HANNAH’S SONG

A Worship Reflection from Pastor Megan Torgerson

…the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. – 1 Samuel 1:27b

In his sermon on Sunday, Pastor Brandon told us Hannah’s story. In a time when a woman’s worth was tied to her ability to raise a son, Hannah could not have children. She prayed that God would hear her and give her a child. When God does just that, Hannah follows through on her own promise to God: she returns her son, Samuel, to God by bringing him to the temple to be an apprentice priest.

In her story, we hear many aspects of the hope we have as people of faith. We have hope that, in prayer, God hears us no matter what we feel or what we need. We have hope that God’s promises can be fulfilled no matter what turns life takes. And we have hope that God will work through the world, through people around us, and in beautiful miracles. Hannah shows us that hope is no act of will, but that hope comes to us as a gift from God, sustained by the community of faith.

Here at Easter, we receive God’s blessings of hope through the many caring ministries this church sustains. Prayer blankets, care team, card writers, and so much more, all act as agents of hope in the lives of people who feel hurt, lost, afraid, or alone. Surrounded by these acts of love and compassion in God’s name, we can trust that God has not forgotten us. Our hope abounds as our eyes open to God’s sustaining work through these people who care and the good work they do.

Let us pray:

God, I come before you with many hurts, needs, and fears. I bring them to you, trusting in your ability to defend, protect, and care for your people. Show me your many servants who bear your love through their words and actions. Change me into one who similarly serves you, faithful to your gospel of hope for the sake of the world you so love. Amen.