A Preacher's Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series--Volume 1 by Amy K Butler

Author:Amy K Butler
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781611646658
Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Proper 9: God Unites

2 Samuel 5:1–5, 9–10

David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him. (Samuel 5:9–10)

Do you remember the Occupy Wall Street movement of late 2011? That's what comes to mind when I read about David occupying the fortress of Jerusalem. I remember photos of people holding up those signs on Wall Street, and then all around the country, clogging up my newsfeed. Protesters were angered by social and economic inequality, greed, corruption, and the power big business seemed to have over the government. Signs and slogans emphasized the plight of the 99 percent versus the 1 percent that seemed to control all of America's money and power.

It made me remember the last time this kind of demonstration happened nearby. I was in seminary when the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. There were constant posters and e-mails about the location and details of the next protest—in Philadelphia, in New York City, right near me in downtown Princeton. Something about these movements spoke to me. I wanted to be there with people who were protesting, angry and passionate, united around a certain cause. I longed to feel the energy of such a gathering. I imagined that few things would be more inspiring.

Today's Scripture—the last in our series about the amazing ways God moved in the lives of Samuel and David and still moves today—describes a similarly energetic occupation. After all his years as unlikely royal anointee and warrior, David finally, officially becomes king. And his first task as leader is to capture a great city, the city of Jerusalem, and make it capital of a united Israel. The text describes the army's strategy, sneaking into the city through a water shaft until they “occupied the stronghold.” Their physical presence signaled the victory for David's army and David himself.

I never went to one of the Occupy protests or the Iraq War protests in 2003, but I should have. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to show my support for each cause, but the thought of being present in that space was overwhelming. So I stayed back. I tried to show support through social media as much as possible—tweeting and retweeting or liking various posts on Facebook—but of course, it didn't feel quite the same as it probably would have if I had bodily been there.

Because bodies matter. Being somewhere in the flesh and blood matters. To occupy a space means to be committed to the risk of bodily harm. To occupy any space means being rooted, committed, and absolutely present. People's physical presence, gathering together to fight for a cause, is a powerful, unifying force.

So it was for David's army. Israel had been a mess of rivaling tribes and even civil war during Saul's reign. But under David, the people came together. Was it because he was the

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