the examples leaders can set with and through worship. Last week, we looked at Abraham’s practice of building alters, a physical response to God’s presence. This week, we see the example that Solomon set during the dedication of the Temple — how he called on God to hear and heed the Israelites’ future prayers.
As I mentioned last week, the patriarchs of Judaism were nomadic and understood God to be nomadic. They did not believe God dwelt on earth but came at specific moments and places. This shifted during Israel’s time in the desert with the introduction of the ark of the covenant, a physical representation of God’s presence and relationship with them. The transition of the ark into the Temple was an extremely holy moment for the Jewish people. It represented stability, grounding and permanence. God was with them – in more than a dwelling, in a true home.
Scholars note that this passage shows signs of editing during the exilic period. In other words, the keepers of Israel’s history and theology returned to this story when they were forced to live in Babylon (hundreds of years after the building of the Temple). These editors believed God opened their eyes to see the story in a slightly different way. Of course, they had to. If they believed God’s only earthly dwelling was the Temple (Jeremiah 7:1ff) and the Babylonians destroyed that holy space, what does that say about their faith? About their God?
Signs of editing include: God’s presence beyond the Temple gave comfort to the exiles; instruction in verse 30 to “pray toward this place” (See also verses 34b, 35, 43-44, 48); The universalist attitude behind this prayer, which was typical of exilic and postexilic times. (See also Isaiah 40–55; Jonah; Tobit 13:6-11; Zechariah 8:18ff.); and Solomon’s prayer on behalf of these later exiles (See vv. 47-53).
These revisions demonstrate how God can change our belief and understanding over time. However, my central takeaway from today’s Scripture is the gift of prayer and ceremony in offering much-needed perspective.
Solomon’s prayer includes seven petitions asking the Lord to hear his people when they pray toward the Temple: when they sin against a neighbor (vv. 31-32); when they suffer defeat (vv. 33-34); when there is drought (vv. 35-36); when there is famine (vv. 37-40; when they go to battle (vv. 44-45); when the foreigner prays toward the Temple (vv. 41-43); and that the Lord will hear the Lord’s exiled people and grant them compassion when they repent and pray toward the Temple (vv. 46-53). He opens himself and those who are listening up to the future that may come in his prayer. Yet, at the same time, he remembers God’s promises and presence in the past. Those who are in attendance are holding together past, present and future.
This passage charts an incredibly important religious ceremony in the history of Israel, but there are lessons for us to take from it into our daily lives. How do we utilize ceremony and prayers in our own lives to pull us out of the present and gain a larger sense of self? What benefits do you gain from congregational worship every Sunday? Is there a way to incorporate blessing prayers in regular activities like leaving for school, going to the grocery store or washing the car? Can you spend a minute preparing the temple of your heart for worship? What might that look like?
The gift of our faith is that is bigger than just our thoughts, desires and experiences. It includes all those who have gone before and all those who will come next. We can lean into this gift by following Solomon’s example of prayer and ceremony, even for the mundane moments of our lives.
For reflection
- What do you make of the evidence of exilic revision in today’s text? Do you think that God’s Word can change with time? How so?
- What’s the difference between a task and a ceremony? How can you introduce more ceremony into your life?
- Brainstorm some ways to intentionally orient yourself towards God in the mundane tasks of life this week.
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