Together For Good

2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-5

Connecting Questions

What was your favorite dance as a child or teen?

Why were some religious traditions suspicious of dancing? Did you grow up in such a tradition?

Prayer for Illumination

Let us pray, Loving God, we pause today grateful for this next breath. We are grateful for the chance to connect with others today for we all carry such hurts and hope. Open your Word to us. Open our hearts to let your word speak to us and change our lives. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Context

We are “Together for Good”; God is good! Our fall season we are exploring the way God builds relationships through the stories found in scripture. Come explore the many opportunities to grow in faith and carry on the work of Jesus Christ at Easter. So glad you are here!

Sermons can be found at Easter.org/worship.

From Pastor Mark Throntveit at EntertheBible.org:

Second Samuel recounts the long reign of David, beginning with his becoming king over Judah and Israel, followed by his brilliant military success and consolidation of the kingdom, and concluding with his failures as a human, a father, and a king.

Second Samuel looks like a history of the new institution of kingship in Israel. While important historical information is presented, some of it is at odds with the presentation found in 1 Chronicles. Both Chronicles and Samuel should be read as theological, rather than historical, presentations of the early years of the monarchy. Second Samuel is part of a larger narrative (the Deuteronomistic History) designed to demonstrate the reasons for the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722/721 B.C.E. and Judah’s exile to Babylon in 587/586 B.C.E.

Look at the Book

Open 2 Samuel. What do you know about King David?
After a long while, God relents and allows Israel to have a king. In verses 1-2, who is coming to help crown David as king?
Living in a representative democracy like the United States, it’s challenging to imagine a world like King David. In verse 2, what is the central image of king of Israel is to embody?
In verse 3, what does King David do shrewdly?
The number 40 is of special significance; it was meant to say, “a full term of governing.” What if that was the term limit?!
What is David doing in 6:1?
Where was David bringing the Ark of the Covenant? What do we know about this important religious object?
What was David’s role during the moving of the cart?
What is a part of worship that surprises you?
Lutheran worship has four moves: gather, Word, meal, sending. Why is the last part so important?
What do you think is preventing younger generations from engaging in worship more?
David, as king, models the importance of worshipping God. Who modeled that for you?
David did not worship alone. What makes Easter Lutheran a unique church to you?
Why will it be important for us to have one site in the future?
What do you want to talk about that has not been brought up yet?

Taking it Home

What is something you remember from worship last week? How would you define worship for someone who is not Christian?

Grow Guide | Oct 22, 2023