Readings: 1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 85:8-13, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33
Approach to God (Confession)
Faithful God,
We gather this morning in your presence:
Those of us who come here often
and those who have not been for a long time.
Those who are full of faith
and those who don’t know what we believe.
Those who can hardly keep from singing, and those who can barely face the day.
We gather because you have called us, because you love us,
because you are our God.
We gather, not because we are good or pure or holy,
but because of our need.
We gather, knowing that again and again
we have failed to live as you would have us live,
that we have not loved one another,
that we have not loved your creation,
that we have not loved you,
that we have not loved ourselves.
Forgive us, God,
and renew us to be your people.
Make us one,
and reassure us in our true identity
as children of the One who is above all things.
For we pray this in the name of Jesus Christ,
Our faithful and forgiving friend Amen.
How are you feeling?
My phone seems to have an emoji for every situation – and I dare say, if there isn’t, you could surely invent one!
This is the week when A Level results are published amongst much angst and much rejoicing, and it probably deserves to be in the news this year because of the way assessments were carried out. But many have been there before, and will be there again in the future. Young people will plan to go to university, or to choose other courses, they may well ask questions about their future, and wonder what path they should follow through life. No doubt they will look to all kinds of people to help them as they make their choices.
It was also the week when someone who had always convinced me that at best they were agnostic, revealed that they had been praying through a very testing time.
Life is always full of the most interesting choices, but I rather warm to the fact, that someone unexpectedly, looked to God in prayer.
At a low point
Elijah was also at a low point. He had followed his calling from God; he was known as a man of strong faith, and the spirit of the Lord rested upon him but in doing so. Yet in the course of his ministry he was not always popular, and had made powerful enemies. None more so than queen Jezebel, wife of Ahab; and worshipper of the god Baal. And in this story, Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest, which involved sacrifices and the death of the prophets whose god made no response. Jezebel was furious to lose her prophets and sent death-threats to Elijah – who quite understandably – fled eventually to Horeb, or Mount Sinai. He was ready to give up.
It is often said that First Testament stories are barbaric – in this tale it concerns the slaughter of 400 prophets. Yet reflecting on the history of our own country, I wonder. There is a remarkable statue in Oxford, just outside Baliol College, dedicated to the English Martyrs, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer. But the full list of those killed for believing the wrong thing during the period of the reformations is long, and does not end until 1680. A remarkably bloody episode in our history.
And two of the most horrendous acts of warfare decimated populations in the 20th century.
And whilst we celebrated the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007, it was only a few years later when the shameful business of human trafficking in the 21st century was brought to the world’s attention.
So perhaps there is no point in getting bogged down with the barbarity of previous generations, rather the focus of this story lies with Elijah’s relationship with God.
Encounter with the living God
Like Moses before him, Elijah was to have an encounter with the living God at Mount Sinai. And God deals with Elijah’s perception that he alone has been faithful, by reminding him of the many thousands who remain faithful to the living God. I wonder how many times we may have been tempted to consider ourselves as a small remnant of God’s people, whereas in fact, we belong to a world-wide church
And Elijah discovers that God’s still small voice is still very much alive to those who are attentive. It is a powerful lesson that God’s people must discover in each new generation. We need to know that God has not abandoned us, and one way to do that, might be to metaphorically stand on the mountain and wait for God to pass by.
But prayer is also the basis of our reflection on our relationship with God. How is it that God is mindful of puny human beings, asks the Psalmist (Psalm 8). God met Elijah’s deepest fears in prayer, and God will meet with us there too.
When Elijah contested with the prophets of Baal, God was revealed in consuming fire. And God had appeared to others in various manifestations, the Red Sea had been parted, miraculous food provided, cloudy fiery pillars had led the people.
But Elijah did not need the dramatic now, he needed the reassurance of this meeting in the stillness of the mountaintop.
It was all there for us, in Psalm 85: God will speak peace to the faithful.
Moving on in faith
And it was there for Peter. Peter was doing well until he took his eyes off Jesus. And in that moment, Jesus spoke peace, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid’. So, if you fear for the future of the church, the real question is not about what is or is not possible. The question is, do we trust the LJC enough to lead us in paths of righteousness?
What does God say to us in these moments of meeting together via Zoom? How are we being challenged in the quiet places to recognise divine steadfast love and faithfulness?
As we gather, news reports speak of economic depression, yet despite the current system of dependence on a consumerist society, there are other ways in which our land might yield its increase. One journalist commenting on the tragic explosion in the Lebanon remarked on the generosity of Lebanon’s neighbour Israel, in offering to opening hospitals to the wounded. This from a country technically at war with Lebanon.
Each little sign of the impossible happening, is a breaking in of the divine kingdom of love and faithfulness. May we be part of those enriching society. May we ever find Christ alongside praying with us and for us.
A prayer
Before the world began, you loved us.
Before you had created us, you were faithful to us.
And we, as your people, are thankful for your great and abiding love,
shown again and again down the ages.
You have never abandoned us,
even when we have abandoned you.
You have never forgotten us,
even when we have strayed far from the path.
We praise you, faithful God,
for the steadfast love which has always guided us,
for the promise which has never faltered,
for the light which has lightened our way,
for the story which has reminded us of those who came before us.
For your steadfast love and mercies new with each morning,
we join with one the voice
to give you praise and thanks.
Worship at home 