11/21/2019
On Sunday morning, we continued in a series where we explore four different Old Testament persons who each had a 40 day experience which challenged and grew their faith. This last week we discussed Elijah.
During those 40 days, Elijah was instructed by God to stand in the mouth of a cave. A giant wind, a strong earthquake and a fire went by but God was not in those. Following those, there was silence and a still, calm voice of God that spoke to him. It was in a calm and silent moment that Elijah experienced the small voice of God speaking to him.
I shared a video clip of a moment in 2003 that reminded me of what that small voice speaking in his ear must have felt like. CLICK HERE to see that clip.
The small voice of the coach of the Mavericks, Maurice Cheeks, literally spoke into Natalie Gilbert’s ear giving her exactly what she needed at that moment to continue. I believe that was the experience that Elijah had in that moment at the mouth of the cave in the silence.
What I did not share on Sunday is what happened next to Natalie. She went on to have some significant air time sharing her experience and doors of opportunity were opened for her. The following year at play offs, she was invited back to sing the National Anthem which she did beautifully.
Following the time that Elijah heard God’s voice, he went on to serve according to God’s will with strength.
We desperately need to stop living our lives of our own accord and our own energy and to be still and listen for that still small voice of God. We are so blessed to have a God whom did not create and desert the world but instead who continues very present with each of us daily. Can you regularly practice this stillness in your life so you may hear God’s voice? I especially pose this challenge as we run into what tends to be a busy and distracting season...Christmas.
Archived Posts
One More Piece of Unsolicited Advice
I had one too many examples yesterday. Here’s the "Ask Pastor Tim" scenario that didn’t make the cut for Sunday’s sermon: (read more)
Not If, But When, the Crisis Comes
One of the best Bible commentators alive today is N.T. Wright or Tom Wright. When reflecting on the parable of the wise and foolish maidens, he wrote this:...
What I wanted to say
but ran out of time this Sunday
Here is the benediction I was going to use before discovering the excellent MLK Jr. video.
The Storm that Comes To Us as Helplessness
I want to share with you a small portion of my conversation with Artificial Intelligence online. Some of you know, I use Chat-GPT as a thoughtful sounding board for the questions and insights I’m working with on whatever scriptures I’m studying each week. What follows is an example of those discussions...
One Final Scene About Scrooge
There was one more scene in Dickens’s novel that reveals something of what has happened to Scrooge over the years. I did not have time to share it on Sunday, but I believe it reveals a great deal about the regrets in Scrooge’s life....
What Jacob Marley Would Do,
If He Could Do It…
I thought about using the following for a benediction—since Jacob Marley was warning Scrooge about the danger of loving money and what it could buy. Ends up with the Cantata and everything else going on, I didn’t have the time. So here is what you might have heard if the sermon itself was 5 minutes shorter!
A Confirming Word on Old King Herod
I just want to echo what Rick said in his fine sermon yesterday (Nov. 23). Herod was a ruthless tyrant and skilled politician. When the Magi don’t report back to him, he decides to kill all the male children of Bethlehem under the age of 2. That’s one paranoid dude.