Rack Focus: Switching to a Summer of Samuel
Politics, family, and drama, oh my!
Rack Focus: Switching to the Summer of Samuel
Hello, Dear Reader!
It’s time to rack focus again and shift to a different part of the Bible for a few weeks.
We spent the first quarter of 2024 in the gospel stories of the life of Jesus in the New Testament. After Easter, we spent a few weeks in Acts of the Apostles to follow the story of the disciples after Jesus’s resurrection. This summer, we’re going back. Way back. Like, to a whole other testament back.
For more on why we “rack focus” here and how it works, check out the first Rack Focus post in the archives:
Okay, here’s a paragraph you will either think is an interesting peek behind the curtain or an excellent opportunity to practice scrolling. But let it never be said that I wasn’t a writer who refused his readers context!
The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) typically lists four readings for each Sunday of the year for clergy and worship leaders to select from as they build themes, select hymns, and craft sermons. The list is almost always an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, a gospel reading, and an epistle (fancy Bible word for “letter”). We’re in Year B of the 3-year RCL and to give this year’s Sunday Matinee lineup some variety, I’m pairing up an R-rated movie with the Old Testament readings in the summer.
That takes us to 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings. But not 2 Kings. That would be silly.
About 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings
Writings like these 9th-11th books of the Old Testament are history books. At least, they have an historical vibe. It’s likely better to think of them as theological presentations of this period than actual, factual history, as there are contradictions with other writings when it comes to who did what and where and when. I got that interesting tidbit for free from Enter the Bible, by the way, an excellent and accessible website curated by staff and faculty of my alma mater, Luther Seminary. Read it for free, create a free account if you want to read it as a “course,” and see where it takes you. Not all theological resources on the Internet are created equal. Shocking, right? Enter the Bible is created and curated by people I trust. Learn more about their approach online.
What’s the theological presentation about? In a word: politics. In two words: also family. And one more word: drama. Lots of political family drama! Over the next few weeks, we’ll get highlights (and lowlights) from the rise of kings and rulers in Ancient Israel. How did they come to have kings, how did each fair with God and the people, and what is the legacy they pass on to the next generation? In 1 Samuel… (To the tune of The Jetsons) Meet the first king, Saul! His boy, Jonathan! Prophet Samuel! Armor bearer, his armor bearer! And then… (To the tune of Gilligan’s Island) With King David, Bathsheba, too, some angry sons, and their wives, an army or two, Solomon and, prophet Nathan, here in 2 Samuel!
I know, I know. The kids love those Jetsons and Gilligan references.
You may be reading all of this and thinking, wow, I don’t know much about these Biblical figures. That’s okay. One of my goals with R-Rated Movie Club is to make the Bible and movies as accessible as possible. You keep reading, I’ll keep writing, and we’ll learn together along the way. Just think of it as an ancient form of the HBO show, Succession, with lots of juicy political family drama and more murder. Presumably.
About the Movies
The stories in scripture that we read over the next few weeks are steeped in politics and family drama. People are caught up in systems and that impacts their every move. I’ve selected movies that have a similar vibe to them. These aren’t overt political thrillers, necessarily, but they all involve complex systems, family dynamics, or dive into good ol’ fashion “who is who” and “who gets to do what” sort of territory. Lots of characters caught up in a lot of machinations. Plus, a surprising amount of Robert De Niro, now that I look over the list.
Here’s a sample road map to what we’ll cover over the next few weeks:
May 19, 2024
1 Samuel 3:1-10 | God tells young Samuel there will be trouble for his mentor, Eli, because of his sons.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead | In one of the most well-acted and most-depressing films you’ll ever see, a father pays the price of his two sinful sons as their wrong-turn lives crash back into their parents’ lives.
May 26, 2024
1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20 | The people want a new king to rule them and God relents.
Night of the Living Dead | Ben and Cooper disagree on strategy and who gets to be “the boss.”
June 2, 2024
1 Samuel 15:34-16:14 | Samuel seeks out the youngest son of Jesse, for he knows he is “the one.”
The Godfather Part II | Michael confronts his brother, Fredo, for being “the one” who betrayed him.
June 9, 2024
1 Samuel 17:32-49 | Ghoulish Goliath is all big talk against the Israelites and puny shepherd boy David.
Commando | Smarmy Sully is all big talk against John Matrix after his young daughter is kidnapped.
June 16, 2024
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 | David weeps when he learns his good friend, Jonathan, was killed in battle.
Goodfellas | Jimmy weeps when he learns his good friend, Tommy, was whacked.
June 23, 2024
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 | After years of division, the kingdoms are now united under King David’s rule.
Army of Darkness | Having left behind the chance to be king, Ash now rules in his own way.
June 30, 2024
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 | David dances away around the ark while Saul’s daughter stares daggers at him.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 | Sophie chats away on her cell phone while the Bride stares daggers at her.
July 7, 2024
2 Samuel 7:1-14a | Nathan the prophet gives David the scoop on God the covenant maker.
Heat | Nate the fence gives Neal the scoop on Hannah the cop.
July 14, 2024
2 Samuel 11:1-15 | King David sends Uriah to certain doom on the front lines so he can marry his wife.
Donnie Brasco | Donnie sends PACINO to certain doom with the mob so he can bring the mob down.
July 21, 2024
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a | Nathan the prophet gives David the king a chance to make a better choice.
Heat | Nate the fence gives Neal the thief a chance to make the better choice.
July 28, 2024
2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 | Despite their differences, David weeps when his son, Absalom, is killed.
Foxy Brown | Despite their differences, Foxy is upset when her brother, Link, is killed.
August 4, 2024
1 Kings 2:10-12 | King David has died, and now his youngest son, Solomon, must carry on his legacy.
The Joy Luck Club | Jung-Mei has died, and now her youngest daughter, June, must carry on her legacy.
August 11, 2024
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43 | King Solomon makes a proclamation that all are welcome in the new Temple.
Blazing Saddles | The people of Rock Ridge put aside their racism for the greater good (for a change!).
How do I choose scripture quotes?
If we go way, way, way back to the beginning with Sunday Matinee #1, you’ll find a succinct explanation of how I pull quotes from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). A lectionary is a tool for preachers and worship leaders to select scripture readings to inspire sermons, liturgy, and music for worship services. There are several lectionaries out there, and while the RCL is far from perfect and not every church follows any lectionary at all, the RCL is also by far the well-known and widely-used.
In the RCL, each Sunday has an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, a Gospel reading, and New Testament epistle reading. The RCL has three annual cycles, Years A, B, and C, and we’re well into Year B, focusing on the Gospel of Mark. This is also a good time to remind readers that the scripture in a Sunday Matinee is posted two weeks prior to its RCL appearance to help R-Rated Movie Club be more helpful for preachers, Bible studies, and people who want to read ahead before their church’s worship service.
For the second year of R-Rated Movie Club, I plan to focus on these RCL texts:
January-March: Mark (New Testament gospel)
March-April: Acts (New Testament history)
May-June: Mark (New Testament gospel)
July-August: 1 Samuel / 2 Samuel (Old Testament history)
August-September: James (New Testament epistle)
October-November: Mark (New testament gospel)
December: Luke (New Testament gospel) RCL Year C begins
I hope to be writing R-Rated Movie Club for a long time and using a variety of scripture readings keeps this project fresh for me, just like using a variety of movies does.
Thanks for reading and sharing. God’s blessings and good movies to you!
Thank you for your support!
In case you need a refresher on what “rack focus” means in the movies, once again here is the amazing video from No Film School about the Rack Focus technique. Know it, love it!
In case you need a refresher on what “rack focus” means in the movies, once again here is the amazing video from No Film School about the Rack Focus technique. Know it, love it!