Acts 2:1-13

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” vss. 1-2

It’s not surprising that John and Luke would describe the coming of the Holy Spirit in different ways. If accounts of such a mysterious and wondrous event written down decades apart were identical we’d likely be suspicious. As it is we can be grateful for the differences and appreciate the similarities. John reports that the Spirit came directly from Jesus just after the resurrection, while Luke says that the outpouring occurred after the Ascension. Both report that it took place in Jerusalem. Luke says that the Spirit’s coming was like the rush of a violent wind, a phrase that reminds us of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” And that’s exactly what happened in Jerusalem! The gospel of Jesus Christ was unleashed with the power of a tornado and the velocity of a hurricane. The Spirit was breathed on humanity and continues to blow where it wills. We’ll be celebrating Pentecost in our congregations on Sunday. Some say that this explosion of energy and love is the birthday of the Church, and there’s little reason to disagree. Maybe we’ll even sing Happy Birthday!

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to celebrate Pentecost?

John 16:24-26

“I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” vs. 26

From the time of his baptism Jesus was convinced that God loved him, and he described that love in very personal terms. It was like the love of a father for an only son, and he spent the rest of his life exploring the extent of that love and listening for missional direction. During those years he discovered that unconditional love and mercy were at the core of God’s being and it became his mission to pass that knowledge on to his disciples. On the last day of his life John reports that Jesus prayed that the same love and mercy that he had experienced from God would also be felt in their lives. Not only would God’s love be in the disciples, but he too would be present. He’s describing a love connection engineered by the Holy Spirit in which the Father, the Son, and all believers would become as one. On the surface that sounds like an unwieldy arrangement, one that’s almost impossible to comprehend, but as Jesus described it, so it has come to be! There is a mystical love connection loose in our world that brings restoration and joy to all who are involved. And it’s not a dream, it’s a present reality. The unconditional love and mercy of God, incarnate in all believers, is changing the world for good!

Thought for the Day: Where am I connected to this love?

John 17:20-23

”I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” vs. 20-21a

Unity was one of the biggest challenges for the early Christian community, and John addresses that issue as he recounts what is known as Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples. These words reflect Jesus’ deepest desires for all who would one day believe in him. Simply put, he earnestly prays that they all would be one. What he has in mind is not something like one big denomination, but rather a unity that would be a reflection of the oneness that he himself had with God. It would have everything to do with their witness to the world. Imagine a Church of believers who were so connected to one another and to Jesus, that they would reflect the actual presence of God. Now that may seem a pipe dream but that is exactly what happens when we put aside our denominational and religious distinctions and unite to serve the world as the hands and the feet of Jesus. When that occurs, and it does happen, not only is the will of God being done, but the kingdom of God is being established on earth. In the context of that unconditional love and sacrificial service, not only is God revealed, but humanity flourishes. This is the way things are supposed to be!

Thought for the Day: Why is denominationalism so destructive?

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” vs. 17

The book of Revelation ends with a warning and an invitation. Typically the warning, found in verse 18 of chapter 22, is not included when this lesson is read in our congregations. It’s a kind of boiler plate warning that most apocalyptic writers attached to their documents in those days. It’s okay not to read the warning, but the invitation should not be missed. It’s not complicated, really only a single word: “Come,” say the Spirit and the bride (a beautiful metaphor for the Church). This is  evangelism in a nutshell, “Come, let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” How good it is to hear an invitation without conditions! The only requirement for participation in the life of the Church is a recognition of need! Sometimes we hear a similar invitation in our congregations when people are invited to Holy Communion. “If you’re hungry or thirsty, come eat and drink at the Table of the Lord. It’s an invitation of pure grace, a declaration of the gospel that everyone can understand. There are no prerequisites beyond a desire to participate, and that’s just what Jesus wants at his holy meal. It’s the perfect vehicle for his sacrificial and unconditional love!

Thought for the Day: What conditions are sometimes attached to the invitations in congregations?

Psalm 97:8-12

“Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” vss. 11-12

Jesus wasn’t comfortable with people being labelled as being either “sinners” or “righteous.” In fact when people insisted on using those terms he showed by his actions that he preferred the company of sinners, which is one of the reasons people of faith really love Jesus. But even if we feel that way it’s important for us to honor the perspective of the psalmist. As he observed the people around him he noted that some did lead moral and righteous lives, and moreover he felt deeply that living in such a way brought great blessings–and we’d be hard-pressed to disagree. We too observe folks every day who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord. They will also likely be aware of their own sinfulness, but they have definitely chosen the path of righteousness as their standard. The psalmist believed that this lifestyle choice would bring light and joy into people’s  lives. And we know this to be true! In spite of the brokenness which is also a part of our daily experience, our hearts explode at the goodness of the Lord which brings light to every dark day. And for that reason alone we are daily bound to thank, praise, and adore our beautiful God. Surely such sentiments will be a part of our daily prayer!

Thought for the Day: For what am I thanking God today?

Psalm 97:1-9

“The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” vss. 1-2

Our experience of kings is very different from that of the psalmist. We think of them mainly in the context of wealthy and scandal-ridden royal families. For the psalmist kings were the most powerful people on earth, mortals who commanded single-minded devotion and loyalty. So when he wanted a metaphor to describe God, it was natural for him to write, “The Lord is king!” Because kings have fallen out of favor among us, it’s tempting to just discard this whole psalm as irrelevant. But if we do this we miss the important truth he’s attempting to convey. While we do not believe in a God who sits on a throne above the clouds, we do have a strong commitment to righteousness and justice as the foundation of the moral universe. Consequently whenever we become aware of the creeping erosion of those values among our leaders, we are rightly appalled. There is just no room for a perversion of justice and the weaponizing of the legal system to serve our own human purposes. And it can happen so quickly! Sadly, we even become accustomed to corruption and assume wrongly that it will always be with us. People of faith know better, and will always work together to practice righteousness and battle injustice.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen justice perverted?

Acts 16:25-34

“At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.” vs. 33

There’s a freedom that flows through Luke’s account of the acts of the Apostle’s. The principal actors haven’t been trained in mission development and they don’t seem to know the rituals that are so significant in our congregations. Paul doesn’t distinguish between infant and adult baptisms, and he fails to give basic instruction to the Philippian jailer. He just baptised the entire household, and everyone involved rejoiced and gave thanks to God. Paul wasn’t following any particular protocol, he was simply doing as he was instructed by the Spirit of Jesus. Reading the report of Paul’s Philippian experience is like getting a glimpse of the Church’s birth. Like any birth, it was a little messy–there were dozens of twists and turns–even demons were given their marching orders. There were beatings and imprisonments, earthquakes and baptisms, and a little group of women who loved going down to the river to pray. And out of all this, a joy-filled, generous congregation was formed and Christianity was established on the frontier of the Roman Empire. Periodically there have been other such explosions in the expansion of the Good News–we’re even seeing them now. When people live by the Spirit instead of the book, Jesus is resurrected yet again.

Thought for the Day: When have I seen such explosions of the Spirit?

Acts 16:16-24

“But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.” vs. 19

Paul had been irritated by a slave girl with the spirit of divination who had kept shouting at them each day as they walked the streets of Philippi. So one day he just stopped in his tracks and ordered the unclean spirit to come out of her–and it did. Now this was a great blessing for the girl but a great disaster for her owners–she could no longer make them a lot of money! So they pressed charges against Paul and Silas and had them thrown into prison. This little incident is a perfect example of what happens when true Christian values conflict with the values of the marketplace. Generally business owners have no trouble with followers of Jesus. As long as they confine their activities to worship and prayer there are no issues, but the moment their convictions lead them to words and actions that are a threat to the various money machines that run our world there is a problem. e.g. As long as Pope Francis stuck to conducting masses and leading prayers things were fine, but when he began to be critical of the economic systems that were exploiting the poor, he was reminded by many to mind his own business. In general, when revenue flows are threatened, spiritual values are quickly discarded.

Thought for the Day: When has wealth been an obsession for me?

John 14:27-29

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” vs. 27

We all have friends and family members who rise to the top of our prayer lists at various times in their lives. And when we’re done praying that they receive healing, reconciliation, or forgiveness, we close with a deep and profound plea for peace. It’s the same prayer that Jesus had for his disciples as he prepared them for his leaving. And as he put it, it’s not a prayer for the kind of peace that the world seeks. This peace arises within the heart of Christ, the peace that passes all human understanding, and it’s the only peace that can touch the hearts of the helpless. As we pray that prayer for peace, we’re picturing a warm blanket, a comforter, being drawn over our beloved ones, and the hands of Jesus tucking them in. And as we pray he whispers to them, “Don’t let your heart be troubled, and don’t be angry or afraid!” And if  those loved ones come to the end of this life, and their heart is stilled, we then breathe the second stanza of that oft-prayed prayer, “Rest in peace, my friend! Rest in peace!” And knowing that they have now been received into the loving arms of the Shepherd, by faith we  feel the comfort of that same peace in our own hurting hearts.

Thought for the Day: When have I felt this mysterious peace?

John 14:23-26

”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” vss. 23-26

As followers of Jesus in a good and broken world we are very conscious of wanting to continue his ministry in whatever way we can. But it’s not always easy to figure out which of the alternative available paths we should take. Sometimes we even see religious leaders advocating for the way of power, wealth, and prosperity. And while that may sound fishy to us we don’t always have a good comeback for their clever arguments. Actually it shouldn’t be that hard! Here John tells us plainly that the Holy Spirit’s job is to remind us of the directions that Jesus gave. And where do we find those words from Jesus? Well, we find them in the gospels, and they’re amazingly consistent. We are to love one another sacrificially and generously care for the poor and the needy among us. Spirit-filled people will always be looking for ways to heal the broken, mend divisions, and speak the truth in love even to their enemies. This isn’t rocket science! St Francis figured it out in the 13th century and laid it out in his beautiful prayer. “Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love…” His words are spectacular and remind us of all the things that Jesus has said to us.

Thought for the Day: Am I walking in the way of Jesus?