Mindful Leader

Elijah confronts Ahab

An extended passage out of 1st Kings 18 where Elijah dukes it out with the Baal Priests.  I only read the second half on the podcast with the first half being read by the liturgist of the day and not included here.   

I think the question is obviously associated with the idea of false gods and if we give them power.  Too often I would think we do.  Jesus observes in Matthew 6: 24 that we cannot serve two masters.  

I do tie back to Hilltop and where we are trying to go in 2016 and what God we are trying to serve.  

This is from the 9:00 service.  

Ruth -- God's Loving Kindness within Displacement

While the reading is from Ruth 1, the sermon is as much all of Ruth as it is Ruth 1. 

 Ruth is the outsider, the one of dubious origins (Moab) but she is the one who shows what God's chesed looks like. We explore the idea of displacement in many ways. 

This is from the 10:30 service.

Deuteronomy 5 -- Covenant Relationship

Moses reading of the Decalogue the second time, this time before entering the Promised Land brackets the Wilderness narrative.  There are hints of the "ancient future" idea I find so resonant.  The ancient words apply to us in this future time.  But at the key this is about relationship -- God initiates, we are invited to respond.  God loves us ... it would be so easy to see Grace as conditional, but it isn't.  

(Note:  we split the reading and I pick up the reading on the podcast about 5:17.  Had read 5:1-16 or so earlier.)

This is from October 11, 2015 @ 9:00.  The 10:30 version was not useable.  

Exodus 3: 1-15 -- Called by God

This is a little from both 9 and 10:30.  The scripture reading and introduction is from 9 and the actual sermon is from 10:30.  Moses is called by God.  He key is the issue of "po" (here) and "hineni" (here I am but with a spiritual commitment.)  Probably need to listen close to the sermon but when getting ready to exit a USAF aircraft, while still in flight, the commitment is made by a statement of "All OK".  In.  100% in and ready.  

Genesis 32: 22-30 -- Jacob Wrestles with God

I love this passage.  I really should preach four or five times on this come next summer.  But if Sara/Abraham are us, Jacob is really us.  A trickster who fools himself for a while but then his ways meet someone better at it than he is ... and God calls Jacob back to face his brother.  We all wrestle with God and I would hope and pray are marked by that struggle, but then I love this passage.