{"id":566,"date":"2020-08-08T20:43:32","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=566"},"modified":"2020-08-08T20:43:32","modified_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:43:32","slug":"tenth-after-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/08\/tenth-after-pentecost\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenth after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-577\"\/><figcaption>Herman van Swanevelt, Elijah in the Wilderness, 1600s, National Gallery of Art, Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>United in spirit, and gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Faith, Olivia, and Heather!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cWithout His Cross\u201d (Martin)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/withouthiscross.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Ever-present God, <br \/>\nthis day enfolds us and surrounds us:<br \/>\nbe in our speaking and in our thinking;<br \/>\nbe in our life and on our lips;<br \/>\nbe in our hearts and in our souls,<br \/>\ntoday and forever.  Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cCome, O Fount of every blessing\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/comeofount.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Come, O Fount of every blessing,<br \/>     tune my heart to sing your grace;<br \/> streams of mercy, never ceasing<br \/>     call for songs of endless praise.<br \/> Teach me some melodious sonnet,<br \/>     sung by flaming tongues above.<br \/> Praise the mount; I&#8217;m fixed upon it,<br \/>     mount of God&#8217;s unfailing love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Here I pause in my sojourning,<br \/>     giving thanks for having come,<br \/> come to trust, at every turning,<br \/>     God will guide me safely home.<br \/> Jesus sought me when a stranger,<br \/>     wandering from the fold of God,<br \/> came to rescue me from danger,<br \/>     precious presence, precious blood.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>O, to grace how great a debt<br \/>     or daily I am drawn anew!<br \/> Let that grace now, like a fetter,<br \/>     bind my wandering heart to you.<br \/> Prone to wander, I can feel it,<br \/>     wander from the love I&#8217;ve known:<br \/> here&#8217;s my heart, O, take and seal it,<br \/>     seal it for your very own.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Merciful God, <br \/>\nyou made us in your image, <br \/>\nwith a mind to know you, <br \/>\na heart to love you,<br \/>\nand a will to serve you.<br \/>\nBut our knowledge is imperfect, <br \/>\nour love inconstant,<br \/>\nour obedience incomplete.<br \/>\nDay by day, we fail to grow into your likeness. <br \/>\nIn your tender love, forgive.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>ASSURANCE OF PARDON<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God will give us what we need:<br \/>\nstrength for today,<br \/>\nhope for tomorrow,<br \/>\nand forgiveness<br \/>\nfor all that is past.<br \/>\nAmen.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-575\"\/><figcaption>Unknown, Detail of Prophet Elijah in the Desert, early 16th century, Monastery of St. John the Theologian, Patmos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>SPECIAL MUSIC: \u201cLet There Be Peace on Earth&#8221; (Miller\/Jackson)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/lettherebepeace-miller.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 105<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/psalm105.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Give thanks and call on God&#8217;s name.<br \/> Make known to the nations what God has done.<br \/>     <strong>Sing, O sing the songs of praise;<br \/>     tell of all God&#8217;s wonderful deeds.<\/strong><br \/> Exult in God&#8217;s holy name;<br \/>     <strong>let those who seek God be joyful in heart.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Turn for help to the One who is your strength;<br \/> seek God&#8217;s presence continually.<br \/>     <strong>Remember the marvels the Most High has done,<br \/>     the wonders and judgements God has given,<\/strong><br \/> O children of Abraham and Sarah, God&#8217;s servants,*<br \/>     <strong>O offspring of Israel, chosen of God.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>You are the eternal God,<br \/>    <strong> your justice reaches every corner of the earth.<\/strong><br \/> You are ever mindful of your covenant,<br \/> the promise you gave to a thousand generations,<br \/>    <strong> the covenant you made with Sarah and Abraham,<br \/>     the oath you gave to Isaac.<\/strong><br \/> You confirmed it for Jacob as binding.<br \/> To Israel your everlasting covenant you declared,<br \/>     <strong>&#8216;To you I give the land of Canaan,<br \/>     as your appointed inheritance.&#8217;  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: 1 Kings 19.9-18<\/p>\n\n\n<p>9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>And the word of the Lord came to him: \u201cWhat are you doing here, Elijah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>10 He replied, \u201cI have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>11 The Lord said, \u201cGo out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Then a voice said to him, \u201cWhat are you doing here, Elijah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>14 He replied, \u201cI have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>15 The Lord said to him, \u201cGo back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel\u2014all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cCome down, O love divine\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/comedownolove.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Come down, O love divine,<br \/> seek now this soul of mine,<br \/>     and visit it with your own ardour glowing.<br \/> O Comforter, draw near,<br \/> within my heart appear,<br \/>     and kindle it, your holy flame bestowing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>O let it freely burn,<br \/> till earthly passions turn<br \/>     to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;<br \/> and let your glorious light<br \/> shine ever on my sight,<br \/>     and clothe me round, my onward path illuming.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>And so the yearning strong<br \/> with which the soul will long<br \/>     shall far outpass the power of human telling;<br \/> for none can guess its grace,<br \/> till love creates the place<br \/>     wherein the Holy Spirit makes its dwelling.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>REFLECTION<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/aug9sermon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>It seems accurate to say that your legacy is a matter of perspective and circumstance.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Take, for example, Mary I of England, known to history as \u201cBloody Mary.\u201d  Her premature death meant the failure of her project of returning England to the Roman Catholic faith.  Had she succeeded, history would view her very differently, and we might be in the middle of Mass right now.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Yet even with her tarnished legacy, and a reputation that approaches the stereotype of an \u201cevil queen,\u201d recent scholars have taken a second look and decided that her legacy is less one-sided.  Many in the realm welcomed a return to the old faith, and many of the things that her sister gets credit for\u2014naval supremacy, the beginning of the age of exploration\u2014actually started under Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>If you want someone closer to the evil queen trope, look no further than Eadburh, queen of Wessex.  Annoyed with her husband\u2019s advisor, she poisoned him, and inadvertently killed her husband (the king) as well.  She fled to Francia, and ended up in an awkward love triangle with Charlemange and his son.  Banished from court, she was appointed the abbess of a convent, a position she soon lost after a tryst with an overnight guest.  If you were wondering why so few little girls are named Eadburh, then wonder no more.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>And then, of course, there is Jezebel.  Ignoring the way Jezebel has been reinterpreted in recent years, we need to look again at the book of 1 Kings to see Jezebel in her original setting.  Like many \u201cforeign\u201d queens, she brought her religion with her to Israel, meaning that she was always going to be controversial.  But rather than quietly worship Baal in her well-appointed chapel, she exploited her husband\u2019s weakness to promote Baal throughout the land.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Enter Elijah the prophet.  First, he warns the king that years of drought will follow if the worship of Baal does not stop.  (In addition to being a garden-variety punishment for disobedience, drought is also a direct attack on Baal, since he was supposed to be the god of rain).  Exiled the first time, Elijah waits three years before he is commanded to confront the priests of Baal directly.  Read 1 Kings 18 for the best duel in history.  It\u2019s Jezebel and the priests of Baal zero, Elijah (and YHWH) one.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So Elijah must flee once more\u2014and we reach today\u2019s reading\u2014but the real conclusion of the Jezebel story comes in the next episode.  Ahab, the weak king, is unable to convince one of his subjects to sell him a vineyard.  Annoyed, Jezebel arranges to have the vineyard owner killed through an abuse of the courts, and she seizes the vineyard.  For the God of justice this is a step too far, and Jezebel\u2019s inevitable fate is sealed.  Again, if you were wondering why so few little girls are named Jezebel, then wonder no more.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Back to our reading, Elijah\u2019s second exile is worse than the first.  This time he\u2019s hiding in a cave, feeling sorry for himself, and generally resigning himself to defeat at the hands of Jezebel and Ahab.  God is having none of it.  The word of the Lord came to Elijah and said \u201cwhat are you doing in there?\u201d  He could have just admitted that he was hiding, but instead he tries to explain himself: \u201ceveryone,\u201d he said, \u201cis dead.  The covenant is gone, along with the places of worship.  I\u2019m the only prophet left, even though I have been zealous for the LORD.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>At this point the LORD was growing tired of all the gloom, and told Elijah to wait at the mouth of the cave for the LORD to pass by.  Here\u2019s what happened next:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.  Then a voice said to him, \u201cWhat are you doing here, Elijah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>The same question, then the same response.  Still, God is having none of it.  \u201cGo back to the seats of power,\u201d the LORD said, \u201cand you will have occasion to make some political changes.\u201d  And then the most important message at all: \u201cYou imagine that you are the last of a breed, but this is far from the truth.  There are seven thousand others in Israel\u2014all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>When we\u2019re surrounded by trouble, the first and obvious question is \u2018where is God in all this?\u2019  Weak kings and evil queens, the worship of foreign gods, the murder of prophets, abuse of process and the state-sanctioned killing of innocent people\u2014where is God while all this is happening?  We want God to move heaven and earth to defeat the unjust, to overcome those who would rule with such inequity, but direct intervention doesn\u2019t follow.  A great and powerful wind levelled mountains before the Lord, but the Lord is not in the wind.  After the wind, the earth trembled and quaked, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  But after the fire came a still small voice.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So we pull our cloaks over our heads, and we edge farther out of our hiding places, our eyes adjust to the light of this moment, and we train our ears and truly listen as the heavenly voice speaks: \u2018You suppose you are alone, but you are not.  You suppose that you are the last to seek justice, but you are not.  You suppose you are the last to hate abuse, the last who decry the way the powerful oppress the weak\u2014but you are not.  The Lord of all can see into the hearts of the people, and understands that many have not bowed down to useless gods of this age.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Perhaps they are quiet now, and perhaps they remain in their caves of fear and reluctance, but they too are ready to listen for the still small voice of the Most High.  Elijah felt alone, but 7,000 others meant he was not alone.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>The bluster of those who worship the false-god of strength (and power at any cost) can be overwhelming.  The noise of those who lack compassion or promote discord can be overwhelming.  The intensity of daily outrage and 20,000 lies can be overwhelming.  But we do not lose heart.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>For God is not in the strength of the wind, nor is God in the noise of the earthquake, nor is God in the intensity of the fire.  No, God is in the still small voice that says \u201cwe are not alone.\u201d  Thanks be to God.  Amen.  <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-574\"\/><figcaption>Marc Chagall, Elijah, LIFE, Time, Inc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE<\/p>\n\n\n<p>O God, lover of the world, <br \/>\nyou hold all that you have created<br \/>\nwithin your compassionate embrace.<br \/>\nAs you hold our lives <br \/>\ntorn by pain or sorrow within your aching heart,<br \/>\nwe cry out for wholeness\u2014<br \/>\nfor ourselves, for those we love,<br \/>\nand for our world.<br \/>\nMay your healing presence gently transform<br \/>\nthe places of our lives where we hold pain.<br \/>\nMay your loving presence be a comforting reality<br \/>\nfor all those who find themselves <br \/>\nin despair, lost or alone.<br \/>\nMay your transforming presence<br \/>\ncreate generosity in place of greed,<br \/>\nharmony in place of hatred,<br \/>\nand everlasting justice where evil now reigns.<br \/>\nO God, lover of the world,<br \/>\nfrom the silence of our own hearts,    <br \/>\nwe bring before you<br \/>\nthese people and places that need<br \/>\nyour healing, loving, transforming presence\u2026<br \/>\nO God, lover of the world,<br \/>\nthis is your world,<br \/>\nand we claim your power and your presence<br \/>\nto make it whole.<br \/>\nAmen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>THE LORD\u2019S PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Our Father who art in heaven,<br \/>\nhallowed be thy name.<br \/>\nThy kingdom come,<br \/>\nThy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<br \/>\nGive us this day our daily bread;<br \/>\nand forgive us our trespasses<br \/>\nas we forgive those who trespass against us;<br \/>\nand lead us not into temptation<br \/>\nbut deliver us from evil.<br \/>\nFor thine is the kingdom,<br \/>\nand the power, and the glory,<br \/>\nfor ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cLead on, O cloud of Presence\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/leadonocloud.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Lead on, O cloud of Presence, the exodus is come.<br \/> In wilderness and desert our tribe shall make its home.<br \/>     Our slavery left behind us,<br \/>     new hopes within us grow.<br \/> We seek the land of promise where milk and honey flow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Lead on, O fiery Pillar, we follow yet with fears,<br \/> but we shall come rejoicing though joy be born of tears.<br \/>     We are not lost, though wandering,<br \/>     for by your light we come,<br \/> and we are still God&#8217;s people. The journey is our home.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Lead on, O God of freedom, and guide us on our way,<br \/> and help us trust the promise through struggle and delay.<br \/>     We pray our sons and daughters<br \/>     may journey to that land<br \/> where justice dwells with mercy, and love is law&#8217;s demand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>BLESSING<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,<br \/>\nand may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless<br \/>\nuntil our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.<br \/>\n\u20141 Thessalonians 5:23<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/meetagainredux.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>God be with you till we meet again;<br \/> loving counsels guide, uphold you,<br \/> with a shepherd\u2019s care enfold you;<br \/> God be with you till we meet again.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-572\"\/><figcaption>Giuseppe Angeli, <em>Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire<\/em>,&nbsp;c. 1740\/1755, National Gallery of Art, Washington.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United in spirit, and gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Faith, Olivia, and Heather! PRELUDE: \u201cWithout &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/08\/tenth-after-pentecost\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Tenth after Pentecost<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}