Lessons from Elijah

Good Morning All,

For the past two Sundays we have met up with the Hebrew prophet Elijah. Elijah’s encounters with God remind me so much of Peter and his conversations with Jesus. Both Elijah and Peter are not exactly what one might call, “conventional.” Their actions and even their attitudes might indicate that they have all but one toe in the acceptable cultural practices of the day, but that one unaccounted for toe causes them to think and act in ways that get them into some sort of difficulty from time to time. As with most of us, their intentions and maybe even their hearts are in the right place, but when they say or do certain things they end up, as the saying goes, “opening their mouth only to change feet!” Sound familiar? :)

This accounts for Peter and his anxious desire to honor and preserve the gathering of Jesus, Moses and Elijah on top of the Mount of Transfiguration; or when his back was up against the wall and it was time to declare his allegiance to Jesus and all he could say was, “…I do not know him…”

And Elijah, while attempting to be a good and faithful prophet who only serves the one, true God of Israel, managed on more than one occasion to disregard God’s advice, let alone God’s direction. Last Sunday we learned in I Kings 18 that his trust in God allowed him to defeat the prophets of the pagan god, Baal, on the top of Mt. Carmel . And while he gets an A+ from God, in turn, he has really made King Ahab & Queen Jezebel angry beyond belief for killing off all of Baal’s 450+ prophets, whom they held in such high regard!

So much for the reward of serving God…His life is on the line and he heads for the hills and hides out in a cave, hoping for God to kill him before Jezebel does. God doesn’t seem to pay much attention to Elijah’s whining and carrying on. It’s as if God is asking him if he wants “some cheese with that whine!” And instead, God redirects Elijah’s laments and ends up giving him a new attitude--a new purpose in life; a new sense of direction for the future.

It’s evident that God never gave up on Elijah; God heard his cries of desperation, allowed him to wallow around in self-pity and to even wish he were dead and yet, through it all, God remained faithful. God believed in Elijah; God desired the very best for him and gave him all he needed to be faithful and to serve God in return.
And God promises you and me the same as well…As a good friend, Tex Evans used to say, “That’s the truth if I ever told it!” Blessings, Joanne

Being Aware

Good Morning All,

Many times since I began writing the Musings in 2000, people have asked me how I come up with my ideas. And my response is the same…my ideas come from my attempts to be in tune with God’s never-ending presence in my own life and the lives of God’s people and in my awareness of God’s creation all around me. It’s not a matter of looking for God to show forth here or over there. It’s more like being aware of what’s happening in people’s lives and then being able to see God present in any given situation.

Take yesterday for example…God was very busy, as God tends to be, in so many different ways, just in my little corner of the world; in the lives of people near and dear to me and you as well…

• As night rolls into the bright morning light, a life went from the understandable pits of concern and despair to the mountaintop with the news of an excellent pathology report…
• Then in the midst of gathering to support a family in time of grief and remembrance, God was there uniting hearts and lives in the common experience of death and burial…
• And during that same time, I was able to hear stories of celebration about the birth of a grandchild and a loved one who has been sober longer than previous attempts…
• Earlier I received the news of 2 people who are about to embark on new career opportunities while later only to learn how the anticipated dream job for someone else has been dashed and deferred; yet how hope is still alive as multiple resumes were sent out once again…
• During the Elders’ meeting when the incoming met with outgoing leaders, God was very present in the enthusiasm of one class, meeting the wisdom and experience of the other; held together by the common desire to be witnesses of God’s Spirit in the lives of our church family…

These are just a few examples of God’s presence and work made known to me during the course of one day. I’m certain that each of you has his or her own experiences of God that are evident from day to day; the key is awareness…being aware of God at work in your life and the lives of others each and every day. Otherwise, we are easily caught in the trap of one day being like the previous one and exactly like the next one…head down, shoulder to the wheel, maybe even eyes closed and ears plugged as you plow your way through the monotony of your life and worldview. What a waste of time and energy!

Being aware of our surroundings; listening for words in conversations that help us share and connect our life stories with another or several others; taking time to breathe deeply from God’s rarified air…will give us a sense of awareness that brings meaning and purpose to our days and memories to our years...

God surrounds us wherever we go and in all that we do…God goes with us no matter where we go or what we do or whether we acknowledge it or not…Some say that our lives are lived as if we are “swimming in God…” So as the summer temperatures rise, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing swim…Got beach? Got Pool? No? Well then…let’s go swimming in God…the last one in is a rotten egg!

Blessings, Joanne