St. David's Episcopal Church | The Rev. Frank Allen | July 16, 2015
Still

 

"And after the fire came a still small voice."               1 Kings 19:12

 

Dear People of St. David's,

 

I pray that you are well and are taking advantage of these summer days to relax, renew and to do nothing. For some of us, that last piece of advice can be hard work. Most of us have been brought up in a society that so values "accomplishment", that doing "nothing" seems like we're not fully alive. Instead, we strive. We participate. We talk. We travel. We work.  We make plans - and complete them. If this is what we do all day every day, then how will we know that God has drawn close to us and spoken to us? Doing "nothing" provides some balance to our lives. It can be one of the best ways to be open for God to come into our lives and to speak to us.

 

The line of scripture above comes from one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It offers a glimpse into the possibilities that doing "nothing" affords us. The prophet Elijah has just wiped out the prophets of Baal in a "showdown" to show whose God is really God. The king, a powerful worshiper of Baal, is none too happy and determines that he is going to kill Elijah. Elijah flees and eventually finds a hiding place far from the eyes and the power of the king, high up in a mountain cave. We're not sure how long Elijah is there, but it's pretty clear he's doing nothing when God tells him to go and stand outside where He will speak directly to Elijah about his next steps. A series of winds and storms rocks the mountainside; a lot of activity, but no voice of God. There is a fire; but still no God. Then, as Elijah does nothing more than stand there, he hears a still voice, a whisper, the sound of sheer silence. Elijah recognizes that it is God in the silence, so he wraps his cloak around himself to stand nearer in His presence.

 

I love the story for the drama. I love it more for the clue it offers about hearing God's voice. It comes to us when we are silent. When we are still. When we are doing nothing. Like God's grace that comes to us through no merit of our own, but only as a gift from Him, God speaks most clearly to us in the silence when we are doing nothing. Maybe God is calling you and me to spend a little time today doing "nothing," so we, too, may hear His voice.

 

I don't know all that is going on in each of your lives or what you may be struggling with. I do know that we have a God who cares about each of us personally and who is ready to offer a word of grace and guidance. You and I will hear it when we are still.

 

Grace and Peace.

 

Frank Allen

 

P. S.

The Bible Challenge starts on Sunday. Join us as we read it cover-to-cover in 90 days. I promise it will be more than worth the effort. We can do it!

 

 

 WORSHIP SCHEDULE

 

   Sunday, July 19, 2015

8:00 am and 5:00 pm in the Church  

10:00 am in the Chapel

 

                            

St. David's Episcopal Church | 763 South Valley Forge Road | Wayne, PA 19087
610-688-7947