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| Image by Justin Kern |
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A GREETING
I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
(Psalm 31:14)
A READING
The word of the Lord came to [Elijah], saying, ‘Go from here and turn eastwards, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi.
(1 Kings 16:2-6)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Then God said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’
(Exodus 3:5)
A POEM
Every year I gather
handfuls of blossoms and eat of their mealiness; the honey
melts in my mouth, the seeds make me strong,
both when they are crisp and ripe, and even at the end
when their petals have turned dull yellow.
So it is
if the heart has devoted itself to love, there is
not a single inch of emptiness. Gladness gleams
all the way to the grave.
- Excerpted from Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver,
by Mary Oliver
VERSE OF THE DAY
I will feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I will satisfy you.’
(Psalm 81:16)
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| Image by Justin Kern |
The story of Elijah brings forward one of those moments in scripture when a prophet is fully in the hands of God because of the troubles they've gotten into. It is the business of prophets to get into trouble with the authorities and leading figures of their time who have become too absorbed by their own power. Prophets call out injustice and greed and usually pay for it. In this particular part of the story, Elijah has just called out God’s disapproval on Ahab, a powerful ruler, and in order for Elijah to stay safe, God has guided him to hide in a wood. He is told to drink from the wadi and to wait for the ravens who will feed him.
A year ago in Advent in our Celtic series, we heard about Kevin of Glendalough, a fifth-to-seventh century Irish Celtic monk who lived to be 120 years old. Kevin was a lover of nature and animals and his attributed miracles include them. One famous story told about him is of a time in his small hermitage hut when he was kneeling with his arms outstretched in prayer. A blackbird flew in and began to build a nest in his outstretched hand. Realizing what was happening, he stayed still so the bird would not fly off. They stayed this way for days and weeks, as Kevin did not want to disturb what was happening. The blackbird seemed to understand the sacrifice and fed him with nuts and berries in gratitude.
Not all seeds give life through germination and growth. Seeds themselves are food to many creatures including humans. In many communities, there are programs that have been established to feed those on the margins, through food banks and distribution centres.
Today's music offers an uplifting reflection on the moment in yet another biblical encounter when God tells Moses on Mount Sinai to take off his shoes as an acknowledgement that he is standing on holy ground. Is it possible to imagine that all ground is holy? Anywhere that we know there is growth hiding beneath our feet, we are on holy ground.
In the story of Kevin and in the story of Elijah, both men exercise deep faith and trust in the presence and encouragement of God. How easy or not is it for you to do the same? How hard is it to imagine that you yourself are holy ground, in which God works transformations?
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A STORY OF SEEDS
In the video below, we see the life of seeds that never have a chance to sprout, but which nourish the life of others and through their droppings, return to the soil. Nature's cycle is designed for its own prosperity. How much do we serve, or subvert, the natural cycles of our lives that are meant to sustain us?
The next devotional day is Monday, December 9th.
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LC† Seeds of Hope is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!