February 6, 2018: Elijah Ascends to Heaven (or, "Of course you are. And I'm going with you.")2/6/2018 Prayer: Lord, may we always go with you in our lives. Amen. Reading: 2 Kings 2: 1-12 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: I am so sorry but I am going to make another Lord of the Rings reference here. Just when Frodo Baggins, the keeper of the Ring of Power, decides it is best for him to go it alone to Mordor where the ring can be destroyed, Samwise Gamgee, his loyal companion catches up to him determined to go along. Frodo emphatically tells Sam, "I am going to Mordor alone!" to which Sam responds, "Of course you are. And I'm going with you!" (A statement which makes no sense at all.) I admit, the meaning of this moment is nothing if you have not read the Lord of the Rings trilogy or watched the movies (hence my apologies), but this is basically what was going on in our reading here about Elijah and Elisha. Three times Elijah tries to shake off Elisha but Elisha refuses to stay behind. Prophets were even telling Elisha that Elijah was going to be taken away but that did not deter Elisha from staying by Elijah's side. Basically, Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. I am going to Bethel (alone)" and Elisha responded, "Of course you are. And I'm going with you." Have you ever been told to stay behind? Have you even been told that this is what is going to happen so you might as well give up? Welll, did you? Elisha didn't. Neither did Sam. Elisha, in the end, received a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Sam? Well, you'll have to read the books or watch the movie. --Ruth Gates
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