Opening Salvo

I Kings 19:1-15

God is more 'god' when God keeps silence rather than all the roaring and fire and thunder, and lightning etc. My God is a quiet God. I don't know if God even has a mouth or lips or can make any sound. The pharisees wanted Jesus to call down some great sign or wanted  heaven to roar or something like that to make God 'God'. And the bible is full of great miracles and noise and voices and stuff. But God is more 'god' when there is silence: just a presence, just a purpose, just a calling, an urge, a movement that says 'there are things bigger than you can ever speak of, hear, understand or comprehend.'

Here's Elijah getting the same message. Signs and wonders are easy and they make God sort of magical and awe inspiring. The silence is different. It's more powerful. It's everything that's left when the noise runs out. It's what is behind all things that try and make themselves noticed by drawing your attention towards them. It's the vastness that holds everything that clangs and shouts and is certainly not empty. The silence is always there. Sometimes you can't hear it because of the noise but it is always there. Noise isn't. It always runs out. That's why silence is more God-like than earthquakes, wind and fire.

My God is the quiet one.

Any hymns that might be appropriate (except Dear Lord and Father of Mankind). What symbol might be placed on the communion table to represent this silent God? What other music might be played from popular culture that might help draw us from contemporary to ancient?

Over to you...

Comments

[Eileen Ross]

http://youcallthatchurchmusic.blogspot.com/2013/06/june-30-2013.html
also on facebook.
"You Call That Church Music offers alternative music selections for churches following the Revised Common Lectionary chosen by music director Annie Strickland/Grace Church, Bainbridge Island"
Recent suggestions for Elijah and the widow's son: The Rising by Bruce Springsteen
Rise by Eddie Vedder
If I Rise by A. R. Rahman, Dido and Rollo Armstrong