1 Kings 19:9-18                                  The Whisper of God                        13/8/17

{9} There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" {10} He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken 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." {11} The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." 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, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" {14} He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken 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." {15} The LORD said to him, "Go 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--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

For many people today, everyday life is a real struggle: there seems to be so many pressures and difficulties that they have to face.  The suggestion continually promoted by our society, is that we can have and be so much and so great; and yet the reality is far from what it promises. So often then these people feel as though they have to cope on their own, and that they are the only ones going through the hassles that they are going through, and that no-one else knows, understands or cares.

In fact, it often seems to these people that everyone is out to get them, with eyes watching for their every mistake, and looking for a chance to get them, and in doing so, they often imagine things to be so much worse than they actually are. So they run and hide in their own little shells; even though they may be living and working in the rush tear of life. They withdraw their 'real me' away from all who they feel are out to get them.

Meanwhile they cover their real selves with a false bravado and outward ‘she’ll be right mate’, but within feel scared, discouraged and disheartened; all alone in the busy, hostile world. Life is so tough for many people.

Even in relation to church (our own church too) and the spiritual side of life, there appears to be the same concerns. If we look around us we see many faces missing from our midst, and this surely is a real concern for all of us. To see week after week many people who claim to be Christians not here. Where are they?  Why aren't they here? Are these people too hiding themselves away in their own little shells, feeling weak and all alone? Are many of them discouraged and disheartened; running scared and trying to hide from God: thinking that he doesn't miss their attendance?

Or again because in the whole church scene we are confronted with all kinds of different thinking and practice, which is tugging us this way and that, and the focus has shifted from our God and what he has done and made available for us; to ourselves and what we are to do, we are left wondering what is it all about. Are we the only ones left who are faithful, and are we in danger of being overcome? Sometimes it seems as if we too are on the verge of dying; no longer is Christianity what it was meant to be, and so are left hassled and frustrated - lonely or fearful?

Well yes, life is a struggle in a sinful broken world - even for a Christian – even within the church. So my heart goes out to those who are not here for this reason. But let us all get some comfort and strength from out text here today. Elijah too knew what it was to feel weak and all alone: Elijah who not long before this, experienced God's spectacular power at work at Mt Carmel. He'd seen God burn up his sacrifice which he'd doused with water, in front of all the idol worshippers and false prophets, who couldn’t do the same with their sacrifice.

And now, a short time later he is running scared. He had known and seen God's power and yet now he was running for fear of his own life. Now he felt as though he was the only one of God's people left, and that nothing was going his way: so he runs and hides in some distant cave: hiding from the threat and danger that he perceived was there. Where was God's power now when he needed it most of all? It seemed as though God had deserted him and left him all alone: forgotten him - left him to be torn apart and destroyed.

Hide as he might try though, he can't hide from God. God speaks to him and asks what he is doing there hiding away. To which he replies: why God? Why have you allowed all of this to happen? Evil has taken control! To this God says - 'Go out to the mouth of the cave and I will show you how I mostly operate and how I make my presence known to the people.’

So Elijah goes near the entrance and mighty wind comes along and tears the mountain apart: shattering rocks and all of that. Surely this is God at work, again showing me his power. This is the way I like to see and know God; as long as he is for me and not against me. But NO - God was not in wind! The same thing happened with the earthquake and the fire - but no God. Poor Elijah - by now he would have been quite perturbed.

But then instinctively he knew the presence of God was at hand. He heard it - the whisper of God - the still small voice of God. No earth shattering revelation; no spectacular miracle: but the sound of gentle quietness, and it is there that God made his presence and will, known to Elijah: there God let him know that He was in control, and it was there that Elijah knew that he was not all alone.

 It was there then that the whisper of God said, ‘go back and do the work I am giving you to do.’ The still small voice said, ‘go back - even though life will not be easy. Go back, and through you I will do what needs doing in righting this nation. Go back and you will find that you are not the only one of my people left; there many others as well: Seven thousand in fact.’

Now this must surely make us today stop and think also, because we too, often, look for God to make his presence known in a spectacular way. We often feel alone and discouraged - not trusting God and his word and the sacraments, and we'd like to see him come through and tear the town apart; performing some mighty act or miracle, not only to make us sure of his presence but also to give us a sense of importance; of being a part of the action.

And when we are attacked or feel let down by the Church or God; when we are unsure whether the whole church bit really has any value; or when we see our membership declining and we are wondering what is going on or feel that we have failed God. At those times, we too often want to run and hide – to give it all away: particularly when we don't see God stepping into the situation in some spectacular and powerful way.

So we too need to remember that by and large God reveals himself in a very down to earth, quiet and gentle way, not in the mighty and spectacular. Most often it is the still small voice of God that breaks into our lives and makes God and his will known in our lives. Often it is the whisper of God that lets us know that God is still in control.

In the Bible - his Word – he tells us of his love and forgiveness, and what is good for us. In Baptism and Holy Communion, he further, in a quiet and simple way reminds us of the forgiveness, life and salvation that is ours through Christ's life, death and resurrection. And it is through these means of grace that he assures us that we are not on our own; but that we are joined to Christ and Christians of all times and places. Most of the time it is in quiet ways that God comes to us and speaks to us and reassures us.

So rather than running off and hiding in our busyness and involvement in all kinds of things, we often need to get quiet and listen; allowing God's still small voice to be heard: quietly reading his Word, meditating and praying, taking time to be with him in worship and at the Lord’s Table. Because it is there that he will come and make himself known to us, and remind us that we are not on our own.

There also he quietly tells us, to go back out into our everyday world and be the people he wants us to be: sharing his love and Good News to those around us; encouraging one another, and thereby allowing God to have an impact in our community. There he whispers, ‘go out and be my people, for I am with you always.’

And with his gentle voice comes power: The power to step out and do what God has in mind: power to do what we can't do on our own. Remember Peter in the Gospel reading, at Jesus’ command he steps out of the boat and walks on water; no problems, until once again he focuses on his own frailties and weaknesses, and it is then that he starts to sink. But even then, God's hand is there to lift him up once again. However, it was Jesus’ quiet command that enabled him to walk on water and to go on and do the Lord's bidding.

This morning again the gentle voice of Jesus says to us and to our community; ‘Come. Come, one and all - for I am here with you. I love you and forgive you, and I have the best of everything to offer you. Come - no more need you feel discouraged and all alone. Come and be my people - I will bless you and keep you, now and always.   AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish