week July 18-24

Reading for this week: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11:16; 1 King 19-22 and 2 Kings 1-4; Amos 3-9

These are some of the highlights for me.
In 1 Kings 19, I am reminded that God is not always in the big and grand, but in the stillness. Elijah does not hear God in the great wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in the sheer silence. How often do we miss the voice of God because we are looking for the "burning bush" and not listening every moment.

In 2 Kings 1 the passing of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha has great meaning. In the UMC service of retirement, a retiree passing the mantle to a new clergy. I was the new clergy who received the symbolic mantle during that service. I pronounced the words "let us inherit a double share of your spirit." Even now I remember how meaningful that moment was for me and profound it is every year. I continue to pray that God give each clergy a double share of the prophet Elijah and other pastors with prophetic voices who spoke and acted with courage and who listened to God in the silence.

Our readings in 2 Kings concludes with an interesting story. Elisha feeds one hundred men with 20 loaves of barley and ears of grain. Elisha tells the servant to feed the men, but the servant doubts. Elisha tells the servant that the LORD said "They shall eat and have some left." The men are fed and there is food left. This story is similar to the stories of Jesus feeding the 5000 and the 4000. For me the Bible is consistent in teaching that when we give to others there is enough. What God blesses is sufficient and we should not doubt God's abundance.