Proper 7C
June 22, 2025
St. Dunstan’s
The Rev. Patricia Templeton
I had a sermon all ready for today. Here it is. But when I woke up this morning I realized that this sermon didn’t really fit what I am thinking and how I am feeling today.
So I made a page of notes (you know I don’t usually preach from notes) on what scripture is saying to me today.
The Old Testament reading we just heard is about the prophet Elijah, one of Israel’s greatest prophets. You may remember the story in the gospels where Jesus goes up the mountain before he goes to Jerusalem and his death. At the top of the mountain are Moses and Elijah, the two greatest prophets of Israel.
We hear Elijah’s story today. He has lived a loud and vigorous life. He single-handedly slayed 450 prophets of Baal.
But he’s tired and worn out. He’s tired of the chaos and noise and havoc that have been so much of his life. So God tells him to go up to Mount Horeb.
When he gets there he hears a great wind; he feels an earthquake that shakes the very mountain; a great fire comes through that destroys everything in its path.
It seems to me like this week has been kind of like that. We’ve seen great wind, strong earthquakes, and great fire — at least metaphorically.
We began last weekend with the political assassinations of two people in Minnesota, and the attempted assassinations of two more.
We then had the Supreme Court ruling that transgender youth are not worthy of dignity and respect, making their lives more difficult than they already are.
We’ve had ICE agents using what I can only describe as Gestapo-like tactics, snatching people off the street without identifying themselves, dressed in black with no warrants, no explanations, no nothing that the law requires.
And last night we had an act of war committed by our president, without consulting Congress, whose consequences we may be dealing with for years. We don’t know.
It feels like earthquakes, fire, and wind have all hit us.
God told Elijah to go up that mountain. But God was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire.
God is not in political assassinations, even when the assassin says he is a devout Christian. I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway. If you kill or assassinate someone you are not a devout Christian.
God was not in the Supreme Court ruling that ignores the dignity and humanity of our transgender brothers and sisters.
God is certainly not in the thuggish tactics of ICE.
And God is rarely in acts of war.
Where God was for Elijah was in the silence after the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. God was in the sound of sheer silence.
When was the last time you had sheer silence in your life? It doesn’t happen very often.
We try to keep up with what’s going on in the world, or even just in our own country. It’s never silent. It’s always chaos and havoc and loud. And I think it’s designed that way to keep us off balance, to keep us from introspection and reflection.
I don’t know about you, but this morning I need silence. So I’m going to sit down and shut up. And we’re going to have a few moments of silence.
[3.5 minutes of silence]
I’ll end with these prayers from our prayer book.
Almighty God, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become your kingdom. Amen.
O God, the creator of all, whose son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you. Amen.