Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 9 AM

Swing Low – 2 Kings 2:1-2, 4, 6-14 Bascomb UMC / June 30, 2019 / 9AM & 11AM Focus: The call of Elisha to take up the mantle, cross back over the Jordan and serve. Function: To challenge the church to move on to step 4 – service and ministry. 5 Purpose Outcomes of the Church: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Evangelism, Service 2 Kings 2:1-2, 4, 6-14 (CEB) Now the Lord was going to take Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, and Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. #1 - Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here because the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. #2 - Elijah said, “Elisha, stay here, because the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went to Jericho. #3 - Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So both of them went on together. Fifty members from the group of prophets also went along, but they stood at a distance. Both Elijah and Elisha stood beside the Jordan River. Elijah then took his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water. Then the water was divided in two! Both of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Let me have twice your spirit.” Elijah said, “You’ve made a difficult request. If you can see me when I’m taken from you, then it will be yours. If you don’t see me, it won’t happen.” They were walking along, talking, when suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went to heaven in a windstorm. Elisha was watching, and he cried out, “Oh, my father, my father! Israel’s chariots and its riders!” When he could no longer see him, Elisha took hold of his clothes and ripped them in two. Then Elisha picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood beside the banks of the Jordan River. He took the coat that had fallen from Elijah and hit the water. He said, “Where is the Lord, Elijah’s God?” And when he hit the water, it divided in two! Then Elisha crossed over. Are you familiar with the rule of three? It seems the rule of three influences almost everything! Science and technology – math, chemistry, statistics - all have a rule of three. Speech coaches insist that people can most easily remember something if it is said three different times because Shakespeare used it (“Friends, Romans, Countrymen”), Thomas Jefferson used it (“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”) and preachers are famous for three point sermons. The comedy world frequently follows the rule of three (first, name the topic (a priest, a rabbi, and a preacher go into a bar, second set up a pattern (they each order their favorite drink – for the minister – it’s a lemonade), and third: switch the pattern unexpectedly (the bartender says “What is this a joke?”) which should be funny. I checked the top three responses to things that come in threes from Family Feud. Two of them are dark – it seems deaths come in threes (ever heard that?), and bad luck comes in threes (notice I didn’t say the top four answers). But the #1 answer is positive for something that comes in threes? – Triplets! I discuss this because of our scripture today. They omitted a verse from this week’s selection and I put it back in because this Bible story includes the rule of three! Elisha was being tested by his mentor to see if he was really serious about following in Elijah’s footsteps. Could he endure the test and stick by Elijah’s side? Three times Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind: #1 at Bethel, #2 at Jericho, #3 at the Jordan River. Elisha was a very determined prophet in training! Each time he said: “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” It took a chariot of fire to separate them. That part of the story moves us from the known world to a place of mystery. We protestant preachers not only drink lemonade in a bar, we sweat under our collars when we preach from a text like this with so many outrageous events: fiery chariots with whirlwinds and the Jordan River parting like the Red Sea does for Moses (twice!). Why don’t we see these wild manifestations today? The two (NO make that THREE) best understandings I can offer you by way of explanation are: #1 – I wasn’t there so I can never say….but the truth is when God WAS showy and miraculous, it never stuck with the people – it was not that effective, so why continue today? But #2 – don’t expect miracles if you are not out on the front line building the kingdom, God shows up in big ways when we take big risks for God. And #3 – we walk by faith – God doesn’t owe us any proof. God expects our trust. So be comfortable with the unexplained, the mystery of God’s ways. Don’t prove your God, prove your faith by trusting. God tests us, we don’t test God. So, Elijah leads Elisha (and us) on a pointless, roundabout journey from Gilgal, which is already near the Jordan River, #1 to Bethel, #2 then back to Jericho (only a short walk from Gilgal) and then #3 to the banks of the Jordan River. It’s a journey with no quest, no obvious point except Elijah’s attempt to shake Elisha off. The two cross the Jordan on the “dry ground” like Moses in the exodus and Joshua’s conquest of Jericho, completing the rule of three. But understand this! There should always be a FOUR! We sing a song about this story. Most of us know it…. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Coming 4/for to carry me home. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Coming 4/for to carry me home. But who is that song for? Well, it was a spiritual because slaves dreamed of escape from their suffering. They imagined the chariot was coming for them, to take them away: “If you get there before I do, (Coming 4/for to carry me home). Tell all my friends I’m a coming to (Coming 4/for to carry me home). Is that you? Do you want to escape this world? Think about this - aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t hop a chariot home? Jesus finished his mission and it was Elijah’s time as well. Is this our song though? Is it your time? Are you done? Is there no step FOUR for you and I? Because after Elijah has disappeared, the story takes Elisha (and US) back across the Jordan into the world of the ordinary – our world. Because when God tells you three times to do something, the fourth thing that should happen is you DO IT. Jesus said, “1-Peter do you love me? 2-Peter do you love me? 3-Peter do you love me? – 4-Then feed my lambs.” A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan saw the wounded, robbed man lying on the road – the fourth thing that happened was the Samaritan gave assistance. At the end of Luke chapter 9, three people approached Jesus and the disciples. Jesus warned the first one that he had no place to even lay his head, Jesus told the second one that NOW was the time to follow – let the dead bury the dead, and he told the third one that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom and that ends the chapter. Part FOUR begins with Luke 10 – Jesus sends out the disciples to DO ministry. For many UM pastor’s today is their last Sunday before the pass the mantle on to another, but for ME - I begin year THREE and I’m convinced that year three is a crucial year for us together. I want the leadership of Bascomb to receive the mantle of authority, seek God’s face with me and then put our hand to the plow. I love to celebrate our history, but today, Jesus says watch out! You can’t look back and plow straight. Elisha was plowing when he was called by Elijah. He not only quit plowing, he made a fire with the yoke and sacrificed the oxen! No going back! Maybe “Swing Low” is not our song – not yet! Maybe we are more like Elisha, ready to cross back over the Jordan and take up the mantel of ministry. Maybe the better song for us is: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back. Tho' none go with me, still I will follow, Tho' none go with me still I will follow, Tho' none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back. No turning back, no turning back. Paul said: “Christ has set us free for freedom. You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love” Galatians 5 (CEB). Let us pray…….