Discernment: A Reflection on the Track 1 Reading for Proper 7, Year C

 



Readings for the Day:
Reflection:

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Elijah's journey to Mount Horeb in 1 Kings 19 has been the subject of many of my offerings over the years. It has also been a text I have reflected over the past several years for my own continued discernment. For that very reason, I can safely speak to how helpful Elijah's journey for the discernment we all may go through.

That journey has several parts that speak to our own:

·   Triumph (1 Kings 18:20-46): Here Elijah has won a major victory for the Lord over the prophets of Baal. This leads to good things for the people of Israel. 
 
We too have victories for God in our own ministries, particular if our path follows those of the prophets: speaking God's Truth regardless of whether it is popular or even if the world wishes to hear it.
 
·   Adversity (1 Kings 19:1-3): Sadly Jezebel, Queen of Israel and a foreigner, is not pleased with Elijah's actions. She threatens to kill him. 
 
Unfortunately all of us face adversity, especially in ministry. This can come through a person, people, events we face, our health, or some other form. Paul speaks of this in the thorn he faces in 2 Corinthians 12. Like Elijah, we may want to run away from the trouble we face. Like Elijah, we may need to run away.
 
·   Despair (1 Kings 19:4): Elijah is driven to despair and wants the end to come after Jezebel's death warrant. 
 
It is worth noting here that there is a difference between wanting to die and trying to kill yourself. If you, or someone you love, is having suicidal thoughts, your first step is to call 998 or head to the Lifeline website linked here.
 
Despair is a very understandable reaction to adversity. All of us in ministry, lay and ordained, put a great deal of ourselves and our love for God into our work. It can be devastating when that work is met with resistance or even violence, whether physical or psychological. It can hurt even more when this impacts our well-being. Know that this is a common, if not a necessary, step in the path to discerning what is next in our ministry.
 
·   Help (1 Kings 19:5-7): Before Elijah goes on his journey to Mount Horeb, he is told to “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.”

We all need help along the way. We all need support. This can come through our families, friends, and all who love and hold us dear. There are also professional resources we can go to through therapy, spiritual direction, and pastoral assistance. These tools can give us the strength and sustenance to begin the next part of the journey in discernment.

·   The Journey (1 Kings 19:8): Here Elijah makes his way to Mount Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, the very place Moses received the 10 Commandments. In other words, this a sacred and historical place where the Israelites have previously heard the Word of the Lord.

There are many ways we make our own journeys to hear what God has to say. One of the best ways is by going on retreat, and there are many ways to do that as listed in the link here. 

·   The "Sound of Sheer Silence (1 Kings 19:9-14): Elijah sees many things, but God is not in any of them. Elijah doesn’t actually witness God until he hears “the sound of sheer silence.”

We often need to draw ourselves away from all the distractions of life and the world before we can actually listen to God. Again, retreats are a helpful way to do that as well as other spiritual practices. A literal way we can sit in silence and be present with God comes in the form of Centering Prayer.

·   What Follows (1 Kings:15-21): Going beyond the Track 1 reading as listed in the Lectionary for Proper 7, Year C, we hear God’s response to Elijah for what to do next. God’s command appears perhaps only slightly different from Elijah’s tasks before. He is called to anoint a new king of Israel. He is also called to prepare for what will come after him. God tells Elijah to go to Elisha and raise him up to be a prophet after him.
 
How does what God tells Elijah to do follow our own life and path of discernment? That is a question I have asked myself for many years, and I don’t know that I have an answer yet. The only thing I know is that we are still called to serve the Lord, though the form of that work may look different, if ever so slightly, then what we were doing before. We are also called to prepare and pave the way for those who come after us.
 
Ministry is a difficult task. For this reason, Elijah is fairly lenient with Elisha. When Elisha asks to return home first to see his parents one last time, Elijah does not begrudge this request. Jesus is not quite so lenient, as seen in Luke 9:51-62, which is the reading in Proper 8, Year C, the place in the Lectionary immediately following this one.
 
Elijah is more lenient for the same reason all of us in ordained ministry are. He has faced the hardships of ministry, just as Jesus did. Elijah, unlike Jesus, has also faced burnout. This is why when members approach us as clergy about discerning holy orders, many of us ask, ‘Are you sure?’ I have even heard some of us recommend the Jonah route. We know the difficulties people face in ordained ministry, all of which Elijah encounters on his journey. We don’t want anyone else to face the difficulties we have faced, yet, with Jesus in Luke 22:42, we still say “Let God’s will be done.

 


As this journey comes to a close, I still wish I could say more precisely what follows after and where exactly our new discernment of God's will takes us. In addition to my words above, I can say that after many years I am still searching for that answer, and when I find it, I will share it with you.

My hope is that you will "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord" as we say at the end of our Sunday services. The journey in discernment, particularly in a new discernment, can be long and hard, but you have others making the journey with you, and you always have the help and presence of God to comfort and guide you.