It’s been a while since I preached, so I thought, why not tackle a difficult lectionary passage that we hardly ever read. It is an entertaining – and in-credible story. And one we do well to consider in these contentious times.

When we hear fairy tales or myths or parables, we usually recognize that they contain a lesson. Sometimes it is apparent and sometimes the lesson is harder to discern. We usually understand that while the story itself may not be true, it conveys an important truth. It points to something that we need to ponder and learn, not just in the context of the story but in our own context.

Remember that as we hear this story about the prophet Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal.

Read I Kings 18: 17-39

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

18:20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.

18:21 Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word.

Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the LORD; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” All the people answered, “Well spoken!”

18:25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made.

At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.

18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down; Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed.

18:33 Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

18:36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD indeed is God; the LORD indeed is God.”

This is one fabulous story. Elijah, like most prophets, speaks his mind even when it is not politic and he does amazing, impossible miracles. So, what truth might be contained in this wild story? What is it pointing us toward?

Maybe understanding the various gods and their particular powers gives us some direction. Baal is the weather god of lightning, wind, rain and fertility. Asherah is a favorite fertility god of Jezebel’s, just along for the ride. And Elijah’s god is of course the god of everything, the god whose name is but a breath, YHWH.

But why does Elijah provoke this challenge in the first place? Elijah the prophet and King Ahab don’t have the best relationship. King Ahab is an Israelite but he has married Jezebel, a Baal worshipper, and her influence has definitely rubbed off on Ahab.  Elijah tells King Ahab there is going to be a drought – for three years – and then Elijah disappears into the countryside. There is a drought and Ahab sends his servants everywhere to look for Elijah so that Elijah can make it rain.

In the third year, Elijah shows up on his own and Ahab accuses Elijah of being a troublemaker. Elijah throws it right back at Ahab, calling him the problem for abandoning YHWH and following the gods of Baal. Elijah calls for this gathering atop Mount Carmel.

There, on top of the mountain, in front of 450 prophets of Ba’al and 400 prophets of Asherah, Elijah accuses the people of Israel of being the problem. They have limped along, one foot in the Baal camp and one foot with YHWH. They have been straddling the fence. They have tried to have it both ways, or no way. Elijah calls them out on this and says it is totally unacceptable.

They can pretend that not making a decision about who to follow is possible but they are wrong. We can try to believe that not making a decision means neutrality but Elijah says, neutrality is a decision – for the status quo.

The people say – absolutely nothing in response to this accusation. Perhaps it is an attempt to stay balanced on the fence, or hide behind the fence; anything to steer clear of Elijah’s anger and wrath. If they are very, very quiet maybe this angry man will go away.

But Elijah does not go away. He pushes even harder, proudly saying he is the only one of YHWH’s prophets left. Elijah proposes a contest to see who the real God is. And now – the people cheer and shout in excitement because who doesn’t like a smack down on top of a mountain?

The people of Israel are not the only ones with fence issues, limping along, conflicted about making decisions. Mennonites are known around the world for being peaceful, for promoting peace but sometimes in an attempt to keep the peace amongst ourselves, we become fence sitters. The two resolutions, both passed by delegates at the MC USA convention in Kansas City last summer, are a prime example of fence sitting. The “forbearance resolution” said we will live with our different theological understandings of sexuality. The other resolution, put forth by the Executive Board, takes a step back from our 2009 “acknowledgement” of controversial documents and “reaffirms” the documents (originally passed in 1986, 1987 and 2001.)

I suppose one might argue that forbearing with each other is already fence sitting. Or one might say that to affirm living with difference and affirm punishing difference is fence sitting. Either way, we are limping along, as Elijah describes it. We seem stuck on the fence. Some people and conferences are ripping holes in their pants trying so hard to get off the fence. Are they are trying to get inside or outside the fence?

The United States straddles a fence, limping painfully. In some ways, we have made real progress in eradicating the racism this country was built on. And in other ways, the same problems are with us: inequity – in housing, jobs, jobs that pay a living wage, education, policing, voting rights, incarceration… The inequalities hide in plain sight and seem to get ever more institutionalized. Declaring that “Black Lives Matter” is one way to get off the fence and challenge the status quo.

It is one thing for black people to make that declaration. It is quite another for people who are not black to insist that Black Lives Matter. When Ewuare Osayande was here a few weeks ago, he commented that he thinks it would make a difference if predominantly white congregations would tell their local police and local government that Black Lives Matter. What would it mean to our neighbors, black and white, if this congregation posted a “Black Lives Matter” sign or banner? What does it mean that we have not done this?

Back on Mount Carmel, Elijah sets the perimeters for the showdown between Baal and YHWH. Somehow Elijah comes up with two oxen. The prophets of Baal prepare their ox for sacrifice. After six hours of praying and crying out with no response from the god of fire, Elijah begins to make fun of the 450 prophets, “Maybe Baal is off praying to himself, or has gone on a trip, or is in the restroom or is asleep.” The prophets cry louder and cut themselves, so that they are covered in their own blood. Finally, it is clear that the prophets of Baal are not receiving an answer. No fire from the Fire God appears on the altar.

Now it is Elijah’s turn. And since he is the lone prophet, he asks for help from the people. The writer is careful to describe how Elijah repairs the altar that the people had let fall apart. He instructs them to place 12 stones for the12 tribes, just like their ancestors did years and years ago in the river Jordan. Elijah tells them to dig a trench around the altar, place the wood and the ox on top of that. And then just to make sure that everyone knows that YHWH is the god that can do anything, they pour water all over the wood and the ox, three times, until the trench is full.

These details are carefully explained because as much as Elijah is out to prove that YHWH is God, Elijah is also calling the people back to their tradition, to themselves.  When Elijah begins to pray to YHWH to send fire, Elijah calls on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the same name that Moses hears God speak. When God speaks to Moses from the burning bush, God says I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Elijah uses this name for God to remind the people who they are and who their God is, the God who can appear in fire, the God of their blessed ancestors. Dr. Vicki Vaughn http://blogs.baylor.edu/truettpulpit/2016/05/21/1-kings-1820-21-22-29-30-39/

As we would hope and expect, the God of Elijah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel, sends fire – a fire so ferocious it consumes the ox and the wood, the 12 stones and the leftover ashes. It even licks up the water. Nothing is left. Just as Elijah had hoped and prayed, the people now turn back to God, bowing and declaring that this mysterious YHWH is indeed the true God.

This is the Sunday morning, family version of the story. For the final ending, read on to verse 40. Elijah is not really a kindly prophet – if we thought he was.

The people of Israel get off the fence, quit limping along. They stop trying to have it both ways – with YHWH and Baal. As Elijah hoped they would do, they turn their allegiance to YHWH, the mysterious God of their tradition. When Jesus comes along, many years later, he also calls the people back to the best of their tradition, to the God of their ancestors – which is perhaps why some people thought Jesus was Elijah. Even with this dramatic story of Elijah, preserved in the tradition, Jesus has to remind the people again and again, to stop being indecisive and turn toward YHWH.

Each generation, each of us, is susceptible to fence sitting. In fact, sometimes we get quite good at straddling the fence and find it all too comfortable. We create footholds that fit just so, though sometimes our muscles do start to ache as we try to stay balanced on the fence. Elijah, and Jesus, invite us, command us, to rest our tired bodies, to get off the fence and build an altar to the God whose name is but a breath, YHWH.

We build altars to help us recognize God, the mysterious source of life. Some will build altars inside the fence. Some will build altars far outside the fence. Elijah built an altar on top of a mountain; Jesus did not object to people taking genuine sacrifices to the temple. Note that we do not build an altar on the fence – or God forbid, get so comfortable on the fence that we begin to mistake the fence for an object of worship.

Elijah calls us, Jesus calls us, off the fence of having it both ways, of indecision, of status quo. These prophets call us to a life of walking freely without a limp, so that we can walk the path with and toward the mysterious God whose name is but a breath, YHWH.