Sermon in 100Secs
Ever had a big HIGH followed by a terrible low? Lost in the
dark, desperate for a word of comfort from God?
This is what happened to God’s messenger, the prophet
Elijah.
In calling people to God, he’d rubbed those in power up the
wrong way. They’d been leading the people away from God to the false God Baal.
Elijah got into a God-Off against their prophets and the prophets were wiped
out by fire from heaven.
Queen Jezebel wasn’t happy and told Elijah she was going to have him killed!
He ran for his life! His voice was silenced and he thought God was silenced too.
He hid in a cave in the desert and prayed for an end to it all.
An
earthquake came but God wasn’t in the earthquake, a fire followed but God wasn’t
in the fire.
Given
his experience of God, he could be forgiven for expecting God in the noise and
the light, but the voice of God came in a low whisper, the literal
translation of the Hebrew is something like “voice of a crushed
silence.” That quiet voice from God, gave back Elijah his voice to go and
tell the people about him.
The
voice of God speaks into the lives of people in the Bible and now, and in turn
gives them voice.
The
question is “Is God still speaking?” The answer is of course, YES but
what we need to do is stop looking for God in the flashiness of earthquake and
storm and instead be quiet and listen!
Loving God,
When we are at life’s lowest ebb, when we look up, look back
at where we once were
when we look at the crest of the wave we were riding fearing
we may now be crushed by it.
Speak to us in comforting whisper, with words of reassurance
that you are with us, holding us, protecting us from harm.
Loving God,
When we have given our all, when we have not held back and
we are now spent
When we are tired and our voice is dry and cracked and we
can barely speak.
Speak to us in powerful whisper, help us to hear that we are
enough, that you have given us all we need to speak for you, truth to power.
Loving God,
When we are hiding from the world, fearful of the outside,
fearful of disagreement, fearful of consequence.
When we can no longer remember our wins because of the
weight of our loss.
Speak to us in the sending whisper, with words of direction,
the call to go.
Loving God,
When we seek to hear you in the earthmoving drama the
tectonic plates of history.
When we try to hear you in the flash of fire, the loud
voices that claim to speak for you with lives of power and wealth.
Speak to us close and intimately, in the whisper of comfort,
power and calling. Gentle and reassuring, insistent and constant, Water
soothing the spirit and fire filling the bones. Your voice of truth, giving us
voice.
Amen
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