Hearing God's Call -- A Lectionary Meditation

I want to direct your attention to my weekly lectionary meditation published at [D]mergent -- a new Disciples of Christ oriented blog that is seeking to fill a gap in the communication networks of our tradition.  I invite you to begin here and continue to the blog -- and mark it as a stopping point!
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Hearing God’s Call  -- June 16, 2010


1 Kings 19:1-15a
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 8:26-39


These three passages of scripture are well known to most Christians. One speaks of Elijah’s wilderness journey, during which he hears the voice of God in the stillness and silence of the moment. A second passage expresses the sense of oneness that is found in the waters of baptism, so that in Christ our differences are set aside and we become one. Finally, we come upon this intriguing text that describes the liberation of the demoniac from the control of “Legion.” How do we find a common thread in these passages that have been set aside by the lectionary? What word are we to hear?

Elijah’s story is a complicated one. He’s on the run, having faced down the prophets of Ba’al, all of whom were now dead. Rather than convincing Ahab that Yahweh was Lord of the realm, Ahab allows Jezebel to send her forces off after the prophet, forcing him to flee to the safety of the wilderness. Having fasted for forty days and nights, Elijah has a vision, in which he hears the voice of God – not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in the silence. Elijah felt alone and abandoned. He’d done God’s bidding, but he felt alone, his work having had no real effect. Even after hearing the voice of God, the complaints don’t stop, but he does continue his journey, perhaps sensing that God would be with him.  (To continue reading, click here).

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