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Greetings!
At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.
The the word of the Lord came him, saying, "What are you
doing here, Elijah?"(1 Kings 19:9)
Elijah was running for his life. Queen Jezebel had ordered his death after Elijah had proved that the God of Israel was the one true God, and subsequently had all of the prophets of Baal executed. (Jezebel was a devout Baal worshiper). Elijah found himself, hiding in a cave, confused, terrified, and alone. When God asked Elijah, "What are you doing here?", Elijah didn't answer the question, but rather sidestepped it. Then, the presence of God came over Elijah not in an earthquake or fire, but in a sheer sweet silence. Then, God asked Elijah again, "What are you doing here?". Astonishingly, Elijah had not embraced the transformation that the presence of God offers, and again, Elijah sidestepped God's question.
As a church community, we are called to answer this question that God posed to Elijah. "What are we doing here?" This summer, in her wonderful reflection on the history of Eliot, Susan Nason reminded Eliot from whence we came. As fall approaches (sooner than most of us would like to admit) and we welcome our interim minister, Rev. Debbie Carter, this question, among others like it, will be at the center of our discernment as we continue to consider the vibrant future into which God is calling us. "What are we doing here, in Newton Corner? Who are we as God's disciples in our community, and world? Who is our neighbor--not just beyond our city and national boundaries, but who is our tangible neighbor, here in Newton, that might be craving a community of faith like Eliot?
We are on the on the journey of transition, on the threshold of transformation. In this time, may we all carefully listen in our communal discernment, and always remember that the presence of God is with us, especially in the silence.
With love and joy,
Karla | 
