The Sea Gull

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 1: 4-20
Responsive Reading: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10
Second Lesson: Hebrews 10: 11-14, (15-18), 19-25
​Gospel Lesson: Mark 13: 1-8

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Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
“I Thessalonians 5:16-18  —  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The Year was 1973. The place was Florida[1].  An old man, slightly bent over, struggling with every step, seemingly not long for this world, walks along an old, nearly abandoned pier alongside the Atlantic carrying a large bucket of shrimp.  The man was named Eddie Rickenbacker.

Rickenbacker was a remarkable American; he was America’s greatest fighter pilot during World War I with twenty-six aerial victories and was awarded the Medal of Honor in recognition[2].  Rickenbacker used his fame between the wars to eventually purchase the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with his greatest personal success coming as one of the pioneers in American aviation as the owner of Eastern Airlines. 

Despite Rickenbacker’s great personal success, he joined the World War II in an advisory capacity under Secretary of War Henry Stimson.   In 1942, Rickenbacker was tasked with the mission of personally delivering a message from President Roosevelt to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea aboard a B-17 Bomber[3].  While flying over the South Pacific, the plane veered off-course, due to a technical mishap.  Nearly running out of gas, the crew was forced to land in the middle of the Pacific.  Rickenbacker and nine other men were forced into life rafts[4].  Their food supply ran out in three days with no hope of rescue.  Five days later the situation was growing increasingly desperate when the Bomber’s captain led an impromptu church service of prayer and thanksgiving[5].  A short time after, Captain Rickenbacker felt something land on his head, what landed on his head was a ‘sea-gull”.  The men for the first time in nearly a week had hope.  The gull managed to fly hundreds of miles from land somehow to serve as not only a meal but also bait for further meals.  Rickenbacker and his men lived twenty-three days on this raft before their eventual rescue thanks to this one-sea gull. 

Eddie Rickenbacker never forgot what happened to him.  So every Friday evening until his death, one of Florida’s wealthiest men traveled to an isolated pier to give a feast to birds out of his own Thanksgiving for what had been given in days past[6].  Eddie Rickenbacker had experienced God providing manna from heaven while wandering in the greatest wilderness of his life and for this blessing, he would be forever thankful. 

I want to tell you Today a similar story of sorts that comes from our scriptures[7].  It’s about a woman who lived years of her life in a different type of wilderness only to find eventual Thanksgiving.
Hannah is married to a man named Elkanah.  Elkanah (el-kan-a) was a good man.  He came from a prominent family and was a man of many means.  Elkanah loved Hannah very much.  Hannah had been unable to bear any children for Elkanah.  Elkanah didn’t care though as he had many children from another wife[8]. 

Hannah though was forced to confront a cultural reality that something seemingly had to be wrong with her because God had shut her womb.

Now Hannah’s issues were going to be magnified during the upcoming days, as her family was going to be journeying to Shiloh to perform their annual religious sacrifice where they gave thanks for all of God’s blessings during the prior year.  Like Thanksgiving this week, this was the equivalent of a major Holiday in Pre-Temple Israel.  While others would be celebrating, Hannah would see the presence of many children and be reminded of what exactly she didn’t have.  While this was supposed to be a time of great joy, Hannah was forced to confront her greatest pain. 

 Hannah saw her future as frightening because, in her society, it was the sons that took care of their mothers upon the deaths of their husbands as they were unable to inherit property[9].  Hannah lived in a world that would mock and scorn a woman who was unable to have children[10].  All these things would be made especially clear to Hannah in the upcoming holiday week.  Elkanah could have been the most fabulous husband in the world, but Hannah could not escape the realities of her barrenness[11].

So what does Hannah do in the midst of the Holiday celebration? She storms off in sadness.  Hannah was hurting and goes to the only place that she can think of was her people’s sanctuary[12]. The text describes Hannah as “deeply distressed” and “weeping bitterly” upon entering the sanctuary[13].  Now leaving a Holiday celebration to go pray was going to be noticed.   The priest Eli did notice Hannah; only he thought her to be “drunk[14].” He tells her “Put away your wine[15].”

Hannah then begins to explain her situation to Eli.  Hannah describes her great “anxiety” and “pain” over being unable to bear children[16].  

Hannah in the midst of all this was able to see something about the nature of God’s thanksgiving.  Despite her great pain, Hannah’s life was filled with many good things.  It would be God’s will whether she eventually conceived a child, but God had not indeed forgotten about her[17].  Hannah’s life had indeed been blessed with a devout husband, much Earthly blessing, and a God who was the source of her salvation.

Eli in the midst of Hannah’s grief gives her a blessing.  Hannah travels home the next morning with Elkanah[18].  Hannah soon indeed becomes pregnant. She names her child Samuel meaning “She (I) asked the Lord for him[19].” Samuel would grow into Eli the Priest’s assistant.  Samuel would eventually rally the whole nation of Israel against the mighty Philistines. Samuel would eventually anoint Israel’s first king in Saul and greatest king in David.  It was through David’s house that God would point the way to an even greater promise of a blessing than the one given by Eli to Hannah. Eventually, a King would come to the land of Israel would who establish a throne upon the Earth forever[20].  This king would be a descendant of David’s who they would call Jesus and his kingdom would be greater than all the other Kingdoms of the world put together.  The whole story is a remarkable tale of Hannah’s Thanksgiving in the most trying of times helping to bring about the salvation of her people. 

 Hannah is noteworthy because she saw God working within her life when the whole world was seemingly telling her something else.  Hannah’s story reminds us of something this week as we celebrate our own Thanksgiving holiday. How it is often through the unlikely and unexpected that we receive our greatest blessings. 

Squanto was born into the Patuxet (Pa- Tox-Et) tribe in 1585 in modern day New-England[21].  In 1608, Squanto was captured by English traders and sold into Spanish slavery.  Squanto gets purchased by a Spanish monk. The monk proceeds to teach Squanto the Christian faith.  Squanto eventually makes his way to England where he ends up in the care of a man named John Slaney who teaches him the English language.  Squanto expressed his desire to return home[22].  Squanto eventually gets onboard a ship bound for America, only to discover upon his return that an illness had wiped out nearly his entire village.  Squanto much like Hannah probably couldn’t make sense of God’s plan or purposes at this point in his life[23].

One year later, though the land formally occupied by Squanto’s tribe gets settled by a group of English settlers aboard the Mayflower naming the area Plymouth Rock.  The first winter for settlers in the New World was tough losing over half their traveling party to disease and death[24].  The colony probably though would not survived if not for Squanto greeting the pilgrims in their native English.  Squanto then proceeded to teach the Englishmen how to plant corn in the soil[25].  The following fall, during the Harvest in thanks for God’s abundance, the settlers and ninety native friends gathered for a three-day feast of birds to give thanks for God’s abundance.   This holiday would come to be known as Thanksgiving[26]. 

Squanto would contract disease and die a short time later.  Plymouth Governor William Bradford would describe Squanto as a “special instrument sent of God for [our] good.” Squanto upon his death would give all his possessions to the Pilgrims as a “remembrances of his love[27].”

Squanto’s story and the First Thanksgiving is one of the true nature of God’s blessing.  Squanto like Joseph[28] was an instrument that God used for the greatest of good[29] even as his circumstances like Hannah’s seemed to be nothing but the harshest of curses. 

As we celebrate Thanksgiving later this week, it’s really easy to see all the things that God hasn’t given us. Hannah could undoubtedly see all these things as she struggled with being childless.  Hannah could also see God’s tremendous blessing in relationship, possession, and most of all her salvation.  As we celebrate Thanksgiving later this week, consider like the settlers at Plymouth Rock or Eddie Rickenbacker all the blessings both unusual and usual that God has given brought into our lives.  See the blessings that God gives us on this day: bread, wine, and the forgiveness of our sins.  See God’s continual promises of our eventual redemption given in the midst of our greatest despairs.  So if you eat turkey later this week, don’t forget about seagulls also. Amen


[1] Aurandt, Paul. “"The Old Man and the Gulls" quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, p. 79-80. The analogy was originally given by Paul Harvey in 1977. The following illustration was found in Sermon Illustrations.com under Thanksgiving. 
[2] “Eddie Rickenbacker.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 23.Oct.2018. Web. Nov.1.2018. 
[3] Eddie Rickenbacker.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[4] Eddie Rickenbacker.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[5] Aurandt, Paul. “"The Old Man and the Gulls" quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, p. 79-80.
[6] Aurandt, Paul. “"The Old Man and the Gulls" quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, p. 79-80.
[7] 1 Samuel 1: 4:20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10. 
[8] 1 Samuel 1:5
[9] Suomala, Karla. “Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:4-20.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 18.Nov.2012. Web. Nov.1.2018. 
[10] 1 Samuel 1:6
[11] 1 Samuel 1:8
[12] Butler, Amy. “Filled with Good Things.” Sermon Writer. 2006. Web. Nov.1.2018. 
[13] 1 Samuel 1:10
[14] 1 Samuel 1:13
[15] 1 Samuel 1:14
[16] 1Samuel 1:16
[17] 1 Samuel 1:18-19
[18] 1 Samuel 1:19
[19] 1 Samuel 1:20
[20] Schifferdecker, Kathryn. M. Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:4-20.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 18.Nov.2018. Web. Nov.1.2018. 
[21] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations. 21.Nov.2016. Web. Nov.1.2018. Taken from Charles Colson at breakpoint.org
[22] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations.
[23] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations.
[24] Stier, Leon. “Pilgrim Thanksgiving.” Email Mediatations. 28.Nov.2013. Web. Nov.1.2018. 
[25] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations.
[26] Stier, Leon. “Pilgrim Thanksgiving.” Email Mediatations
[27] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations.
[28] Genesis 50:20. 
[29] Stier, Leon. “Squanto and the Pilgrims.” Email Mediatations.