Be the Fire: August 13, 2023

Year A, Pentecost 11                         1 Kings 19:9-18  

        Elijah was depressed. There is no way to get around it. Our reading begins in verse 9 of chapter 18. Just a few verses before, Elijah, wearied by a long journey, collapsed under a broom tree, which is really a bush and asked God if he could die. He said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” He then fell asleep under that bush. If you had read the previous chapter, this might surprise you. It would seem he should been flying high. In the last chapter he had won an epic show down where he defeated 450 prophets of Baal. Elijah was trying to prove that his God was more powerful than this fake god Baal. 

        So they had a little contest, who could set the altar on fire. Baal had 450 prophets trying to make it happen and they failed. Elijah was alone, but God rained down fire, thus allowing Elijah to win the contest. One would think this would have been a shining moment in his career. He had not just won, he had proved a point. He could say I told you so. I mean really, how often do we ask for a sign and not get it? Wouldn’t it be nice if just once God could rain down some fire to prove we are right? I don’t want anyone to get hurt, I just want it to be clear that God has my back and now everyone can see the proof. Elijah got that clear sign…why was he so depressed? 

         What happened between that astounding accomplishment and Elijah collapsing under a bush and wanting to die? The only thing we know for sure is that King Ahab told his wife Jezebel about Elijah’s defeat of the prophets of Baal and she was very upset. She threatened Elijah. While no one likes to be threatened, Elijah had been through worse at this point. It doesn’t seem like that would be the thing that would drive him to despair. 

         Some have hypothesized that it was burn out. While Elijah had performed some incredible miracles and provided powerful prophesies, the hearts and the minds of people had not changed. King Ahab and Jezebel were still leading the country in the entirely wrong direction and not taking the warnings or advice of Elijah seriously. King Ahab had abandoned the one true God and not even Elijah’s showdown could convince him to return. Elijah was tired. God responded to his weariness and despair. First God provided some food and water, which is always a good thing. Then Elijah journeyed for 40 days to a cave. At this point God decided to engage him in conversation by simply asking him what he was doing there. 

         Elijah responded, “I have been very zealous for the LORD; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” Not only did he not answer the question, but what he was saying wasn’t entirely true. The Israelites hadn’t all forsaken God. Many had, but not all. And they hadn’t killed all the prophets. Elijah was the one who defeated the prophets of Baal. Things were not nearly as bad as Elijah was describing. But that’s how it is when you are depressed…you focus on the worst things that are happening and you can’t see past those things. God knew he needed to shake him up a bit. 

         So he threw powerful signs his way. First there was a great wind, and then an earthquake and finally fire. The text says that the Lord wasn’t in any of those things. Of course he wasn’t. God sent those things, but God wasn’t in those things. Then there was sheer silence. When Elijah heard the silence, he left the cave. Now there are a lot of different interpretations of the Hebrew phrase that was translated to sheer silence. Many have translated that Hebrew phrase to a still small voice and then gone on to explain that God wasn’t in the big displays of power, but the quiet, the small voice, the voice you have to really work to hear. 

         But notice, the text doesn’t say God was in the silence. It simply says that Elijah left the cave after the silence, which makes sense. Who leaves the safety of a cave when there is a fierce storm? It would appear that Elijah is not changed at all by this experience. God asked again what he’s doing there and Elijah gives the exact same non answer as before. Elijah didn’t hear the still small voice of God. Or if he did, it had no major impact on his thinking. But he did leave the cave. God got him out of the cave. And often, that is the most important and hardest step, leaving the safe confines of our own despair and self-loathing. 

         Since Elijah remained unchanged, God changed tactics again---no more wind, fire, earthquakes or silence, God gave Elijah a new purpose. God told him to anoint a new king and also a new prophet. God knew what Elijah needed. He didn’t need a pep talk or even a display of God’s power and majesty. Elijah had been the very tool of God’s displays of terrific power. No, Elijah needed direction and help. He needed a reminder that not only was he not alone, but there was someone who needed his guidance and support. It’s true, his role as a prophet was coming to an end, but it was not yet over. He had more work to do. 

         My friends, there are times in all our lives when we would do almost anything for the kind of signs that God displayed to Elijah. We would do anything for a direct conversation that would give us an epiphany. But that didn’t work with Elijah. It didn’t work when Elijah tried it with others and it didn’t work when God tried it on him. What worked for Elijah, was discovering his purpose by finding someone else to guide and help. We will find very few earthquakes in our lives, but there will be no shortage of people who need us. There is always plenty of work to be done. The harvest is plentiful. If you find yourself in a cave, don’t wait for a magnificent sign. Don’t even wait for the sheer silence. Instead, get some food, get some sleep and then get out of the cave. I don’t care how spacious and comfy that cave is. God needs us, each one of us---to get out of that cave and find someone else who needs help getting out of their cave. I promise you, there are all kinds of people stuck in caves and you might be the person who will be the fire, or the wind, or the earthquake that they need. We can’t wait for the fire or the wind or even the silence. Instead, let’s stop waiting for a sign because God is already here. God is with us. Stop waiting for the fire. Be the fire.

*This idea of burn out and God’s prescription for burnout comes from: Interpretation Commentary: First and Second Kings by Richard Nelson   p. 123-129

The Church We Need: Feb. 14, 2021

Last Sunday of Epiphany, Year B                            2 Kings 2:1-12                                                                           

           One of the many ways that this pandemic has affected us is that it has robbed us of the rituals surrounding transitions: graduations, marriages, baptisms, and funerals—to name a few.  The transitions have still happened, but we have not been able to mark them in the same way.  There have been online graduations, zoom weddings, small baptisms celebrated outside, and graveside services, but it’s not what most of us are accustomed to. I am sure the ultra-introverted among us are relieved to avoid some of these things, but it’s hard to imagine that anyone would want to miss all of these things.

While we associate joy with events like marriage and graduation.  They are still emotionally charged.  Without the tradition, without the people to acknowledge and celebrate that transition, it’s hard to really process it.  We all know change is hard.  We have had far too much change and not nearly enough ways to honor or acknowledge those changes.  And of course, there has been a tremendous amount of death, and too few ways to grieve.  Death and mourning is hard enough…not being surrounded by family, not having a funeral or even a burial is a burden no one should have to bear. 

            Both the Old Testament reading and the Gospel reading are stories of transition and transformation. We usually focus on the Gospel readings for this Sunday, but this year, it was the Old Testament reading that spoke to me.  It is a familiar one in some ways.  We have all heard the story of Elijah being taken up to heaven in fiery  chariot.  It’s evocative and kind of exciting, but I found that was pretty much all I remembered about the story and that is one of the least important parts.

            This is a story of two great prophets: Elijah and his successor Elisha.  We know from the very beginning that God is about to take Elijah into heaven.  Elijah knew it.  Elisha knew it.  Even the band of prophets who were with them knew it.  Despite that, Elisha was still having a hard time accepting Elijah’s departure, and who can blame him—he was about to lose his mentor and friend?   Over the course of our reading, Elijah was going on a rather elaborate and circuitous journey.  He was kind of walking in a circle, but it was a very deliberate circle where he stopped at historic and symbolic places. 

On three different occasions, he asked Elisha to stay and not follow him.  On every one of those occasions, Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” It’s not clear why Elijah discouraged Elisha from following him.  What is clear is that Elisha was not letting go.  As long as Elijah was living, he would be by his side.  On the one hand it’s a beautiful tribute to his love for Elijah, but it also seems like he was having a hard time letting go.  It’s almost as if he thought, if I never leave him alone, maybe he will have to stay.  I think many of us can resonate with that experience—knowing it’s time to say goodbye but doing everything in our power to delay it. 

            Finally Elijah asked Elisha if there is anything he can do for him before he is taken.  Elisha asked for a double share of his spirit.  The double share is a reference to what the oldest son would receive upon the death of his father.  The oldest son would receive a double share of the inheritance.  Elisha didn’t want money or land.  He wanted Elijah’s spirit.  Elijah was a great prophet, one of the greatest leaders and miracle workers of the Bible, but he was humble enough to know that this spirit was not his to give. It was God’s spirit that allowed him to accomplish the things he had accomplished.  So Elijah told Elisha, that if Elisha saw him taken into heaven, then he would know he had it.

            Thankfully, Elisha did witness the awe inspiring event, one that would never be repeated.  Witnessing that gave him two important things. It gave him God’s spirit which Elijah had carried.  It also gave him the opportunity to witness a transition that few of us see.  It gave him the kind of closure that we all crave but rarely receive. That didn’t mean he wasn’t sad or overcome with grief.  He was.  But he was also emboldened to take something on that would require tremendous strength, courage and faith.

            It wasn’t just Elijah’s transition that Elisha witnessed, it was his own. This event also marked a transition for all of Israel. They were moving into a new phase with a new and different leader.   Soon after Elisha tore his garments in two and grieved, he picked up the mantle that Elijah had left.  In doing so, he acknowledged God’s spirit in him.  Before, he was holding on to Elijah and the past.  But now, he could carry on what Elijah had started.

            If I had more time to go through all the symbols within this story, you would see that it is steeped in ritual, tradition and community.  God knows those are important things to have.  Change must happen, but God gives us tools to navigate these endless changes.  As the church, we try to provide those same tools, in the form of traditions and ritual.  And the secular world does it as well, not as much or as often as the church, but they do.  We have been deprived of these rituals and traditions over the last year.  Even those of us who have been fortunate enough to remain healthy and keep our jobs and/or retirement accounts—feel the loss of all that we have missed.  And we need to acknowledge that loss and honor it.  But it will take time and sadly, we aren’t even at the end of the tunnel yet.  We are closer.  We can see it. But we can’t yet hold on tight enough to pull ourselves out. 

            As a church, we should start considering how we can help people through the transitions to come while also acknowledging all that has been lost.  We are a church steeped in tradition and ritual.  My friends, The Episcopal Church is made for this.  The world needs the church even more than it did before the pandemic started.  This week, we have one of our most beloved traditions—Ash Wednesday.  Normally, it seems an odd thing to do, put ashes on our foreheads and acknowledge our mortality.  “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 

This year it almost seems cruel to remind people of that.  Haven’t we seen enough reminders of our mortality over the last year? We have, but that’s not all Ash Wednesday is about. In putting the sign of the cross on our forehead, we also acknowledge that we are God’s beloved children who have been given the gift of eternal life.  We are dust, but we are so much more.  In our rush to get back to “normal” life, let’s not forget to honor all that has transpired.  We will need God’s strength and spirit as we come out of our quarantined lives---as we break out of these cocoons we have built.  Because there will be times we will want to crawl  back into those cocoons, because we have found safety there.  We can’t.  We have to grow from this experience or we will never recover.   So let’s go back to those rituals and traditions that have allowed us to experience life fully in the context of our church community.  But let’s share what we have with the world so we can help more people.  We might just need the double share of God’s spirit so we can change what needs to be change, challenge what needs to be challenged and love those beloved children of God who need our love. 

Get Up and Eat: Aug. 12, 2018

1 King 19:4-8                                                           
Year B, Pentecost 12                                                  

 

            We all like to be right.  And let’s face it, it’s kind of awesome when you get proven right in front of a bunch of people who have disagreed with you. The prophet Elijah had that moment in a big way. In our reading for today, he is fleeing for his life.  Just the day before, he had a show down with 450 prophets of Baal (who was a pagan god).  They had a little wager.  They would each create an altar and place a sacrifice on the altar.  Then they would each call on their god to send fire.  This would determine who was the real god, the god of Baal or the God of Israel.  Elijah even decided to show off a little by first dousing the altar and surrounding area with water. He wanted to make sure they saw how powerful God was. 

By the time the altar was prepared, a large crowd had formed. The scene was set. The prophets of Baal and Elijah each called on their god.  Elijah said, “Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” A mighty fire descended burning not only the sacrifice but the altar and the soil as well.  Meanwhile, the sacrifice to Baal remained untouched. It was quite a triumph.  There, before King Ahab, a crowd of people who were waffling between the LORD and Baal as well as 450 false prophets, Elijah proved who the true God was.

Therefore it is slightly shocking to see where he is in our reading for today. He is sitting under a bush begging God to end his life.  It is too much for him.  What happened? We all know that a lot can happen in 24 hours.  A lot can happen in 24 minutes.  When King Ahab told Queen Jezebel that Elijah had not only proven their god a fake, but also killed 450 prophets of Baal, she was understandably upset. She sent word to Elijah that his fate would be the same as her prophets and it would happen in the next 24 hours.  This terrified Elijah.  He ran as far as he could.  He escaped the territory of Ahab and Jezebel.  He was safe for the moment under that bush.  But despite his safety, he was miserable. 

It seems odd given what happened the day before.  Obviously, having your life threatened would be disconcerting.  I would run and become desperate. But this is Elijah we are talking about. He is a prophet especially chosen by God--the God.  Just the day before Elijah had proven what his God could accomplish.  His God could rain down fire and all he had to do was call upon God.  Therefore, why would Elijah be so threatened by a human?

Elijah was definitely afraid.  The text tells us he was afraid and ran for his life.  But it seems as though there was something more going on.  It was more than fear. He was discouraged, which does not make sense given his recent victory.  The more I read the chapter that preceded our reading for today, the more I realized that there is an undercurrent in the story.  One of the people who Elijah was trying to convince (or convert) was King Ahab.  He was there for this whole dramatic show down.  After the water, fire and death--Elijah told King Ahab to go and eat.  It had been a long day and he wanted the king to get some food.  He then went to the top of mountain to check the weather. He was looking for rain so he could tell King Ahab to leave before the rain. 

Despite all the conflict, Elijah was intent on caring for King Ahab.  I imagine he hoped that through the display of power and then the way he cared for him, he figured maybe….just maybe King Ahab’s heart would be touched. Remember the prayer he used before the fire came down. He asked that people’s hearts be turned.  And it worked, after the fire descended, all the people who had gathered bowed and confessed their belief in the LORD God.  But not King Ahab.  What King Ahab did was go and tell his wife (who was not a fan of Elijah) all that happened.  As a result, Elijah was running for his life.  

There is no doubt of the reason for Elijah’s rapid departure.  He was scared and knew he had to get away.  But wanting die….that seems like an overreaction.  I wonder if what was really bothering him was his perceived failure to win over King Ahab.  Remember, King Ahab was present for the entire display of power.  Everyone else was convinced by the words and actions of Elijah.  Elijah took particular care of King Ahab. He had a relationship with him.  And yet….it did not accomplish anything.  All Elijah’s hard work and he could not turn the heart of the person whose heart was most important to him.  

Consider the times when you have been discouraged, frustrated and wanting to give up.  How many times have those circumstances involved another person, someone you cared about?  How many times have you seen a friend or family member refuse to respond to love and forgiveness?  No matter how hard you tried, the friend still did not respond.  It seems to me that this was the final straw for Elijah.  Sure, he was a great prophet, but he was also a human being who cared for people and wanted to know that what he was doing made a difference. Who among us cannot identify with that?

Thankfully, that moment---asking God that he would take his life is not the end of the story.  In our reading for today, an angel came to him and said, “Get up and eat.”  Food immediately appeared and he ate it.  He then went back to sleep.  Either he was tired or the miraculous appearance of the food was simply not enough.  The angel came again.  This time the angel said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” The angel was acknowledging what Elijah had said when he first sat down under the bush.  He said: “It is enough now…” In other words---this is too much.  I can’t do this anymore.  The angel is agreeing-- you can’t do this unless you accept this gift from God and follow God’s instructions.  

Elijah was reminded that he needed support and couldn’t do this on his own.  That was all well and good, but Elijah had to actually accept the gift and follow God’s instructions.  He did.  The food gave him the strength to begin yet another long journey.  This did not mean that things got easier for Elijah.  But he received the sustenance he needed. 

After the big show down, but before he was warned that Jezebel was planning on killing him...I bet he was feeling pretty good about himself.  He was thinking: “Sure God was there, but   I was the one who lay the ground work.   God came because of my prayer.  I really am a great prophet.  I can change people’s hearts.”  

While that is a great feeling-it can’t last.  Because inevitably when we are trying to do the work of God, we will fail.  As long as we put it all on our own shoulders, those failures will feel like the end of the world.  But if we can accept that all the victories are God’s victories, it might not be as hard when we cannot change the hearts of others--when we can’t accomplish what we want to accomplish.  While it is frustrating, we must remember that only God can change hearts.  As Christians we are called to love people with all our might.  On our best days, we do.  Then we leave the rest to God.  We leave the hearts of others in the capable hands of God.    We can’t know what is happening in the hearts of others.  We can control what is happening in ours.  God is telling each of us: Get up and eat and then continue on your journey.