The Joshua Victor Theory

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Our Old Testament reading from 1 Kings is a couple of verses short, because someone took out the repetition of a question and answer between God and Elijah. The prophet Elijah meets God on Mount Horeb, another name for Mount Sinai. So what is the repeated question and answer? God asks: “ What are you doing here Elijah?” The first time God asks this, Elijah has arrived on the mountain and is staying in a cave. The second time is after God has beckoned him outside of the cave, to witness the tearing wind, the earthquake, the fire, and the gentle whisper. Then God repeats the question, in the gentle whisper: “ What are you doing here Elijah?” Both times Elijah answers exactly the same: “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to...

Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Have you ever longed for someone to take notice? To take notice of you? Of course there are some people in the world, like the beggar Bartimaeus, who cried out loud to Jesus, and wouldn’t be silenced until Jesus came near and healed his blindness. Some of us have no trouble getting attention, or crying out in genuine need, “ Lord, have mercy !” But others bear suffering or misfortune in silence. They do not cry out to be heard, they do not raise their voice, and most often, no one notices or pays attention. We don’t know what was in the heart of the widow of Nain, described to us in the Gospel reading—except to know that she was gripped by grief that was on display for all to see, until Jesus noticed, came near, and spoke to her, “ Do not weep .” There seems to have been no invitation or plea for help—Jesus just happened upon the funeral procession leaving the town, as He and ...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Do you know what it would take to “light a fire in you?” What would get you so stirred up and passionate about something, that you would take action and do something? Maybe seeing something outrageous, or knowing a terrible injustice was being done, and something had to be done about it? Sometimes I feel like our generation is desensitized, or dulled to what’s going on around us in the world. Do you feel so heavily bombarded with stories of violence, corruption, war, poverty, and injustice in the media, that it hardly triggers an emotion in you anymore? We might feel apathetic, like we can’t possibly care—because it’s too much, too great a burden to bear or comprehend. We might feel helpless or even lazy, as though there is nothing we could do that would make a difference anyway. Or we might simply feel safe and complacent, since we may seem to be insulated from much of the “bad news.” If you can identify wit...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Please take out your bulletin insert and compare the Collect, or prayer of the day for this Sunday with our Old Testament reading. It invites God to “stir up Your Power, O Lord and Come…” just like the reading calls God to “ rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence ”…and talks about God’s mighty power causing the “ nations to tremble at your presence .” Both are prayers for God to arise and take action, especially as Isaiah feels as though God has been silent, He has hidden His face from His people because of their sins, and the enemies of Israel were triumphing over them. The kind of action Isaiah has in mind for God recalls Mt. Sinai—the thundering, fires, and earthquakes. Powerful signs and judgment to drive away the enemies of God’s people. This would bring the rescue his people hoped for. However, as Isaiah continues to pray, he is perplexed by their sins. He real...