Passing the Mantle.
Dear friends, we are gathered today to remember a good man. A man called by God to do the work of God in and for the world. A man I looked up to and admired greatly, a man you knew well, if not because of what he said, but because of what he did for us, for you, for me.
No one ever expected to find him here; from all appearances, he wasn’t born for this kind of work, but here we find ourselves, remembering his life, his work and his contribution to the world’s story.
What we had was great, but we knew the end was coming, we knew that it couldn’t last forever. The only thing that never changes is change itself, but it still hits us by surprise. I can still remember those days when we all walked together, especially towards the end.
He was tired. As I remember it, it had been a long, sordid journey for him. The road we walked towards the end was not long, but it seemed to last forever. It has hit me by surprise now that it’s come and gone, but at the time, when everyone knew that time was growing short no one would talk about it. We weren’t ready to say goodbye. How could we be? Here in our very own presence was a man truly called by God.
But he was tired. He was tired and ready to hang it all up. Retirement. Rest. Release. Yes, it was time. But when, and how, and, more importantly, what. What would happen when it was all over; to him, to us, to the world around them all? No one else could do what he did. Only he had been able to balance life so artfully in this time, this time marred by political impropriety and faithful infidelity. But it was time to hang it all up. It was time to step aside. It was time to rest.
We were At Bethel and he told me to stay, that it was his time to go on, alone, but I told Elijah that great prophet, that great man of God, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Everybody told me that he had one foot out the door, that his time was up, and I guess on some level I knew it. They said, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And I said, “Yes, I know, keep silent.”
Then we were at Jericho and he told me to stay, that it was time to go on, alone, but I told Elijah, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” The others with us told me, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And again I said, “Yes, I know, be silent.”
But then, at the waters of the Jordan I knew that it couldn’t last much longer and though Elijah told me again “Stay here” I told him again, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” There was something special about that river. It was long ago now, but the story lives on in history. Slaves in Egypt, vagabonds in the wilderness, when we crossed the Jordan and entered the land of promise, we were finally home, and now, here we were again and I just know it won’t be long.
He said one day I’d do what he does, but his shoes are too big to fill. How could I do what he does? I’m just Elisha, son of Shaphat. But here he goes, and I, I can only hope to stay close and stay with him.
It all happened so fast! He took off his mantle, his cloak, that powerful piece of fabric that he once threw over my head, beckoning him to follow. He took off his mantle, touched the waters of the Jordan. The waters parted and we crossed over to the other side. The others traveling with us stayed a ways back, but no one could believe what happened next. Chariots of fire and angels with them swept down and plucked Elijah from me. I was astounded. I was astonished. I was amazed. I was alone.
It all happened so fast and now, I find myself alone without him and I just don’t think I’m going to make it. My grief is so great, I just don’t think that I’ll be able to go on. Where is the God of Elijah now? What will we do? How will we carry on?
Sure he said that if I was with him when he left that I’d inherit some of his power, sure he left his cloak, his mantle for me, but what am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be?
I better get back to the others. I can’t stay out here on the other side of the Jordan alone. Maybe if I do like he does, roll up his mantle, touch the Jordan, maybe I can fake it for a while.
To my surprise, when I took up his mantle, I felt a surge of power through my body. I tapped the water and just as it had done when Elijah did it, it parted, allowing me to cross to the other side. The others told me that that was then they knew that the Spirit of God that rested on Elijah now rested on me, Elisha. It was the beginning of my own career. The mantle was passed and we would carry on.
Grace to you and peace...
There are four things we Sierra Evangelicals need to learn from the story of Elijah and Elisha in first and second kings.
1) Mourning and Grief are part and parcel of loss. There is no preparation that can ready us for the reality of the end when it actually is upon us. Take time to grieve, it is okay to grieve.
Elijah’s end was announced, I’m not sure that it was a 5-year announcement like you received, so it was no surprise, but when it happened, it still brought grief. Elisha tore his clothes, ripped them in two, a traditional sign of mourning and sadness. I don’t recommend that we start doing that now, but, that we take time to grieve in the way that we need to.
2) Mantles get passed. PASSING THE MANTLE ISN’T PASSING THE BUCK. All good things and all bad things for that matter come to an end. Our lives are finite and ever changing. That the end must come is not a warrant to despair; it is a call to live fully in each moment. We can rest in the hope that future needs are being tended to presently. God called Elijah to anoint Elisha to replace him. God had someone in mind to carry on Elijah’s mantle, Elijah’s call and God has someone else in mind for SELC and is calling him or her here, passing the mantle from one great pastor to the next. God is already at work preparing for the future of this great church. The mantle will be passed and we will carry on.
3) Good leaders prepare future leaders. Elisha followed along with Elijah for over three years, following in his footsteps, learning the road that Elijah had already trod as a prophet.
It’s no surprise that Elisha would do as Elijah had done: the miraculous healings, the bringing forth of abundant oil in a time scarcity, the resuscitating of the dead.
In the same way, Sierra Evangelical Lutheran Church, and especially Harl, prepared future leaders, not just for this church, but the whole church. (Present certificate from Bishop/Synod) Good leaders prepare future leaders and preparations have been laid for this church.
4) Not only do mantles get passed, but the work gets passed on as well. Elijah’s to-do list was not finished when he was taken up by the chariot; Elisha had to finish his work.
Elijah was called to anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria); then to anoint Jehu as king over Israel. This Elisha would do. Elijah was also called to speak a prophetic word of judgment to Ahab and Jezebel, perhaps two of the greatest villains in the bible. Elijah saw only half of this word fulfilled with the death of Ahab, but Elisha would carry on until Jezebel’s end was carried out. So too is the work that you started with Harl: you are not yet finished, there is more to be done.
SELC is a unique church, but our change is not so unique. Many times before and many times to come, such change will come to us all. What we learn from Elijah and Elisha doesn’t only apply to the change we are experiencing as a church, but a change that we will all experience at the end of our careers, the end of our lives, the end of our loved ones lives. When the chariots swing low for us, we take our cues from Scripture, the word that tells us that no thing, no one, no nothing will separate us from God’s love. And that God is with us always, to the end of the age.
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