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1 Kings 19 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” ³ Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. ⁹ At that place he came to a cave and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

Elijah Meets God at Horeb

¹¹ He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, ¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus…” 

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Psalm 42 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

¹ As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my help 

⁶  and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your torrents; all your waves and your billows have gone over me.

⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”

¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

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NIGHT AND THE RIVER

I have seen the great feet

 leaping 

into the river

and I have seen moonlight 

milky 

along the long muzzle 

and I have seen the body 

of something 

scaled and wonderful 

slumped in the sudden fire of its mouth, 

and I could not tell 

which fit me 

more comfortably, the power, 

or the powerlessness; 

neither would have me 

entirely; I was divided, 

consumed, 

by sympathy, 

pity, admiration. 

After a while 

it was done, 

the fish had vanished, the bear 

lumped away 

to the green shore 

and into the trees. And then there was only 

this story. 

It followed me home 

and entered my house—

a difficult guest 

with a single tune 

which it hums all day and through the night—

slowly or briskly, 

it doesn’t matter, 

it sounds like a river leaping and falling; 

it sounds like a body 

falling apart. 

~ Mary Oliver

—

Our scriptures are often difficult to hear; and definitely often difficult to understand. They reflect the realities and hardships of God’s people. And also the joys and celebrations of God’s people, in days both ancient and new. Sometimes our scriptures read like our news cycles. That is essentially what was being recorded. What was happening and how God’s people were responding to what was happening. Where they found God among them. What they understood that God wanted of them. They recorded the horror and pain and suffering alongside the hopeful and compassionate responses to what has happened; what is happening. 

I will introduce our cast of characters in our readings this morning, first in our verses from 1 Kings 19: 

Ahab is one of Israel’s most powerful kings from roughly 873-851 BCE. 

Jezebel was the princess of Tyre who became Ahab’s wife.  She actively ruled the kingdom with Ahab.

Elijah is a well-known major prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Elijah’s servant, who is nameless in this text, is traveling with him.

An Angel of the Lord, also nameless in this text, visited Elijah in the wilderness, encouraging him multiple times to nourish himself and continue his journey.

Our Israelite Ancestors are always part of the story, directly or indirectly. 

Our Lord God is always at the heart of the story.

Our psalmist writes of the fullness of life’s experiences. In this Psalm we heard the words attributed to Korah, a Levite. The strongest images are of God as the thirst-quenching water of life and God as the Creator of the waters of chaos which threaten the psalmists life. This reads as a journal entry; Korah expressing his deep longing for lasting connection with God, his tears of despair, his intermingled joys and sorrows. His ultimate belief that God is with him always, even though he goes through periods of doubt, exacerbated by the ridicule of his adversaries. 

In our Mary Oliver poem, “Night and the River” we have:

A bear

A fish

A witness. 

Where do we go with these passages today in June of 2025? 

In the case of these particular Hebrew Scriptures there are sections where we listen, we learn, but we do not repeat. 

Enough bullying. Enough war. Enough killing. Enough oppression of one human by another human, one group of humans by another group of humans. 

Our Hebrew prophets rose – and fell. They were fallible. Rising to the tasks for which they were anointed – and falling after succumbing to human pressures, expectations, and greed. It has famously been said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We are witnesses to that truth in our recorded scriptures and in our modern day events. 

Again, where do we go from here? In addition to learning what not to do, we can learn from our ancestors what TO do. 

Long for God, as a deer longs for a clear, cool stream from which to drink. 

Elijah was tended to by an angel of God when he was at his lowest point, ready to give up on life. It took some perseverance on the part of the angel, but Elijah eventually accepted the help and set off to continue his journey. Many of us have stories of being tended to by an angel, either literally or figuratively. Expect that you will be on both sides of the helper / helped equation during this life. Accept it all with humility, both giving and receiving. Don’t give up. God needs you. We need you. Like Elijah, keep showing up despite your pain, your worry, your fear. Elijah found God in the sheer silence. Even when we are downcast, burdened, tormented; God is with us. Keep searching. Keep your heart open. 

Our scriptures remind us to continue talking with God through it all. And then remember to listen. Sit in the stillness and wait for God to answer. We must be patient. But we must begin cultivating these habits now, and earnestly. 

We know that there is another way. Jesus came to show us another way. Yet we are still struggling to follow this one simple rule: Love one another. 

Our nation’s history is fraught with injustices. Hate and oppression held, and still hold, too much sway. This week our fractured nation marked an important anniversary. From the website, Juneteenth.com I quote:

“Juneteenth 2025 marks a historic milestone for all Americans: the 160th anniversary of the day that signaled the end of legalized slavery in the United States, a milestone deeply rooted in the American story of freedom, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of justice. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce General Order No. 3, declaring that all enslaved people in Texas were free—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had officially ended slavery in Confederate states. This day, now known as Juneteenth, has become a profound commemoration of freedom, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward justice.

Today, Juneteenth, (June 19th) is recognized as a federal holiday, a landmark achievement that came in 2021 after decades of advocacy and national reflection on racial justice.  This designation offers millions of Americans, of all backgrounds, the opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate together, the progress toward unity. Juneteenth is a day for all of us. Freedom is a shared American value and the story of emancipation belongs to all of us.

Across the country, and beyond, the month of June is host to a vibrant mix of events: parades, festivals, musical performances, family-friendly activities, religious and educational programs. These activities are designed to bring people together, foster understanding, and honor the rich cultural heritage of Black Americans.

As we honor this 160th anniversary, it is important to remember that Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to action. Oppression in various forms continues and its resistance must come from each of us. Juneteenth is not just a day on the calendar, it is a living testament to the strength and perseverance of those who fought for freedom.

This 160th milestone anniversary invites all Americans to reflect on our shared history, celebrate progress, and recommit to the unfinished work of building a more just society.”

Imagine another way. Imagine leaning into love; leaning away from violence. Imagine learning from our ancestors; emulating their successes and learning not to repeat their failures. Imagine everyone embracing this country’s Juneteenth celebration; everyone acknowledging the ugly past and the still yearned for justice-centered future.  

At Pilgrim Lodge this summer, as part of our “Another Way” curriculum theme, we are teaching that, “Jesus often confronted the world around him with another way of being and by his example, we are reminded that God always invites us to reimagine who we are and how we do things.” We are encouraging campers of all ages to “explore what would change if we lived as our authentic selves and respected the truths of others. In this humility, we will imagine how growing changes the way we live. In this potential for transformation, we will imagine how our personal change meets the change we seek in the world. Whether we are addressing unfair rules or dreaming of a time when all people belong, we know that God calls us to do a new thing and faithfully forge another way.”

Everyone must be held accountable for their words and their actions. There must be another way than what we have done in the past, a better way than what we are doing now. Why? Because this way does not support justice for all, does not support building relationships rather than destroying relationships. This way is not grounded in love for one another. 

Imagine how you, and how we, can find another way to navigate life for ourselves and with others; all others. 

Sometimes, often, God needs to come to us repeatedly before we understand, or before we will commit to move in the direction we are intended to go. This is expressed in the repetitive verses of 1 Kings read this morning, when Elijah is asked, “What are you doing here…?” His answer did not vary… He knew the what and why but did not know the how. Not only do we often need to hear the prompt from God more than once, but we may need to hear our own answer more than once. Change is hard. It is much easier to maintain the status quo, even when that status quo is harmful to ourselves and others. But God persists. Jesus persists. The Holy Spirit persists. Will we persist? Will we explore, individually and together, another way forward? It is imperative that we find the strength to do so. Let us do it together. One day at a time. The time is now. 

Amen

Rev. TJ Mack – June 22, 2025