“On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.” Acts 20:7-12

{One rainy morning, my mother went for her daily run. As she returned to the house, she slipped and fell, hitting her head on the driveway. I called the paramedics. When they arrived, they asked my mom some questions to determine her coherency. “What is today?” inquired one man. Without hesitation, Mom replied, “Trash day.”}

Neither Eutychus, not the woman from our “story” are having a good day. I have spent 35 years of my life jogging to try to maintain some kind of cardio conditioning. And while jogging, I have fallen, tripped, slipped and experienced various injuries along the way. I have slipped on railroad tracks and cut my hand; I have slipped off curbs and ripped up my knees; I have almost been hit by trucks, school busses – and one Christmas Day was almost run over by a car. Thank the Lord I never hit my head when I fell. However, during a three week period over the Christmas season, we had three members of my congregation fall when they slipped on ice or snow – two hit their heads and lost consciousness – the other twisted a knee.

Eutychus fell and not only hit his head – he died instantly. It seemed initially that Eutychus’ luck had run out. But, just because Paul was long-winded and unrelenting, didn’t mean he couldn’t resolve to do something. And so, the first thing Paul does is he stops preaching; he finally stops preaching. Not that we want to get overly dramatic here, and conclude that nothing short of a disaster can interrupt Paul when he gets going, but I do notice that the first thing Paul does is to stop preaching.  Not too long ago I attended a wedding where one of the bridesmaids passed out during the pastor’s sermon. The pastor stopped for five seconds – FIVE SECONDS – long enough to make sure the woman was still breathing, and then he continued preaching. He did not stop to help her – two of us from the church went and made sure she was ok, had some water and a place to sit down. At least Paul stopped preaching. But that is not all he did – he healed the man – not just healed him but brought him back to life – restores his life and restores him to community.  Jesus is the one who restores us all to life – life in our community of believers – and ultimately life in community. As members of these communities, we too must be active in restoring life – restoring the marginalized to community, and breathing life into our own faith. And just like Paul, we need to find ways to throw ourselves onto and into the problems of community – sustained by the Holy Spirit – to bring new life into the church continually.

Pastor Dave

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lordcame a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.” 1 Kings 19:1-9

{My husband bought an exercise machine to help him shed a few pounds. He set it up in the basement but didn’t use it much, so he moved it to the bedroom. It gathered dust there, too, so he put it in the living room. Weeks later I asked how it was going. “I was right,” he said. “I do get more exercise now. Every time I close the drapes, I have to walk around the machine.”}

One of the first things that you learn about the geography of the Holy Land is that it’s tiny by American standards. From north to south, the modern state of Israel is only 290 miles long, and its width varies between 9 miles and 85 miles. With distances like that, a journey of 40 days and 40 nights is remarkable. The fact that the text says Elijah traveled day and night would presumably indicate walking at least 10-12 hours a day, leaving time for breaks and sleep. The math would indicate that if Elijah walked even 3 miles an hour, he would travel between 30 and 36 miles a day – which over 40 days and nights would mean he walked over 1200 miles. With that in mind, saying that his walk took “40 days and 40 nights” is just a way to say that he took “a long journey” – most likely not meant to be taken literally. It’s rather like when we say, “Thanks a million”—the million is just a way to indicate great thanks.

Did Elijah feel thankful for the provisions he received before he took “a long journey”? We are not told, but it was enough to strengthen him so he could make it to the Mountain of G-d. At Mt. Horeb he faces not only G-d but the awesomeness of G-d. And G-d gives him his instructions – he basically tells him to “go and do what needs to be done”. The bread and wine in communion we receive each Sunday may seem like a meager meal, but it is enough to strengthen us. In this bread and wine we see the awesomeness of G-d – and having received the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, we too are told to “go do what needs to be done”. As I say each Sunday, “Come to the banquet for all is now ready”. It is spiritual food – and spiritual drink – to sustain us to do G-d’s work.

Pastor Dave