Faith Lutheran Church - ELCA

Faith Lutheran Church - ELCA Faith Lutheran Church is a small but vibrant congregation that gladly welcomes people from all walks of life! Our worship service begins at 11am.

We have merged with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Ponca City. We are a small but vibrant community of believers from many varied walks of life. Join us for coffee and Bible study at 10am every Sunday. Hope to see you here!

10/16/2024

We are excited to announce that we have now merged with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Ponca City.

08/23/2023

We are excited to announce that Pastor Peter Olson has been called to serve as the new Director of Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop for the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod. Many of you already know Pastor Peter as he is a child of the synod who grew up at Holy Cross in Mountain Home AR and is currently serving as the Senior Pastor of the Shared Ministry of North Central Oklahoma. His first day on Synod Staff will be Monday September 18.

05/11/2023

Devotion on Esther 2:12-23
***After the Celebrations***
Why do we put so much effort into the public moments like coronations, inaugurations, weddings, retirement parties, etc? I mean, yes, I think it’s good that we celebrate those moments, but sometimes it can feel like our lives hinge around those times.
‌
In our reading from Esther today, our heroine goes from peasant girl to Queen of Persia in the matter of just three verses. The entire story of Esther hinges on her position of queen, and yet so few words are spent describing her coronation moment. Why?!
‌
What makes Esther special is not her being named to an important position (even though it is key to the storyline). What makes her special is how she uses her position, authority, and privilege for the sake of others rather than for her own sake.
‌
While we spend a great deal of time thinking of the public-facing moments as we make our vows either for marriage or a coronation or a new job or whatever else it might be, it is far more important how we live out the moments afterward.
‌
How might God be calling you in this day? What position, authority, privilege might you have to be able to stand up for or stand beside someone else? How might you be called to live out the moments after the celebrations are over?

‌
***Prayer***
Lord God, we celebrate what we see as the big moments of life and we know that you celebrate them with us. Yet you call us more than to simply be crowned… but consider how we might serve and care for others. Help us to be your disciples and follow your commandment. Inspire and encourage your people, O Lord.
Amen.

‌
***Digging deeper into Esther 2:12-23***
‌
If you are interested in digging deeper, I invite you to open your Bible and follow along with my notes:
‌
Verses 12-14 reveals the extraordinary excess that was put into preparing the young virgins of the Empire to be with the Persian King. This process was much more than just “cosmetic touch-ups” but was rather a full system of purification before they reached the god-like king of Persia.
‌
Rather than simply giving them a flowery bath and sending them in, it’s a full YEAR LONG PROCESS using incredibly expensive ointments and perfumes including Myrrh. Myrrh was particularly expensive and was also understood in that time as being associated with love making (Both the Songs of Solomon and Proverbs lift this understanding up).
‌
Interestingly, we see the virgin being given some authority in verse 13 to how they will present themselves before the king. From harem dweller to queen for a night, in essence.
‌
Verse 14 is particularly potent because we discover that all of this year long prep work is done for what may be only a single night with the king.
‌
Verse 15 points out Esther’s humility as she chooses to not use the authority she has been given to make her and instead follow’s Hegai’s advice to the letter on what she should wear to see the king.
‌
**Verse 17 Esther is made queen! But what’s important about this verse is that it is actually incredibly anti-climatic despite all of the anticipation to this moment. The small focus made on this major moment reminds the reader that the goal of the story is not to tell us about Esther’s glorious moment of gaining her position… but what she does with that position later.
‌
Verse 18’s feast is reminiscent of the opulent feast that we encountered at the beginning of chapter one. The same people are being pampered. The same extraordinary excess is being put on display. New Queen… but it’s still the same Kingdom and the same King.
‌
Verse 19 is actually rather confusing in the Hebrew… particularly the first half of it. The vast majority of commentaries seemed to either ignore the verse as largely unimportant OR they suggest there may have been a scribal error here that was never corrected as the intended meaning/purpose of this verse could not be discerned well. There is no perceived reason why virgins would be gathered for a second time. There are several hypotheses, but very little solid information for this. An additional point of potential confusion, Mordecai’s sitting at the gate is stated both here in verse 19 and then again in verse 21. While repetition in scripture is not unusual to create emphasis, this spot seems unnecessary. Additionally, the Septuagent (Greek) version of this story does not include this verse at all nor does it make any mention of a second gathering of virgins nor of Mordecai sitting at the gate.
‌
Verse 20 reveals that Esther is still being obedient to her father’s instruction to not reveal her Jewish heritage. Even as Queen, she trusts the wisdom of Mordecai.
‌
**Verse 21 hints to us that Mordecai may have a position of some royal service. It is unlikely that a bystander or observer would be sitting at the king’s gate. Some have suggested that Mordecai was potentially even part of a secret police force to monitor the guards as a check and balance to disloyalty. Whatever his position, Mordecai uncovers a VERY dangerous plot for the king. The two eu**ch personal guards would have been among the most trusted and would have had incredibly close access to the King. Any assassination plot that they would cook up would have a strong chance of succeeding.
‌
Verses 22 and 23 reveal that Mordecai relays the plot information to the king via Queen Esther. What’s important here, though, is that Mordecai is surprisingly not given a reward for having just saved the king’s life! Traditionally, royalty would offer up large rewards for the kind of loyalty that Mordecai had shown. This opens the door later on in the story, however, for the King to thank Mordecai with a gift in a more important moment.
‌
A brief note on verse 23, the “gallows” as many translations write of them, would be better understood not as a noose to hang someone with but as an impaling of the criminal on a sharpened pole. It was a very grisly form of ex*****on which symbolized incredible disgrace and even a curse from the gods. Mordecai will later be on the wrong end of a plot where this very form of ex*****on is threatened to end his life.

05/10/2023

Based on Esther 2:1-11
***Devotion: The Hidden Self***

Do you have a public identity as well as a private one? You know… the face that you show to the world and then the one that you save for when you are with close friends, or family, or maybe you even just save it all to yourself? I think a lot of people do it. To the world we want to look confident, strong, powerful, caring, loving… you know, all of the good things! But sometimes we feel like there are parts of ourselves that we feel like the world will not accept or that we ourselves are ashamed of for one reason or another.
‌
In our reading from Esther today, we hear that Esther actually has two identities. To the Persian world, she was known as Esther which was actually a Persian name for “Star.” But she hid her true self, her Jewish self, from much of the world. Only those who were closest to her, including her adopted dad, knew her as Hadassah.
‌
We aren’t given any hints in these early chapters how she felt about that hidden identity. But we do know that she was instructed to hide it from the world.
‌
The great irony is that it was her hidden identity that perhaps would not have been accepted by the Persian world that made her such an important figure in scripture. That which the world would not accept is in part what will make her a hero later on.
‌
Maybe you have parts of you that you are unsure what the world will think of. Perhaps there are parts of you that you are unsure if others will accept. But know that God knows the fullness of who you are—and how does God see you? As yet another child of God that is claimed and loved.
‌
The truth is, sometimes God uses the authentic, hidden parts of who we are to do wondrous things. None of us are perfect, and yet God calls each of us to love one another as God first loves us.

‌
***Prayer***
‌
Lord God, some of us do not let our full selves be known by the world. And yet you know us and claim us. Remind us of Esther’s story and how you use the hidden to perform the miraculous. Help us trust in You and walk in Your ways.
‌
Amen.

‌
***Learning about Esther 2:1-11***
‌
If you want to dig in deeper, I invite you to open a Bible and follow along with my notes. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I’ll do my best to answer them!
‌
Verses 1-4 picks up the story from chapter one. The decree from King Xerces (Ahasuerus) that all men shall be masters in their own household and that he himself shall seek a new wife after he was previously enraged by his current wife’s disobedience has gone out to the land. Now, as his anger abates, he realizes that his earlier decree now has consequences. While he had sought an answer in his anger… there is a hint of sadness in the first verse that now he must follow through and never lay eyes on Queen Vashti again. But his servants remind him that not only did he say the former queen shall no longer be by his side… but that he would seek out a new queen! They hatch a plan to gather all of the beautiful young virgins from across his vast kingdom that he may select the one that pleases him most.
‌
Verse 5-7 introduce us to Mordecai and Esther. The Hebrew is a bit ambiguous as it tells us about Mordecai. Depending on how one translates vs 5-6, Mordecai is either at least 115 years old as he himself had been among the first captives from Jerusalem or else he is the descendant of those first captives—potentially 3-4 generations removed from Jerusalem yet still definitely connected.
‌
His name, “Mordecai” is actually a traditional and very common Persian name in that time just as “Bob” is common for us. Persian names for the Jews was not uncommon as the Persian empire worked to strip them of their old identity and make them fully Persian citizens. But many Jews of the Diaspora (those who were taken out of Jerusalem and into Babylon captivity) held both a Persian name AND a Jewish name. The Persian name was the one that most of society would know the individual by. The Hebrew name would have been known to a much lesser degree… but remained a connecting point to their faith and true self. We do not have a record of Mordecai’s Hebrew name, but we do have one for Esther.
‌
The name Esther itself is her Persian name which comes from the Perisan word for “Star.” Her Hebrew name, on the other hand, is “Hadassah” which is based on the Hebrew word for the myrtle plant which was used in a variety of Jewish blessings and was considered a plant that represented God’s righteousness. While Esther’s “Star” persona is revealed for the world, she will keep her Jewish heritage and identity a secret… thus we get this sense even from just her names that she secretly carries God’s righteous blessing with her. This hidden righteousness is what inspires today’s devotion.
‌
Another interesting point in verse 7 about Esther is that she was adopted! This woman, who will be queen and a bringer of God’s justice/righteousness for the Jewish populace, started off as an orphan that was raised and cared for by her older cousin, Mordecai. And Mordecai, rather than simply taking a guardianship over Esther does indeed take her fully as his own daughter. He takes on the pains of others with compassion and, later, we will see Esther responding in much the same way. This is a powerful reminder of the difference one supportive adult can make in a child’s life.
‌
In verses 8-9, Esther is selected as one of the beautiful young virgins in Xerces’ kingdom to be brought to his harem. Immediately, she finds favor with the person in charge of the harem (a eu**ch). While I will say more about it in the next devotion, Esther gets put on the fast track onto a 12 month purification and beautification process as well as receiving 7 maids of her own choosing to wait on her. The level of luxury that is afforded this potential queen while still only a girl in the harem is extraordinary. It speaks to the incredible wealth of King Xerces.
‌
Verse 10 is VERY important. While many scholars argue that Esther hiding her Jewish identity would be difficult to imagine, it is important to the overall storyline that this side of her remains obscured. It also adds to the understanding of God being at work even as the larger population does not see nor understand where it is coming from.
‌
Finally, Verse 11 shows Mordecai checking in on Esther every day. This is first an obvious sign of his continued affection and concern for the well-being of his adopted daughter. It is also a reminder, however, that despite Esther now being within the Persian King’s harem, that she is still connected to her people and to her God. Just as God has not abandoned the people of Israel in their captivity, God has not abandoned Esther in hers either.

Check my previous posts for the first two devotions and watch for more to come! And, as I said, feel free to ask questions!

05/02/2023

Devotion on Esther 1:10-22 (Obedience?)

**Background: A Society on Edge**
The scene for Xerces, the obscenely rich and powerful king, has been set. As King Xerces’ massive 180 day feast for his ministers and 7 day feast for the entire population of his capitol city comes to an end, he prepares to offer up one final trophy of his extraordinary wealth: his wife, Queen Vashti.
‌
But Queen Vashti, Queen of the great Persian Empire, does not wish to be reduced down to a mere possession. She had her own authority, her own ability to rule. It was not on the scale of King Xerces, but she had authority! And when she receives the order from the King’s servants to be his final display of wealth. She refuses to obey.
‌
What happens next is interesting and, again, an indicator to how this massive society held together. Rather than King Xerces lashing out in quick response against his queen’s disobedience… he seeks counsel of the legal experts of the land. While King Xerces is seen nearly as god-like in his power and prestige, he understands that for the empire to stand that even he must follow the letter of the law.
‌
What advice does the king receive in how to deal with his disobedient wife? The king’s court responds with fear for what her disobedience will mean for the rest of the empire. They lift up the idea that, “wives everywhere will point to the Queen and say it’s ok for us to disobey too!!!” Enter my sarcasm: Imagine the horror of a society where women speak their mind and are not treated like possessions!!! Society would become unhinged!! (Good!!)
‌
The King’s court offers a plan. A declaration is drafted. “Every man is a king of his own castle… his own household. Women should obey their husbands!” To all 127 provinces this message is carried. In languages from Aramaic to Greek and beyond the message is boldly declared! “Order must be preserved. Women should obey!“
‌
Vashti, queen of Persia, is stripped of her royal titles for her disobedience and is forbidden from coming before the King again. Now, a new Queen must be named. Soon, Esther, the hero of our story, will appear on the scene.

‌**Devotion: On Obedience**
Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been many voices that have proclaimed a similar message to the one King Xerces and his court declare: “women must obey their husbands.” We hear this message even in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians as well as the Ephesians. We can find this same teaching elsewhere in scripture as well.
‌
There is one important voice, however, that we never hear speak this idea of the man being the head of the household. Can you guess who? Jesus! Throughout his ministry, Jesus pays special care toward lifting up the well-being of women. As a group of men were preparing to stone a woman to death for being allegedly unfaithful to her husband, Jesus steps in and asks who among them were without sin. He halts her ex*****on and shames those who were going to offer judgement.
‌
In a time when women could not leave their husbands but husbands could divorce their wives basically on a whim… Jesus puts forth instruction that what God has made one flesh no one should separate. Who do you think that was designed to protect? Yes, the women! Jesus didn’t want women being thrown onto the street just because their husbands were jerks. Jesus additionally declares that if your eye causes you to sin… pluck it out; so if you’re in a broken/abusive relationship, don’t hear the “one flesh” teaching as a forced instruction to stay in a bad relationship either. Jesus’ instruction is to live in relationships with each other where we work to love and care for each other with the same compassion of Christ. Not that some of us get to be kings in our households and others must be servants… but that we ALL should be servants to one another.
‌
As we continue the story of Esther, keep in mind that the hero of our story is a woman set in an environment where she is supposed to obey and be subservient to her husband. And yet, what is seen as faithfulness in her is not her ability to obey valiantly… but her willingness to stand with the oppressed even at a potential cost to herself.

**Prayer**
Lord God, you call your disciples to be servants to one another; not masters of each other. Teach us to stand with those who are oppressed. Help us to have the courage to step beyond what makes others comfortable or ourselves comfortable and instead walk faithfully in your love to all. Be with us we pray. Amen.

04/29/2023

Devotions on the Book of Esther (Part 1)

Chapter 1:1-9 (Setting the Scene)
The story of Esther opens not with an image of the woman who will become our tale’s hero… but instead of the King of Persia that she will marry. His name? King Ahasuerus in Aramaic or, as we more commonly known him by his Greek name, King Xerces. Yes, the same King Xerces that famously fought against the Spartan 300. King Xerces ruled from 486 BC to 465 BC, the famous battle against King Leonidas occurred in approximately 480.

King Xerces was known to have significant wealth and power. According to the opening chapter of Esther, he ruled over 127 provinces across a massive area spanning from India all the way to Ethiopia. Even by today’s standard that would be one of the world’s largest countries… in the ancient world it was nigh on impossible to imagine.

How was such a massive empire possible? Maintaining the empire was possible only through an incredibly rigid following of the rule of order. This requirement toward following the rule of order becomes very visible in the beginning of our story and sets the scene for the challenges that will follow.

Chapter one begins in the midst of great celebrations put on by King Xerces (Ahasuerus). If you have ever gone on a cruise ship and experienced the never-ending buffet… imagine that but on steroids. For 180 days, King Xerces put on one of the grandest feasts that the world had ever known up to that point for his officials and ministers. One can imagine the incredible delicacies brought to this feast from the 127 provinces under the King’s influence. As the 180 days came to a close, King Xerces opens the feast up for all of the citizens of his capitol city. EVERYONE can sit at the table and eat.

What a great king! Right? Why else would a king treat his officials, ministers and even the everyday ordinary people of his capitol city so well? King Xerces understands his ability to remain King hinges on keeping his officials and his ministers happy. For if they themselves feel like kings beneath his rule, they will have little reason to risk it all to overthrow him. The same goes for the larger populace. When people are made comfortable, they are less likely to push back against a broken system as long as it continues to favor them.

In verse 9, we even hear of King Xerces’ queen, Queen Vashti, deciding to hold a feast herself for the women of the palace. It seems, perhaps, even the queen has been entrusted by King Xerces to hold some power. But now that the scene is set with the opulence of this king and the way his empire holds together through making the people feel as though they are their own kings while also holding order in place… we prepare for a turn as our next section will see the downfall of Queen Vashti.

Devotional Thought of the Day:
Sometimes it can be challenging to boldly walk as one of Christ’s disciples because we fear we have so much to lose. And yet, Christ calls us to care for the “least of these” in our society. Are there things in your life that hold you back from caring for them? Are we willing to risk being made uncomfortable for doing the right thing for the sake of others?

Prayer:
Lord God, the riches of this world often give us comfort. We find respite through our possessions and through the things that give us entertainment. Help us instead to find respite in you. Instead of being drawn fully into the comforting pieces of this world, help us to be drawn to your footsteps in caring for this who struggle. Help us to be your loving, caring, compassionate voice in a world that too often chooses blindness to the woes around it. Be with us Lord, we pray. Amen.

04/28/2023

Devotional Series on Esther (Introduction)

I am excited to invite you to join me on a devotional journey on Facebook as we explore the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. This beautiful story teaches us about the power of faithfulness, courage, and community in the face of adversity and brokenness.

Esther, an Israelite woman who becomes queen in the Persian Empire, risks her life to save her people from destruction. God’s care and compassion for God’s people will be made known through Esther’s words and actions. Additionally, we will hear an emphasis on the importance of community and belonging. Esther's success in saving her people is dependent on the support and solidarity of the Jewish community in her day. This reminds us that we too are called to be part of a larger community of faith not merely for our own betterment, but for the sake of one another. Additionally, we are reminded that we are stronger together than we are alone.

As we enter this devotional series, I hope that you may find reassurance of God's presence, inspiration in the courage of Esther, and a new found appreciation for the importance of community. May this story encourage us to care for those who are struggling in our world today even when it isn’t always the “easy” or “popular” thing to do. God’s presence, courage, and love be with you.

Question to consider: As we reflect on Esther's example of using her position and her authority to care for those who were marginalized in her society, let us consider: who are the marginalized and vulnerable in our own society that we are called to intentionally care for today? Who do you think needs to have someone stand beside them in this day?

03/07/2023

Devotion of the Day – Snakes on a Pole
Based on Numbers 21:4-9

In the 2004-2009 Sci-Fi series remake, Battlestar Galactica, humankind is on the brink of extinction. Cylons [think worst-case rogue AI scenario] have launched a surprise attack on humanity. In a matter of just a few hours, all of the human settled worlds have been decimated. The known human population drops from tens of billions to a meager 50,298 souls aboard a small fleet of spaceships who are nervously bouncing around the galaxy trying to evade the Cylon hunters.

Each episode begins with a new count of how many survivors remain in the fleet and, with nearly every episode, that number drops. By the end of season two, the number has fallen to a mere 39,406 known humans alive in the entire galaxy. One can sense the feeling of impending doom.

While in our own age humankind’s numbers are on the rise… there are many who have a sense of impending doom. For some, there is a fear that in the next few decades climate change will indeed wildly change the world we live in. Still others worry of the brewing tensions throughout the world among nations with nuclear capability. There are also those who take note that society itself is changing from what it was 20,30,40, or 50 years ago. Still others of us watch our children and grandchildren grow up and it all just seems to happen too quickly.

All of these things that we might note can bring about a sense of all-too-quickly-approaching impending doom. While our population numbers are growing, we can still resonate with the feelings of those survivors in Battlestar Galactica that something that we cherish feels threatened. In these moments, I can’t help but think on how much we have in common with the Israelites in their time of Exodus out of Egypt.

As the people of Israel have escaped captivity in Egypt, what originally seemed a good thing begins to sour. Life together in the wilderness is harder than they expected. They want to simply “be” in the promised land… they don’t want to deal with the journey to get there. As they find the journey more difficult than what they wanted, they start grumbling and thinking back on the “good old days” when they were still slaves in Egypt. The people go to Moses and question him, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness?” Then they speak to him one of my favorite complaints ever: “There is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food!” In other words, we don’t have any food to eat and it tastes bad too!!!

Amid their fear of looming ruin, the people start pointing fingers. They point at Moses and suggest that he is the root of all of their challenges. They point at God and suggest (between the lines) that God has deserted them. Fear of losing that which was, fear for what the future holds, fear for their continued existence as a people overwhelm them—and so they start blaming. So what does God do in the midst of the people’s complaints? God sends poisonous snakes to be among them. People are bitten. People die. It's horrific. It’s uncomfortable. This is not the God that we are accustomed to seeing through the lens of Christ!

And yet, as the people cry out for mercy, God instructs them to place a bronze serpent on a staff in the center of their encampment… and that any who look on it might be healed should they be bit. I’m sure they would have preferred God to simply take away the snakes—yet, the dangerous reminder of mortality remains. But along with that danger is also the reminder to look up and to look beyond ourselves; to put our trust in God even in uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous situations. God calls the people to engage life with a hope in the God beyond themselves rather than condemnation toward one another and the divine.

As we find ourselves challenged in life, how often would that reminder to “look up and beyond” help us to see God at work? While life and society continue to change and time marches on, how might we be reminded to look up to God who bears the sign of new life and promise even in the struggles that you and I experience today. And it might behoove us to keep in mind that even after the people of Israel settled in the promised land, they did not simply live happily ever after—yet God continued to walk with them in the new challenges they faced.

Today, remember to look up. Maybe you’re watching the news and you hear the drums of “doom” day in and day out. Maybe you’re not happy with the direction society is going and you’re fearful that we’re losing the good old days. Maybe you’re concerned about a test result or a procedure coming up. Perhaps you’ve noticed your birthday cake is becoming a fire hazard and you’re anxious about what that means for your near future. Whatever it is today that is on your heart or in your mind, remember to look up and beyond yourself. God’s signs of promise are among us… trust in the one who died that the world might be saved.

Peace be with you,
Pastor Peter

02/27/2023

Devotion of the Day – Staying in Bed
Based on 1 Kings 19:1-8
I don’t watch a lot of cable tv these days. Generally, when I get the opportunity to sit down and just watch a show it is streamed. I say this, because (and this might sound weird), there is something organic about watching cable TV where you just watch whatever comes on next. I remember many a Saturday morning as a child where I would throw a blanket over myself and just watch show after show as I snuggled into the warmth of my self-created cocoon.

This weekend, I was away in Tulsa for our Synod Council and during a little down time I turned on the TV and found myself watching Hogan’s Heroes on ME TV for the first time in years. If you haven’t seen Hogan’s Heroes before… you should check it out. It’s a comedy series focused on a group of WWII P.O.W.s “trapped” in a German P.O.W. camp. Except they’re not exactly trapped there. They have a tunnel system that would probably make even the dwarves of Moria a touch impressed. Every episode is a new shenanigan as the Allies once again get another leg up on their German captors.

In one episode, Sergeant Shultz (German) walks into the POW barracks and is absolutely flabbergasted at the newest trick up his prisoners’ sleeves. But he knows that if he lifts what he has seen up the chain of command, he’ll probably be in as much trouble as the prisoners! With eyes bulging and mouth gaping, he exclaims, “I see noth-ing! I hear noth-ing! I know noth-ing!!!! I did not even get out of bed this morning!!!!” And with that, Shultz turns on his heel, marches out of the barracks, and slams the door behind him as he presumably goes back to his own bed rathe rather than face the new issue before him.

This feeling of wanting to just stay in bed rather than face the world is not a new one. We even have a story in scripture of one of the prophets, Elijah, wanting to go back and stay in bed. Elijah wanted to continue enjoying the warmth and safety of his own cocoon rather than go back out against the world. If he got up and went out again, he would face the judgement of others… and he did not want to deal with that. He wanted, literally, to just curl up in his spot and die rather than face the world once again.

I don’t know if I have ever been quite to that point where I wanted to curl up and die… but I know there have been times when I wanted nothing more than to stay in the safety of my bed rather than face a world that did not always feel welcoming. I’d imagine most of us have felt that at one point or another. Maybe you wanted nothing more than to avoid work or school or bullies or people in general one morning (or lots of mornings). Or maybe it’s more metaphorical and you were just ready to give up on something that you had put your entire heart into. I know sometimes the church can feel that way when we invest so much into other people and then don’t see the growth that we would hope for. It can be very challenging, and, like Elijah, we can at times want to just “be done” rather than continuing to try. “It’s just not worth it anymore.”

As Elijah readies himself to “be done” in his own ministry and even with his life, an angel appears and leaves cake and cold water for him for when he wakes up. It’s a simple gift; but it’s powerful. It’s like when you’re sick or grieving and someone stops by with a meal. In fact, it’s EXACTLY like that. And not only does this angel drop the meal off with Elijah, but the angel checks in on him again to make sure that he’s eating and yes, encourages him to get up and get out of bed once more. What’s crazy is… Elijah listens!

Elijah, who just a few verses before, had been ready to just curl up and die, now, after two meals and a word of encouragement, gets back out of bed. Now, he doesn’t get right back into the work that he had been doing. I think this is important for us to hear. Instead of jumping right back into the thing that caused him so much heartache in the first place, he goes to seek comfort and direction from God. We’ll talk a bit more about that in our next devotion, but for now let’s just say that Elijah still has trouble “getting over” what he’s struggling with.

Too often we tell each other or tell ourselves that we need to “just move on” or “just get over it.” And yet we see here in scripture that even one of the greatest prophets had a hard time rolling out of bed and facing what he did not want to face once more. The good news is that God sent people/angels into his life to remind him he wasn’t alone. The good news is that even when Elijah was ready to give up… God didn’t give up on Elijah. When Elijah didn’t want to hear, see, or know anything; God still heard, saw, and knew Elijah. God sent angels, divine or otherwise, with food, drink and encouragement to help Elijah through the tough times.

Today, take a moment and think about the times when angels have been sent to you. Think about the people who have brought meals to you in time of need or called you or texted you or reached out in some way that you needed when you were hurting or sick. Give thanks for those angels God has sent you. Maybe even reach out to them and let them know what a difference they made. And, also, consider if you might have the opportunity to be someone else’s angel this week. Who might you show God’s love and compassion to in the midst of their own desire to just stay in bed? And if you do decide to try to help someone through a hard time, remember it takes time—give them grace just as Elijah needed.

God’s peace be with you,
-Pastor Peter

Address

201 S. Oakwood Road
Enid, OK
73702

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

(580) 234-6637

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Faith Lutheran Church - ELCA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category