Hello Everyday God-Talk Community,

I hope your summer has been refreshing and filled with hope! As we ease back into updating our blog under the new webpage system, we appreciate your patience during this transition. It might take a little more time to fully settle in, but I’m excited to share some updates from our lives.

As we welcome the beginning of fall, I invite you to start with an 8-minute sermon focused on the story of Elijah, one of the "complimentary" biblical passages in this Sunday's lectionary.

I've included the script and a news article about the reflection I shared on 1 Kings 19:4-8. I hope it provides some inspiration for your sermon this week or anytime in the future. ~ Blessings,

1 Kings 19:4-8

4 But [Elijah] 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.”

5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.”

6 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.

7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

8 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.

Good morning, everyone,

Today, I feel a bit like Elijah, the prophet whose story we'll be reflecting on. Elijah found himself in a "fight or flight" mode, facing life-threatening danger and immense pressure. Instead of delving into the heavy historical context or demonizing those who threatened him, I want to invite us to consider how we respond when we face such situations perceived as life-threatening in our minds.

Perhaps we are currently in such a situation with discussions about unification and reduction looming over us. When faced with these challenges, our natural reactions tend to be "fight or flight." Recently, I learned that there's also a third response: "freeze." So, what would be your response in such a situation?

For me, it varies. Sometimes I fight, other times I flee. And often, I freeze, at least for a few seconds, before deciding what to do – fight or flight. This helps me understand Elijah's choice to flee rather than fight. In today's story, he runs away from the extreme danger of being murdered, after experiencing a massacre, leaving his close assistant behind, and hides out alone, exhausted and overwhelmed. He was probably drenched in sweat, adrenaline surging through his veins, breath coming in rapid gasps, heart pounding wildly, and cortisol levels soaring.

The story today brings to mind the difficult situations faced by people in various parts of the world, such as Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, my homeland Korea during the Korean War 75 years ago, and many other places where lives are at risk. Additionally, those struggling with illnesses, recovering from accidents, coping with job loss, grieving the loss of loved ones, and living in extreme poverty … all experience similar challenges. We can empathize with their exhaustion and their heartfelt cries of, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."

But did Elijah truly mean it? Do we mean it when we cry out for our lives to end? This question brings us into a complex discussion about mental health and the overwhelming weight of such painful and fearful situations. When faced with immense pain and fear, we might cry out in desperation, and even be willing to end our lives, but deep down, most of us don’t want to die.

What we truly want is for the pain and fear to stop. We want the cause of the pain and fear to disappear, so we can live, survive, and thrive.

It’s like a vulnerable child who, in anger, tells a parent, "I hate you," when they don’t mean it. They just want their pain and fear to be acknowledged and alleviated. Similarly, although in a more serious situation, Elijah's cry, "Enough! Let me die!" was a raw and vulnerable prayer, not truly a wish for death but a plea for relief from pain and for life free from fear.

God understood Elijah’s true intent. Instead of scolding him, God sent an angel to provide food and drink for the long journey ahead. God comforted and encouraged him, recognizing the pain and fear behind his words.

This story shows us the raw, honest form of prayer. Even when we say things out of trauma, anger, and fear, God understands our true desires. God knows our exhaustion and pain and responds with compassion and care.

I am reminded of a time when I had a job interview at the Theology and Worship office five years ago in 2019. I was asked to close the interview with a prayer, and I ended up doing a prayer in a very childish manner. I felt I did a terrible job. I thought I had failed, but God encouraged my colleagues to see my true intent through that kiddish prayer. They welcomed me into their community. We've been through so much together since then—pandemic, remote working, church changes, three General Assemblies online and hybrid, and unification. We've had moments of freezing, fleeing, and fighting, but overall, we've cared for each other deeply.

I hope you also feel this sense of care and support among your colleagues. Just like that angel, they might bring you bread and water, hold your hands, and prepare you for the long healing journey ahead. When you’re traumatized in the mode of either “fight, flight, or freeze,” both virtually and in person, may you have the help of your colleagues in the form of angels, and may we become the angels to show up for our colleagues who need help with bread and water, today and every day. Thanks be to God.

Amen.