Walter Brueggemann was one of the biggies in the world of biblical studies. The Old Testament scholar died earlier this month. He will be missed, even by those who couldn’t follow him to all of his conclusions. He did an especially good job linking the roles of the Old Testament prophets to the ministry of the modern church. Each of us may not be an Elijah, but together we share in Elijah’s work.
He’s the preeminent prophet of the Old Testament and there are more accounts of Elijah’s power encounters, proclamations, and oracles than any other prophet (except Moses). And it’s with Moses that Elijah appears along with Jesus in the story of the Transfiguration.
However, at low ebb, Elijah found himself running across country in need of supernatural refreshment. So God gives him a jar of water. Prophetic work is tough, and if the Church is going to follow in Elijah’s footsteps, we may need to eat a Snickers.
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