This is part of the worship series,
"Psalm 23"
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
Week 11 | Week 12
Week 9
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Anointed—Blessed and Called
“You anoint my head with oil” (Psalm 23:5b, NKJV).
Weekly Email
Anointing with oil happens in the Bible when God wants to mark someone as special and set apart. Aaron and his sons were anointed as Israel’s first priests, and Saul and David were both anointed as Israel’s kings. But in different ways all these men failed to live up to their anointing. When God started promising that someone would come who would make everything right once and for all and who wouldn’t mess up at all, that special person was called the Messiah, the anointed one. So the psalmist imagines a feast where she is anointed by the host. She is told that she is special and that the host has a job for her. When we come to God’s table, we don’t come as anonymous guests. We come because God wants each and every one of us there especially, and we know that God has a plan and purpose for us as well.
Sermon
1 Samuel 16:1–13 "Anointed"
Sermon notes by Rev. Stan Mast are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.
Children’s Message
Today’s verse from Psalm 23 is “You anoint my head with oil.” These days, anointing isn’t something we do very often. I’m guessing your parents don’t ever pour oil on your head. When we read something in Scripture that doesn’t make much sense to us, sometimes it helps to look at other parts of the Bible to get clues about what it means. And when we look to see who gets anointed in the Bible, we see that priests (like Aaron), kings (like Saul and David), and sometimes prophets were anointed. When God has people anointed, it seems to mean that they are special to God and also that God has a special job for them to do.
Last week, we talked about how at this point in Psalm 23 we are guests at a party. The host has set up a table full of wonderful things for us to eat, and now the host comes to each of us and says, “I want to show you just how special you are to me. I’m going to give you a job to do—that’s how much I want you here, with me.”
So let’s think together about what sorts of things God asks us to do for him. What are you really good at, or what do you really love? God anoints us to do all these things, so when we do them we should be thinking about how we can do them so that God will be happy. We try to be kind even to the opposite team when we play sports. We share toys when we play.
God also sometimes asks us to do other things that may not always seem fun, but are still important—things like praying, helping other people, and sharing with other people about God. We learn about those things when we read the Bible and when we listen to God. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to come to church each Sunday: to learn about what God wants us to do and how we can imitate Jesus, who was also anointed for a very special job.
[The children’s message can end here; if you want to give a blessing to the children you can continue with the text below.]
I’m going to invite the children to come forward to receive a blessing. Because the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, we have all been anointed by God to do his work, and I have some oil here to give you a physical reminder of that blessing and the special work he has for you to do.
[Child’s name], God has anointed you to do his work.
Song Suggestions
"Take, O Take Me as I Am" Bell
"The Lord, My Shepherd, Rules My Life" Idle
“Will You Come and Follow Me” Bell
Prompts for Reflection
Journaling Prompt: Make a list of the gifts and talents God has given you—ways you feel God has set you apart. Try to think of at least five things you feel blessed by God to do (e.g., baking, singing, painting, dancing, organizing, learning, etc.). Over the next few days focus on one of these gifts, looking for opportunities to use it to bring God glory. When the opportunity arises, celebrate God’s gift! Reflect on the experience of paying attention to the gifts and talents God has given you. What does it feel like to celebrate before God when you have a chance to use these gifts? Faith Practice: Celebrating
Weekly Devotional Prompt: (This can be done all in one sitting or broken up to use throughout the week for family devotion time.) Spend some time in Scripture. Read the anointing stories of Aaron (Exodus 30:22–33; Leviticus 8) Saul (1 Samuel 9–10), and David (1 Samuel 16), and read the accounts of Jesus’ baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit (John 1) and his anointing before his death (Mark 14). In light of how other parts of the Bible talk about anointing, do you read Psalm 23:5 or a New Testament verse about our anointing by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21–22; 1 John 2:26–27) differently? How is anointing similar to baptism? Faith Practice: Engaging Scripture
Sensory Prompt: When Aaron and his sons are anointed, some blood from a sacrifice was put on their right earlobes, right thumbs, and right big toes. We can think of that as God telling them, “Listen to me (ear), do my will (thumb), and go where I send you (toe).” Find some perfume or a scented oil and put a bit on the same spots on your body when you get up in the morning. Whenever you notice that scent throughout the day, remember that you are set apart to listen to God and do what God wants.
Revised Common Lectionary
Psalm 23
Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of Easter
Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)
