The Prophets | Reece's Peaces

We have officially moved past our study of judges and kings and into the era of the prophets. However, calling this a new chapter in biblical history can be a bit misleading. The prophets did not simply show up after the kings disappeared. They lived, ministered, and challenged leadership right alongside the judges and kings throughout all of Israel's history.

Prophetic voices are woven through the entire fabric of Scripture. In fact, scholars do not even have a single, conclusive count of how many prophets exist in the Bible because the role was so dynamic and varied. Elijah challenged a nation on a mountaintop, Deborah judged and prophesied beneath a palm tree, Jonah traveled to a foreign land, and Huldah authenticated sacred scrolls for a king. Some prophets served directly in royal courts, others wandered the countryside, and many were ordinary people called into extraordinary moments.

Despite their different backgrounds, every true prophet shared a common calling: proclaiming the truth of God, especially when it was painful to hear.

When King David abused his power and attempted to cover up his sin, it was the prophet Nathan who stood before the monarch and confronted him directly. Earlier in history, it was Samuel who anointed kings, establishing God's authority over human leadership. The prophets never adjusted their message to make it comfortable for those in power. They held a mirror up to individuals and society alike.

Over the next few weeks, our sermon series will dive deeper into the lives and messages of these courageous messengers. We will look at prophets who spoke directly to rulers, but also those whose primary audience was the public at large.

Their messages were direct and unflinching. They looked closely at the world around them and spoke out against corrupt worship that went through the motions of tradition while hearts were far from God. They defended the poor and oppressed against exploitation by the wealthy. They called out the cruel abuses of foreign empires like Babylon, as well as the home-grown tyranny of Israel's own rulers.

The prophets serve as a powerful blueprint for us today. They show us what it looks like to remain steadfastly faithful to God even when the culture around us turns away. Most importantly, their lives remind us that real power does not come from wealth, social status, or political influence. True power comes from standing firmly in the truth of God.

Lift Your Voice This Season | Marc's Music Notables

Join the Choir for "A Noel Celebration"

As the holiday season approaches, I am thrilled to invite anyone who loves to sing to join the Hurstbourne Christian Church Choir for our upcoming Christmas cantata! Whether you are a lifelong vocalist or simply love making a joyful noise, there is a place for you. No previous experience is required, just a willing heart and a desire to sing.

Kickoff & Rehearsal Schedule

We will be holding our choir kickoff on Wednesday, September 23, at 6:00 PM. Regular rehearsals will take place on Wednesday nights from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary. This timing is intentionally designed so that anyone wanting to attend the Wednesday night Bible study can easily participate in both! If you are interested in singing, please join us for an event featuring a preview of the music, food, and fellowship!

Like in years past, the choir will help lead our Sunday morning worship services on:

• October 25

• November 21

• December 6

• December 13

The Cantata: Sounds & Stories of Christmas

All of our preparation will culminate in a magnificent presentation on Sunday, December 20, when we will perform "A Noel Celebration: Sounds and Stories of Christmas" for the morning worship service. Joined by our chamber orchestra, this event creates a beautifully elevated worship experience for our congregation.

The morning will begin with a stirring Overture composed by our very own Zachariah Preston! Throughout the cantata, moving narrations will weave the Christmas story together with a diverse selection of anthems. The choir will sing everything from the joyful "O Come Little Children" and "Mary Had A Baby/Amen!" to the rousing "Rise Up Children, Arise!"

Beyond the music itself, participating in the choir is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level. If you are new to Hurstbourne Christian Church, joining us on Wednesday nights is a fantastic way to plug into a small group environment. It offers a warm, welcoming space to build meaningful friendships, share in fellowship, and get to know more people within our church family.

If you are interested in being a part of this wonderful musical offering, please join us on September 23rd. I look forward to making music with you!

The Kingdom & Taxes | Reece's Peaces

As we journey through our study of Israel’s monarchs, it's important to pause and look at one of the biggest culture shifts the kings brought with them: taxation. Back during the Era of the Judges, Israel was a loose confederation of tribes. There was no central government, no standing army to maintain, and no royal palace to keep up, meaning formal tax systems simply didn't exist in the way we think of them today. But when Israel transitioned from tribal judges to a centralized monarchy, the economic landscape changed forever.

When Solomon took the throne, God granted him unmatched wisdom, and under his leadership, Israel entered a golden age. To run an international empire, construct world-class trade networks, and build the First Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon needed immense resources. He created an elaborate administrative system, dividing the land into twelve districts to ensure the royal court and the sanctuary were well-supplied (1 Kings 4). For years, those taxes and rotational labor levies were used for extraordinary good. Israel built a dedicated house for the Lord, secured its borders, and became the envy of the ancient world.

However, maintaining a global empire is costly. Over time, the scale of Solomon’s palace projects and military upkeep began to take a heavy toll on everyday families. The tax system heavily favored Jerusalem and the southern tribe of Judah, while the ten northern tribes bore the brunt of the compulsory labor and agricultural levies. What started as a collective investment in God’s house slowly turned into a grueling, unfair burden, and a dangerous rift began forming between the north and the south.

When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam inherited the crown. The northern tribes sent a delegation with a simple plea: lighten the harsh labor and heavy yoke Solomon had put on them (1 Kings 12:4). Instead of showing compassion, Rehoboam arrogantly declared that he would make their burdens twice as heavy. The northern tribes had reached their breaking point. They revolted, stoned Solomon’s chief tax collector, and seceded. In a matter of days, the United Kingdom of Israel was permanently shattered into two weaker, divided nations.

None of this should have come as a surprise to God's people. Decades earlier, before Israel ever had a king, the people demanded a monarch so they could be like all the surrounding nations. The prophet Samuel tried to warn them about the major changes a king would bring:

"He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage... He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day." - 1 Samuel 8:11–18

Samuel foresaw that human kings, no matter how wise or pious they started out, inevitably expand their reach, build up big central budgets, and burden their people. So the next time you hear politicians arguing on the news about tax hikes, government spending, or fiscal policy, remember that political complaints about taxation are nothing new - they’ve been driving citizens and ancient tribes crazy for over three thousand years! It’s a great reminder that while earthly rulers and their tax policies come and go, our true hope rests in a heavenly Kingdom whose debt has already been paid in full.

Who Changed the Hymnal? | Marc's Music Notables

People sometimes ask me why the words in our hymnals occasionally differ from the versions they remember growing up. I thought I would give you a peek behind the curtain and explain some of the history behind these alterations.

When the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) published the Chalice Hymnal in 1995, it wasn’t just about collecting old favorites; it was about ensuring that our sung theology matched our lived theology. Hymns are not just poems; they are the theology we sing. If we are meant to worship with genuine hearts, we must be able to mean what we sing.

Here is a look at why the denomination updated certain lyrics to better reflect our core theological values, along with a few examples:

1. Radically Inclusive Language for Humanity

As Disciples, we emphasize the priesthood of all believers and an open table where everyone is welcome. However, many older hymns used default masculine terms—like "mankind," "men," or "brothers"—to represent everyone. To align our songs with the Apostle Paul’s vision in Galatians 3:28—"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus"—the hymnal editors updated lyrics to explicitly include the whole family of God.

• Example: The classic Christmas carol "Good Christian Men, Rejoice" was updated to "Good Christian Friends, Rejoice" to ensure every person in the pew knows they are explicitly included in the song of joy.

2. Expansive Language for God

Historically, hymnody has leaned heavily on masculine pronouns and monarchical titles to describe God. While the Chalice Hymnal retains many of these beloved titles, it also incorporates expansive language to reflect that God transcends human gender and is too vast for a single metaphor. This aligns with Genesis 1:27, which states that humanity was created in God's image, "male and female he created them," and with verses like Isaiah 66:13, where God says, "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you."

• Example: In the ancient Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision," the phrase "High King of heaven" was updated in some modern hymnals to "Great God of heaven". This shifts the focus from a human political structure to God's divine majesty.

3. Emphasizing Grace over Degradation

Some hymns written centuries ago utilized language that was intended to show humility but often bordered on self-degradation. The Disciples' theological focus emphasizes that while we are indeed sinners in need of grace, we are also beloved children of God with inherent worth.

• Example: In Isaac Watts’s communion hymn "Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed," the original lyric asked, "Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" In modern revisions, this is gently altered to, "For sinners such as I?". This preserves the theological truth of our need for salvation without resorting to language that diminishes the image of God within us.

4. Clarifying Archaic Language

Language changes over time, and when words no longer mean what the original author intended, holding onto them can actually obscure the Gospel. Psalm 149:1 calls us to "Sing to the Lord a new song," and sometimes that means making old songs newly understandable.

• Example: In "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," the phrase "Here I raise my Ebenezer" is an unclear biblical allusion for many modern worshippers. While it refers to a "stone of help" from 1 Samuel 7:12, alternative phrasing is often provided so the congregation can understand the praise they are singing without needing a theological dictionary.

Revising hymnal lyrics is never done lightly. It is a careful process of balancing reverence for Christian history with a commitment to the living, breathing faith of today's church. When we gather at Hurstbourne Christian Church and open the hymnal, these intentional changes allow us to sing with full voice and an open heart. We are singing texts that welcome our neighbors, honor the vastness of our Creator, and invite us all to the Table.

Understanding The Book Of Judges | Reece's Peaces

As we journey together through the Bible, we find ourselves stepping into one of the most turbulent, action-packed, and deeply human eras of biblical history: the time of the Judges. To understand this fascinating book, it helps to look at the timeline. The Book of Judges fills the historical gap between the Israelites arriving in the Promised Land under Joshua and the establishment of Israel’s first human king. Without a central government or a permanent leader, the nation was bound together simply by their covenant with God.

During this era, God raised up twelve judges to lead the Hebrew people against enemy nations, protecting and expanding the kingdom. Six of these are considered major judges because their stories are told in great detail: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and the famously strong Samson. Alongside them were six minor judges, whose leadership was quieter but no less faithful. These figures weren't courtroom judges like we think of today; they were military chieftains and spiritual guardians raised up only when they were truly needed.

Because the Israelites lived in close proximity to neighboring countries, they had a vast amount of interaction with them, which naturally led to frequent conflicts. This friction fueled a repeating, generations-long cycle of boom and bust that defines the whole book. A faithful judge would clean up the mess, defeat the enemy, and everyone would do well for a time. But as soon as that judge died, everything would go wrong again as the people wandered from God. Left unprotected, Israel would fall under the oppression of rival nations until they finally cried out to God in their distress, prompting Him to raise up a new savior.

It was a stressful way to live, and the people eventually grew tired of the instability. They looked at the nations around them and decided they wanted a permanent human king to ensure constant protection. God warned them that they didn’t actually need a king because they already had Him as their ultimate ruler. Yet, in His patience and grace, God listened to their persistent requests and prepared to grant their wish.

This brings us to an exciting transition in our community's scripture study. At the end of this month and moving into next, we will see exactly what happens when the era of the judges comes to a close. We will begin exploring the life of Israel's very first king, a transition that changes the course of history forever.