Elijah, Elisha & the Company of Prophets

by Ray PickettWe begin our study of the prophets with a pair of prophets of renewal who formed a “company of prophets.” Elijah and Elisha are prophets central to Jewish memory and a model for the prophetic ministry of Jesus. In the midst of a political crisis they dared to confront injustice and together with their “company of prophets” speak God’s word of life from the margins to the religiously, economically and politically dominant groups at the center of society. They are timely examples of the importance of challenging the status quo and courageously bearing witness to God’s life-giving power under the shadow of death.Elijah, Elisha and their company of prophets provide both inspiration and an example for critically reflecting on issues of justice and power in our own social context. They raise questions for us about the core theological convictions and values that provide the foundation of our life together as both a community of faith and a society. They remind us that there is a alternative order of cooperative power that is very different from that which is operative in the structures of the world, and they call us to engage in God’s ongoing healing and transformation.Elijah, Elisha & the Company of ProphetsSundays, June 30 and July 79am - 10am, Lesher Lounge