About Face

Do not stop them for whoever is not against you is for you.

—Luke 9:50

Introduction: Discipleship

I’ve added a little bit to the beginning of the gospel reading appointed for today, and cut off the end; because, even though the two parts that Frances just read are two distinct stories, I think they have something in common that we need to talk about in the time and place we live in. What they have in common is a lack of understanding about what it means to follow Jesus.

In the first part, there are actually two examples of the misunderstanding of what discipleship is. The first one is the most obvious to us, I think. It’s when Jesus becomes aware of an argument that had arisen among his friends. The argument was over who the greatest disciple was.

It sounds silly when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? To us, discipleship should be about simplicity and humility. Arguing over which disciple is the greatest would be a lot like proclaiming, “I’d be perfect if I weren’t so darn humble!” I know I’ve told you this joke before—after so many years here there’s no way I can think of any new ones—but this one bears repeating:

Five Solas

The Five Solas (5 Solae) of the Evangelical Faith: 

• By Scripture Alone 
• By Faith Alone 
• By Grace Alone 
• Christ Alone 
• Glory to God Alone

Strawberry Moon

June's full moon is called the Strawberry Moon, and this year's Strawberry Moon is the only one between 1967 and 2062 that falls on the shortest night of the year. I took this picture of it while walking my dog on Nobel Drive. 

'The Sound of Silence'

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

—I Kings 19:12

Introduction: Talking During the Prélude A

One of the things that has bothered me for eleven years now is the amount of noise in the sanctuary during the prélude. For one thing, I would like for all of us to appreciate this time before the service as a time to meditate or pray. For another, the musician has no doubt prepared a beautiful piece of music that even those who don’t wish to pray might be able to appreciate. These are the reasons that this summer, we’re going to have the announcements before the prélude to help encourage people in a new way to spend this time alone with God and in gratitude for the gift of music.

This is not a diatribe against the people of this congregation. It’s a common problem in most Protestant churches—one that seems to have gotten worse as time advances. I remember as a kid I was told that it was okay to talk before church until the music started, but after the music had started I had to be quiet (a monumental task in my case). But in that church along with most others, the prélude has become something over which conversation has to be carried on.

I. Talking During the Prélude B

The best story I’ve ever heard about this phenomenon was told by a guest at a little dinner party I attended once in Atlanta. Another guest was the organist at a big downtown church, and he described a piece that he had chosen both because of its dramatic beauty, and as an experiment to see what would happen when he played it. He may have been disappointed when the beauty was marred, but I’m sure he was thrilled that his experiment worked.

Two Ways to Be Fooled

Prophetic Words from Jezreel

Introduction: One and the Same Man

The Old Testament passages appointed by the lectionary in May and June of this year tell the story of Elijah. Since they’re just selections, they don’t tell the whole story, of course, and this morning is a good example of what’s left out. To make sense of what I’m talking about, I’ll have to give a little preview of next week, because next week’s sermon is going to be what’s probably our favorite story about Elijah. It’s the one about what we call the “still small voice.” Elijah is in a position to hear that voice because he’s afraid for his life, and has fled from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to the seclusion of a cave. If you just hear the stories read in church, you’d think he was fleeing because of this story about Naboth the Jezreelite, a victim of the royal couple. At the end of this lectionary passage, we hear Elijah threatening the king with some pretty vivid language. Surely the king’s anger is what has Elijah running away.

But in reality, today’s story is out of order. Way out of order. The passage about Naboth doesn’t happen until three chapters after where we’re supposed to be in Elijah’s story. Naboth comes after the still small voice.

Venture Theology

.

Real believers are such as 

have ventured upon God's word.
—Thomas Manton

A Consequential Visit

Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.   

—1 Kings 17:14

I. The Supply That Never Runs Out

At the beginning of 1 Kings 17, a new character is introduced. His name is Elijah, and last week we heard how he suddenly appeared in King Ahab’s court, condemned the king’s idolatry, said it wouldn’t rain another drop until Elijah said so, and then just as suddenly disappeared into the desert where he drank from an intermittent stream and was brought bread and meat by friendly neighborhood ravens. It sounds like a cozy set-up: the prophet is both safe from his enemies and immune to the consequences of the drought he’d either predicted or called down.

But eventually even a prophet of God has to answer for his words and actions. And so Elijah heads northwest and reënters human society in a town called Zarephath. There’s a widow there who’s supposed to feed him. Except when he finds the widow in question, she hadn’t been having it nearly as easy as Elijah. He’d been fed twice a day. She’d been starving. And so had her son.

Psalm 139

Paraphrase by Mary Sidney Herbert,
Countess of Pembroke*

 O Lord, in me there lieth nought
    But to thy search revealèd lies,
            For when I sit
            Thou markest it;
    No less thou notest when I rise;
Yea, closest closet of my thought
    Hath open windows to thine eyes.