In the midst of all of this, the Lord told him to “stand upon the mount before the Lord.” A ferocious wind came up, but “the Lord was not in the wind.” Then there was an earthquake, but “the Lord was not in the earthquake.” The earthquake was followed by a fire, but “the Lord was not in the fire.” Finally, Elijah discerned the word of the Lord. It was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. It was in the calm and quiet that followed as Elijah stood alone. The unique phrase at the end of Elijah 19:13 דַקָּֽה׃ דְּמָמָ֥ה ק֖וֹל has been translated in a variety of ways. The most familiar translation is “a still small voice” (KJV and RSV) but others have suggested “a gentle whisper” (NIV and Living Bible) or “a sound of sheer silence” (NRSV) while literally it says “a sound of soft stillness.” In any case, the word of the Lord came to Elijah when there was quiet and calm in the immediate world around him. In the stillness, God spoke.
The month of December is a month of frantic activity for most people. There is so much to do during this holiday season, and there is noise everywhere, even if it includes beautiful Christmas carols. Sometimes people are overwhelmed by the demands of this season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, demands they place on themselves to do so many things and the constant drumbeat of shop- shop-shop and party-party-party in the media. Where will the voice of the Lord be heard?
The voice of the Lord will be heard in those times of quiet and calm and peace. As it says in the beloved Christmas carol by Brooks:
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
(ELW#279)
In an effort to create space for some quiet reflection, all five of the congregations in the Kittson County Internship plus Grace and Red River of Hallock are going to take a few moments after the sermon in each of the four Advent Sunday worship services for silent reflection. As one of her internship projects, Intern Kate Johnson has chosen four pieces of art, each one reflecting on the gospel for the day, for the people to use as a focus for mediation. A copy of this artwork will be given to each worshipper at the beginning of the service. In some congregations it will be projected on a screen as well. In this parish it will appear on the Sunday bulletin page of the website each week. The artwork that is handed out is to be used as a focal point during the time of quiet reflection in worship and to be taken home for further use. Some may put it up in their home where they can see it daily. Others may carry it in a pocket. Pastor Melodi Hagen from Sion of Lancaster has challenged her members with these words: “Then during the week your challenge is to talk to at least one person about the image and where they see hope and Christ’s presence today.” This sounds like a good challenge for First and Eidsvold members, too.
In addition to this part of Advent worship in 2012, it is good to learn from Elijah to listen for the word of the Lord in the stillness and quiet wherever it can be found. Even in this season when carols are played on loudspeakers on the streets and almost everyone loves to hear a hearty “Merry Christmas!” there is a time and a place for quiet if not sheer silence.
Psalm 46 is a psalm written for times of stress and turmoil. It speaks of the earth changing, the sea roaring, the mountains trembling, nations raging, and kingdoms tottering. Does this sound like today with Hurricane Sandy, the Isareli-Gaza conflict, and the fiscal cliff in view? In the midst of it all Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
May the four weeks of Advent and the twelve days of Christmas be a time when you find peace and renewed strength through in the gift of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. After all, he is Emmanuel “God with us.”
No comments:
Post a Comment