The widow shares - Zarephath Part 2
The previous blog told the story of Elijah, a prophet on the run. He’d been camped by the water, being fed by ravens. Then the brook dried up and the ravens stopped bring food. “The word of the Lord came to him” which I assume means that Elijah prayed and listened to God. And Elijah got up and went to Zarephath.
Elijah meets a widow gathering sticks for a fire to cook a last meal for herself and her son. Elijah asks her for a drink and then also for something to eat. She explains that she is making a final meal with the tiny amount of flour and oil she has left. Then she expects that her and her son will die.
Elijah’s big ask
Elijah does not seem worried! He asks the widow to make him a small biscuit first, and then to cook something for herself and her son. He assures her that the jug of oil and bowl of flour will never run out. And they do not.
The widow feeds a stranger before she feeds her family.
Read that sentence again. Would we call the widow a bad mother? [I’m aware that any story can be taken to extremes. I pose this question to jostle myself out of the familiarity of this story.]
Circling the wagons
It’s a human tendency to circle the wagons and keep to ourselves when we’re scared. Would a church that’s struggling to keep the lights on host a spaghetti dinner for anyone to come and eat for free? Not a fundraising dinner, a free dinner. That is basically what Elijah is asking for here—look after the stranger, then feed yourselves.
God gives our gifts in relationship. Gifts to be shared. God asks us to share even when we feel like we don't have much to share. God asks us to share even when we are scared. God asks us to share even when we think our congregation won't be around much longer.
The widow didn’t have much in the way of supplies. She has considerable talent—and I don’t mean cooking. She has a gift for calling it like it is, for telling the truth and naming the reality of her circumstances. She is willing to take a leap of faith and feed a stranger first. That is no small thing.
God keeps giving
Do you know someone in your congregation who often brings casseroles to people? Has she ever run out of macaroni?
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and God’s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. What does this mean for a church that is struggling financially? I am not a prophet but this is something I’ve thought about.
I am certain your congregation still has gifts to offer and gifts to receive. Prayer. Hope. Faithfulness. I encourage you to listen for God’s leading. Like Elijah, you might have to move away from the dried up brook.
When I used 1 Kings 17 in a lecture for the Atlantic School of Theology, I included some questions:
How does “so he got up and went” strike you?
Do you have a talent for hospitality like the widow? Does your congregation?
Are you worried your congregation is going to die?
Are you risk takers?
What talents has God given you to share? Are you worried that if you share, there won’t be enough left for yourselves?
In closing, I want to share this prayer for a congregational meeting, which could easily be adapted for Sunday worship. I’m grateful for Carol Penner’s ministry of encouragement and witness. I recommend her website leadinginworship.com as a resource.