“The Sacrament Of The Present Moment”
Part 3, “What If The Present Moment…Is Terrible?”
I Kings 19
Part 3, “What If The Present Moment…Is Terrible?”
I Kings 19
I. The Hammer And Chisel Of The Lord
A. Finding God’s Presence In All Things
(Quote) Caussade, “How foolish to refuse to breathe the open air! To search for a spot on which to place the foot when there is the whole countryside before you; to be unable to find water when there is a whole deluge at your service, nor to possess and enjoy God, nor to recognize his action when it is present in all things.”
B. A Work We Cannot Produce
(Quote) Caussade, “It is obvious that a work such as this cannot be affected by cleverness,
intelligence, nor subtlety of mind, but only by the way of abandonment to, its reception, and by yielding to it like metal in a mold, or canvas under the pencil, or stone in the hands of the sculptor.”
intelligence, nor subtlety of mind, but only by the way of abandonment to, its reception, and by yielding to it like metal in a mold, or canvas under the pencil, or stone in the hands of the sculptor.”
C. Yielding To The Work Of The Sculptor
(Quote) Caussade, “…a stone that is destined to become a crucifix or a statue without knowing it, if it were asked, ‘What is happening to you?’ would reply if it could speak, ‘Do not ask me, I only know one thing, and that is, to remain immovable in the hands of my master and to endure all that comes my way.’”
D. God’s Business Is God’s Best
(Quote) Caussade, “As for the end for which I am destined, it is God’s business to understand how it is to be accomplished; I am as ignorant of what God is doing as of what I am destined to become; all I know is that God’s work is the best, and the most perfect that could be, and I receive each blow of the chisel as the most excellent thing that could happen to me…”
(Quote) Caussade, “…although, truth to tell, each blow, in my opinion, causes the idea of ruin, destruction, and disfigurement. But that is not my affair; content with the present moment I think of nothing but my duty, and I endure the work of this clever master without knowing, or occupying myself about it.”
(Quote) Caussade, “Allow God to act, and abandon yourself to God’s will and work in your life. Let the chisel perform its office, the needle do its work. Let the brush of the artist cover the canvas with many tints which only have the appearance of daubs.”
II. “I have had enough, Lord…take my life…”
1 Kings 19:1-2, “When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: ‘May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.’” NLT
1 Kings 19:3-4
1 Kings 19:5-6
1 Kings 19:7-9
1 Kings 19:9-10
1 Kings 19:11-13, “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:14
1 Kings 19:15-18