November 16, 2020 — The Pulsing Tremor of Raw Energy

“Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.” 1 Samuel 3:11

“…a certain slave minister…, on occasion, held secret religious meetings with his fellow slaves. How everything in me quivered with the pulsing tremor of raw energy when…(he) would come to the triumphant climax…: “You—You—you are not slaves. You are God’s children.” This established for them the ground of personal dignity, so that a profound sense of personal worth could absorb the fear reaction.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (p. 50). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

I have not been to many rock concerts, but the few that I have been to have left me with the same malady – a ringing in my ears. On some occasions, the ringing extended into the following day. Of course, the obvious reason for the ringing was the volume level of the music – it was always too loud. And I have never understood the reason for the extreme level of the volume. Personally, I do not mind feeling the reverberation of the organ on Sunday morning, but I do not need to hear ringing in my ears from a rock concert for days; but I guess the rock musicians feel differently.

The Lord tells Samuel that what he is about to do will leave a ringing in the ears of anyone who hears of it. What is he about to do? The Lord is going to punish the house of Eli because his sons were blaspheming G-d — and Eli did not restrain them.

My friends, the Lord is able to do amazing things in our lives. Some of them leave us tingling all over; others just hit us in the ears. But the Word of G-d has the potential to make us quiver – to feel as Howard Thurman writes, “the pulsing tremor of raw energy.” I find that when I hear a congregation singing in four-part harmony, my ears tingle, and my body has a slight tremor. And when I hear a great sermon, my ears ring with joy. When I hear a brother or sister say “I am sorry” or “Let me pray with you”, my ears sing.

How has the Lord made your ears ring this week?

Pastor Dave