Living in the Spirit
June 13, 2016

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-15a

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. –1 Kings 19:4-9

Hard times, hard times. I spent last week viewing the new Roots series. I recorded the first show because I had a conflict and recorded the rest because I could not take the story night after night. Having read the book and seen the previous series, I was well acquainted with the events. I don’t remember if I knew that my ancestors owned slaves the first time I watched it. Don’t think I did. I knew it this time. Topping that off with watching the news while eating before church on Sunday morning, I learned that 20 people had been killed in Orlando, Florida by another senseless shooting. It was just more than I wanted to handle. By the time I got to church the count had risen to 50, the largest mass shooting in modern US history.

In our scripture today, Elijah had reached his breaking point after taking on the priest of Baal. He made the wrong woman mad, and Queen Jezebel wanted him dead. He ran to the hills and hid out alone, ready to give up and just die, when the scene described above occurred, and he experienced the nurture of a loving God. I, too, experienced the nurture of a loving God as I listened in worship today about lives saved from simply providing the means for people to have clean water, heard a Yoda quote: Do. Or do not. There is no try. , and was reminded that Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)

I take heart in one of my favorite scriptures in times like these, John 16:33, I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and a community of faith working together to let your light shine in the darkness as we Do. Love like you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.