What are you doing here?

Trinity 4c

1 Kings 19.1-15

Luke 8.26-3

I was looking out of my bedroom
window on Wednesday morning. Watching the sheep, in the field opposite, the rabbits running about, a few crows looking for lunch. The sheep are always a good reminder of the 23rd Psalm and that we should spend some time metaphorically lying down in green pastures and restoring our souls except that morning although most of the sheep were lying down, they weren’t all happy. One was lying on its back with its feet in the air. It was twitchiing now and again but certainly didn’t look at all comfortable, in fact I guessed it was very disconsolate and frightened. I duly phoned the owners but didn’t get a reply. Then I sent a text message – still nothing. So I decided  the best I could was just to keep an eye on the sheep.

There was someone doing quite a lot of lying down in the story from Kings this morning  – and that was the prophet Elijah. He was lying down under a broom tree disconsolate, frightened and depressed. How had he ended up there?

Well you probably know the story.

Israel at the time was being ruled by one of the kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord – King Ahab married to the infamous Jezebel.

For three years Jezebel had been encouraging the people to worship the Baals.

But there had been a long time of drought. The grass was withered, plants has died there was almost nothing left to eat. And into this scenario walks the prophet Elijah. He is one prophet against 450 prophets of Baal and he comes with a challenge- lets put the Baals to the test.

They set up two altars one to the Baals and one to the God of Israel. All day the prophets call on their gods to bring down fire on their altar but by evening nothing has happened. It is Elijah’s turn and in spite of dousing the whole thing in water God’s fire comes down and burns the sacrifice, the altar and even dries up the water. The drought is ended, the false prophets are slaughtered, a great victory.

When Jezebel hears about it all she hits the warpath, threatening Elijah with all sorts and he becomes so terrified of her he takes himself off, heading for Mt Horeb (Sinai ) after a days journey he sits down under a broom tree and prepares to die.. the great prophet who has just seen a huge miracle.

Wouldn’t you think that having experienced the power of God he would be full of courage, full of praise. Surely if God could bring down fire he could also protect Elijah.

But no maybe the little doubts had begun to creep in. Maybe it wasn’t a miracle maybe it was just a flash of lightening – after all it had been followed by rain, perhaps God wasn’t so powerful, perhaps God didn’t really care about him, perhaps God didn’t really love him or the people after all.

Some of us have probably been there too – had an amazing experience when our faith was so strong, we’ve seen God work, seen him provide for us then something happens, the doubts creep in, things don’t seem quite so good after all. We start to worry, we start to look around us at our situation gradually our faith fades away and we end up lying under our own broom tree. We’re a bit like the sheep, we’ve got ourselves stuck and we can’t put things right. We can’t roll over and get back on our feet again.

But just as I was keeping an eye on the sheep God is keeping his eye on us.

He might let us lie under our broom trees for a while, but he is watching.

Elijah has decided to travel to mount Horeb – God didn’t tell him to go but sometimes it seems God understands that we have to do what we have to do. He lets us go along a path we have chosen but stays close by. God provides food for him, cakes and some water.

When Elijah finally arrives after 40 days God  finally asks him, “What are you doing here?” What are you doing here?

Elijah had what may have been a well-rehearsed reply, if not an answer. “I’m the only one left to stand for you, the people are faithless, and the king’s people are hunting me down to kill me!”  It was an answer born of frustration, weariness, and fear. “I alone am left and they are seeking my life to take it away.”

God tells Elijah to stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Elijah appears not to move toward God at first. He stays put in his spot deep in the cave when winds and earthquakes and fires signaling God’s presence shake and light up the mountain. Then the drama ceases and there is the  “sound of sheer silence.” That’s when Elijah moves to the cave’s mouth wrapping his mantle about him.

And then the same question comes again, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah gave exactly the same response as before.

But this time God says to him. “I have work for you to do and places to go. Go to Damascus, and anoint Hazael as king. Then come back to Israel, and anoint Jehu. Then find Elisha, and anoint him as your replacement.

Elijah is given space and time to come to God at his own pace.

God didn’t rush him he kept an eye on him he sustained him.

Sometimes like Elijah we need to have some time out.

Sometimes, we get overwhelmed. Sometimes life is just too hard for us.Things happen. This week the news of the murder of Jo Cox, coming after the massacre in Orlando made us sick to the stomach.

The poet John Donne wrote  “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind”.  I certainly felt diminished this week. This is not the kind of world I want.

And we cannot forget the thousand hidden tragedies of this week – refugees still dying in the Mediterranean, conflict in countries that never make the news, climate change squeezing the life from poor communities. All causes Jo fought for.

And we may feel absolutely ,  like giving up going to lie down under our broom tree, disconsolate, anxious, depressed. Where is God in all this?

Brendan Cox said of his wife: “Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life ….and what she would want is that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn’t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.”

We have to fight against the poison that isolates us, demonises others, and diminishes us all.

if we make decisions on the basis of what is best for me, if we say me first, if we use language which paints others as a threat or as lesser humans we are all weaker.  We fail to embrace God’s invitation to love and be loved, to celebrate our full potential as humans made in God’s image.

Desmond Tutu said “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness.”

In our political decision-making we are called not to weigh up our own self interest, but to love our neighbour. The Good Samaritan took risks, his care for the injured man was costly to himself.  But he loved his neighbour, who might be seen by others to be his enemy.

Whichever way we vote this week it must be because we believe the outcome will be the best way to love our neighbour.

Our story from the gospel shows another deranged man.

It’s another scene of noise and chaos, blood and violence.

Jesus reaches into the heart of the agonised man who has no control over what is happening to him. He reaches inside him casting out all the turmoil all the exhaustion all the grief.

Jesus reached out to the madman in the confusion of his thoughts in the shouting, screaming and the drama.

God is still reaching out into our violent, chaotic,  world.

His question to us – What are you doing here? There is work to be done.

And what about the sheep what happened to her ? Well after a while I decided to do something, managed to get into the field and rolled her over. Sometimes we too just need a big shove.

I have called you by name

Isaiah 43.1-7
Luke 3.15-17,21,22
The other day I had an appointment for a check up at the dentist. I went along but the receptionist couldn’t find it – I’d made a mistake it was not January 4th but April 4th. So I was quite relieved.
Like most people I don’t like going to the dentist even if it’s just for a check up but there is one thing I do like about the dentist in Downham Market – the one in the High Street, Instead of sitting and waiting for a number to come up on a screen the dentist himself comes into the waiting room and calls your name, it makes the whole experience more pleasant. And I do have to say the dentist I have at the moment is the best I have ever had!

Of course if he saw me in the street he probably wouldn’t recognise me and I wouldn’t expect him to remember my name.

We’ve all been in the situation where we bump into someone we’ve met before and we just can’t remember what their name is. I try all sorts of things and one thing that works best is if I associate them with someone else who has the same name. So if i meet an new Carol I make a picture of them with Carol NL if it’s Wendy, – with our Wendy, Nick and John and so on….

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http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/23/house-sparrow-decline-stabilises

I don’t know about you but when I’m a passenger in a car I don’t pay much attention to where I’m going and so I don’t learn the way.  A little while ago I was driving into Norwich heading for the Thickthorn Park and Ride. Somehow coming off the A47, I managed to get in the wrong lane and ended up going about 7 miles down the A11 before I could get off it.Up to this moment in our Gospel reading, the disciples have been a bit like passengers in a car and Jesus has been doing the driving. They have been amazed at the things they’ve seen but Jesus has made all the decisions, handled all the tricky moments, steered them through the towns and villages, found the way. Now he’s telling them to go off and do it by themselves.What!?

Waking up

 

 

Family service, 

John 3:1-17

 

 

On January 25th 1964 Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight set up a company called

Blue Ribbon Sports. They began by ordering 300 pairs of trainers from a sports company in Japan.  Although they sold some, Bill Bowerman ripped a lot of them apart to see if they could be made lighter and better. Eventually they set up their own manufacturing business   can anyone guess the name  – give you a clue – show swoosh logo – under the name Nike and as they say the rest is history.

(Bring out Nike bag/trainers/sign)

Our Identity in Christ

Epiphany 2 A    January 19th 2014

Isaiah 49.1-7, 1 Corinthians 1.1-9, John 1.29-42

It’s lovely to be invited here this morning to your beautiful church in this pretty village. I visited the church in the summer and enjoyed your wonderful flower festival, with the theme of crafts. There were some truly imaginative displays. I particularly remember one with a step ladder and the paint pot depicted in flowers. But I don’t really know you and you don’t know me. So how would we introduce ourselves?

Firstly by our name, maybe by where we live, maybe by a role we have, a teacher, a doctor, a carer, churchwarden etc. or a family role – I’m his mum or her husband, maybe by our age, perhaps not! but – people both very young and very old often want to do that.

Now the Secret is Out!

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

So we have had Christmas, we have cooked and eaten  delicious food, wrapped and unwrapped presents, we have entertained others and visited our friends and relations, we have sung about angels and shepherds, Joseph and Mary and the child in the manger, we have heard readings about the Word becoming flesh, of no room at the inn, of shepherds abiding in the fields and today of the Magi.

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2013

Ephesians 6 :10-17 John 15:9-17

The Falklands war, the war in the Gulf, the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the campaign in Afghanistan which continues to this day, have forcibly impressed upon our minds,

•  the suffering which accompanies armed combat,
• the sacrifice of those who give life and limb,
• and the need for a public act of remembrance, recollection and thanksgiving.

Running the race

Hebrews 11:29 – Ch 12 :2, Luke 12:49-56

My friend has told me another story about her 5 year old niece Jennie you might remember she was the one who decided to give up carrots for Lent.  Well the other day she was looking at her Bible and said to her mum. Do you think I should give this away to another little girl? Her mum said why? Oh well because I’ve read it!

Well I’m sure many of us have read the bible cover to cover  but probably not at the age of 4.  But there are parts of the bible that don’t really get preached about much. Looking at our reading from Hebrews this morning we have that long list of people who are commended for their faith they are part of a ‘ great cloud of witnesses’

Amazing Faith

Luke 7:1-12, Galatians 1:1- 12

 The little fishing village on the north shore of the lake had never seen anything like it!  A prophet had arrived and he had been doing amazing things!

When he first arrived he had cast out an evil spirit from a man, healed a lady who had a fever. Later in the day at sunset anyone who had a sick relative or friend brought them to him.

 He laid his hands on each one in turn and healed them.  

Well no prizes for guessing who we are talking about,  yes it’s Jesus.

He had come to Capernaum where two pairs of brothers Peter and Andrew and James and John had there small fishing business. 

You can still walk into the ruined synagogue in Capernaum today which was built on the site of the original one where some of these healings took place.

 Now we all know Jesus amazed people.  Luke in his gospel likes to tell us that people were astounded and astonished by his miracles, his power over disease, his power over death, his power over demons. They had never heard anyone speak in the way that Jesus did with such knowledge and wisdom.