Image via On Behalf of All
So on the advice of his counselors, the king (Jeroboam) made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 1 Kings 12:28 & 29
Wait… what!?!
That didn’t end well the first time the people of Israel tried it, did it? No. It didn’t. I think my Sunday school teachers must’ve missed this story when I was growing up because I don’t remember hearing this at all.
I could easily point fingers at this silly king and his silly people of Israel, but I’m the same way. There are so many times where I try to take control. And yes, I probably put my faith in something that’s just as….tangible (that’s a bad word-choice, but I can’t think of another word)…as these idols Jeroboam posted and the people worshiped. So what does that mean for me? Remain faithful to the One True God, even when there are images all around me that want to distract me from Truth.
I never noticed the prophecy about Josiah in 1 Kings 13:1-3 And that’s a pretty strange story that happened to the man of God after he shared the message to Jeroboam. But the point is still the same, I think: Stay focused. Don’t let anyone else detract or distract you from pursuing the mission that God has invited you (and me) to join.
The Tale of Anakin Redeemed 
This is a little bit why I like communion so much. Our God and our faith are full of the intangible. It is nice to have something on a regular basis that I can hold and see and smell. It is hard to stay focused on what is unseen when so much of the world around me seems to be competing to be seen.
Great observation, Seth.