First Lesson: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

Theme: The fragility of human life, the durability of human love

Exegetical Note
This lamentation of David over the dead Saul and Jonathan resembles much Wisdom literature in (1) its expression of the finiteness and fragility of human life, (2) its underlying sense of the inevitability of death, even for the highly placed and mighty, and (3) its lack of any explicit religious or theological language. In this poem, however, the passion is especially deep and personal as friend mourns friends.

Call to Worship
Leader: Fellow sojourners in life, let us ponder what we like to ignore: death comes finally to all.
People: EVEN THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY ARE MORTAL, AND EVEN THE BELOVED MUST DIE.
Leader: Let us remember as well, however, that love survives even dea…