Relay for Life and David

(Written, but not posted, at Relay for Life of Fife-Milton-Edgewood.)

I'm writing this blog entry from the first ever Fife-Milton-Edgewood (FME) Relay for Life - I've just finished my shift carrying the baton around the track for our team. As I think about this week's passage (here), it makes me think of our FME community.

At this point in 1 Samuel, God has decided that Saul is not the right choice for Israel's king. God sends Samuel to anoint a new king: one of the sons of Jesse. Samuel meets the oldest son first and thinks it must be him because he's tall (which is clearly an indication of excellent leadership). God says no. They go down the line of Jesse's seven sons, but none of them are right. Samuel says to Jesse, "Don't you have any other sons?" "Well, yeah," Jesse says. "But it's just David. He's in the fields." (By the way, what's that about? Come on, Jesse.) They send for David, who is described as being "ruddy" and "handsome" and having "beautiful eyes" - more indications of leadership. When I come up for ordination in a couple of years, maybe I'll just point out that I'm so tall, handsome, and ruddy. Of course, I would have to be those things first. In any case, David is the one that God has chosen, and Samuel anoints him. As we'll see in the coming weeks, that doesn't mean that David is officially the king - this is just the first step.

So, back to Relay for Life: it's 1980's hour and there are some strange things on the track right now. Purple things on people's heads.

When I lived in Federal Way, Kent, and SeaTac, I knew Milton and Fife only by their signs on I-5. I had never really been to either town, and I didn't know anyone who lived here. I didn't even know Edgewood existed. I've heard Milton compared to Brigadoon: a half-mythical ideal town that only appears every 100 years. This is a somewhat unheard-of part of the Seattle-Tacoma area.

This year, a few folks decided to have a Relay for Life cancer-fighting fundraiser. The original goal of the event chair was to raise $35,000. That goal got increased to $50,000 - as the mayor of Milton said, $1 for each person in FME. As of right now, we've raised $75,000 and we still have hours to go.


This tiny, unknown corner is a powerful community. People take care of each other here. People come together. There is a lot of love here. Just like David was counted out because of his youth, I think sometimes FME gets counted out (if people know about it at all!). But we have something special here. I am so proud to be a part of this incredible community.

My challenge to us is to continue to be that powerful community, beyond Relay for Life, beyond anything we've ever done before. To take up that role of leadership that David took up. God has anointed us, too, to be leaders, even beyond the borders of FME - just as we have done this weekend at Relay for Life. As it says in 1 Samuel, God "does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." And FME definitely has heart.

This community is amazing and surprising, just like David was. And like David, we have been called to leadership and to envision a better world together. How do you envision a better world? How is God anointing you today?