Daily Devotions June 18 to July 1, 2023
Week of June 18 – The Word of Christ
June 18 – The Suffering Servant – In your own Bible read Isaiah 52:13-53:6 “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”
The Old Testament book of Isaiah was written by several different prophets, some of whose names are lost to us. The first 40 chapter are written by a prophet known as Isaiah of Jerusalem in a time of growing national calamity. He envisions God sending a mighty, winsome, wise, and just warrior savior (messiah) who will save the people from colonization, protect the homeland, and return hope and faithfulness to the people. The hope was not for a God-man as Christians experience, but for a righteous and powerful man-man who would be used by God in mighty ways. By the time we reach chapter 53, times have changed and gotten worse. Babylon has invaded and much of the country’s wealth and people have been exiled there. In the face of those disasters, this prophet ponders how it could happen that God’s chosen people could fall so far. He believes that that kind of destruction is the natural consequence of faithlessness. Still, for him all hope is not lost. He is inspired to imagine a different kind of Messiah, this one who leads from amongst. He suffers with and on behalf of the people. It is somehow in his solidarity with suffering, and his own sacrificial suffering, that true healing happens. Like the scapegoat at Yom Kippur who is sent into the wilderness to carry away the people’s sin in order for them to start over clean with God, this vision builds on the ancient notion that sin must somehow be atoned. Now a goat won’t do. Christians view these writings as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ rejection and sacrifice for the healing of humanity. Notions of sin requiring suffering to atone undergirded the sacrificial system in Israel. Blood for blood. Life for Life. In the New Testament book of Hebrews (Ch. 10 in particular) the writer expands this view by telling believers that Jesus sacrifice was once and for all. The need for sacrifice for sin is ended. Even though the idea that sin must bring suffering in order to heal is over with Jesus, it still lingers in our consciousness, does it not? Are there times when you find that you do not think that you are worthy of forgiveness? Are there times you think you must somehow pay for your mistakes in order to be right with God? You do not. Jesus freed you from that necessity. Granted, God longs for each of us to live by God’s values. Granted, we often pay a steep price for our mistakes with those we harm. What is true, even then, is that we are right with God in Christ. God does not need, nor ever require, our suffering. God desires our love. God desires our repentance, not so that we satisfy God, but so that we learn, grow and heal. This is why Good Friday is called Good.
Prayer: Gracious God, we thank you for your Son Jesus, who makes a way for us away from suffering and into joy now and eternally. Help us to stop trying to be our own little saviors. Help us to release our needless guilt, so that we can live with the hope he came to restore. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 19 – Jesus our Redeemer – Job 19:25-26 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God.”
The idea of God as redeemer is rich in the Hebrew scriptures. The term comes from a root word for marketplace and has to do with purchasing. Some suggest that it had to do with purchasing the freedom of slaves, but that is not made explicit. What is clear, is that redemption is always about taking someone from one place to another, from bondage to freedom, from pain and sin to love and hope, from despair to the presence of God, from death to life eternal, for example. While, Jesus is never called Redeemer in the New Testament, many passages describe that from which he has redeemed us: slavery to sin (Rom.3:23), slavery to the Law (Gal.3:13), empty religion (1 Peter 1:18), death (Heb. 2:14-15), and coming judgment (1 Thess. 1:10.) Jesus as our Redeemer should never solely be viewed in terms of the hereafter. While Jesus redeems us for eternal life, he also redeems us for bounteous and faithful life now. There are many situations and habits today in which we feel stuck and unable to free ourselves. We need a redeemer when we feel hopeless, or when our will power fails, or our destructive choices seem in control of our lives. Sometimes we feel that we need to get from one place in our life to a better place. We feel that there is more to life than we are living, but we can’t find our way or the cost of the journey is too great for us to pay. We may feel that we cannot overcome our health problems, our financial woes, our relationship strains, or even our spiritual stagnation. Jesus as our Redeemer reminds us that when we cannot, Jesus can. When we will not. Jesus will. When we know not. Jesus knows. Not only that, he stands ready at the market stall of our stalled lives to pay any price to get us from pain to joy. Today take a moment to think of any places you feel stuck and do not want to stay. Offer those to God for insight and redemption when the time is ripe. Remember that God does not see as a problem everything that we see as a problem. Sometimes the greatest redemption comes through the reframing of worn out views that blind us to what is already present.
Prayer: O God, our great Redeemer. In Jesus you provide us with a way out. Help us to turn to you and accept that we belong to you, and not to our bondages. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 20 – Jesus our Ransomer – 1 Timothy 2:5-6a – “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all”
The word ‘atonement’ means reconciliation. In Christian theology atonement refers to the removal of the effects, or consequences, of sin so that relationship with God is established and unfettered. The Greek word often used to express this concept literally means to establish friendship. The idea that God came in Jesus to establish everlasting friendship with us by removing any obstacle to that friendship is mind blowing. It is also impossible to define all the implications. There are many, many theories of atonement. This week we have considered Suffering Sacrifice and Redemption. One fascinating theory is ransom. Jesus uses the term of himself as he contemplates his coming suffering (Mark 10:45) and links it with the affirmation that he came to serve and not to be served. The word ransom, then and now, while very similar to redemption, is slightly different. A ransom is paid in exchange for the release of someone held captive. Here Jesus gives himself to secure our release. A redeemer purchases with a price so that the one purchased now belongs to the redeemer. A ransomer exchanges something of value for the freedom of the one held captive. Yes, Jesus is our redeemer who buys us for himself. He is also our ransomer who chooses to give himself up to assure our freedom. The point of this theory is not the suffering or the change of allegiance, it is the demonstration of a love that will do anything to free. There are many things in our lives and world from which we need to be set free: despair, division, sin, toxic habits, and violent dehumanizing politics. I expect there may be things in your personal life that seem to hold you captive as well. Today, see if you can identify anything from which you long to be ransomed. In prayer offer those challenges to God and ask for Jesus to come to your aid. He has already done this. Maybe all you need right now is to remember that, give thanks, and ask that your freed state become more and more visible to you and others.
Prayer: O God, your love alone ransoms and frees us. We thank you that Jesus chose to demonstrate that powerful love, not even withholding his own life to set us free. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 21 – Jesus the Glory of God – Matthew 27:51 – “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.”
This powerful verse in Matthew’s gospel describes what happened at the moment of Jesus’ death. But what does this tell us? Obviously, it tells us that his death was a powerful earthquake that would forever change the landscape of human history and of a single human heart. The curtain image is a little more complex. In Jesus’ day, the holiest place in the temple, called the Holy of Holies, was the place where heaven and earth were said to intersect. It was God’s dwelling and held the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets of the Law. It was considered too holy for human beings to enter. Only the High Priest could go in there, and then only on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. It was thought that God’s presence was too much for people to bear. The Holy of Holies was covered by a thick curtain intended to keep the people safe from the mighty power of God. The tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus’ death gives rise to another atonement theory often called the Glory theory. This theory asserts that on the cross divine glory was completely revealed in self-giving love. That love, and that love alone, break down any perceived, or real, barrier between God and God’s people. It is love itself that reconciles, and it is love itself that removes the consequences of sin in the relationship between God and God’s people. In this theory the root sin is understood as idolatry. Seeing the truth of God’s love on the cross renders idolatry unthinkable. This theory also holds that it was not just the cross that showed us who God is. Rather Jesus’ whole life is a demonstration of God’s whole, full, glorious self. So with the crucifixion as the pinnacle of that revelation, there was no longer a need for the temple curtain. We no longer had to fear that being in God’s presence was dangerous. We have seen God in Jesus and we did not die. Rather we only began to live. Today take a moment to think about all that Jesus has shown you about the Glory of God and what God values most. Spend at least a part of the day in praise and thanksgiving for this revelation.
Prayer: God of Glory, we praise you that you do not want to be hidden behind a curtain. We praise you that we have seen your fullness and glory in Jesus and that your love alone makes us whole. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 22 – Jesus our Propitiator and Substitute – 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed”
Jesus as substitute, claims that Jesus took our place on the cross. He received the punishment that was really coming to us. This understanding is often combined with propitiation which is basically a big word that means appeasement. These theories rest on the belief that sin is such an affront to a just God that it stands in the way of our relationship with God and must be punished in order to quiet God’s wrath. Both of these theories can be taken to wild extremes that make God seem like an angry brute with his finger on the smite button. That is simply not the case. In each of these theories, the origin of atonement is divine love. Period. To understand the atonement, it is helpful to keep the oneness of Christ and God in mind even as Jesus’ humanity was so tortured. It is in Christ that God’s own self bears the consequences of sin. This is at a cost to Godself not a third party. This is not, as some contemporary theologians have asserted, a heinous myth of divine child abuse! This is, rather, the supreme act of self-giving love. We all know that behaviors have consequences. Bad behavior often has bad consequences. The gift of God’s love in Jesus, tells us that if consequences must be born in the spiritual life, God bears them for us. Like a mother who gives a kidney so her child can live, or like a father who confesses to a crime to save a child, God does whatever must be done to keep us in unhindered relationship with God for eternity. You are worth so much to God that there is nothing God will not do to keep you close. Today, take a moment to reflect on any behaviors on your part that have negatively affected your relationship with God. Can you let them go and move forward? God already has.
Prayer: Loving God, it is overwhelming to consider the lengths to which you go in order to be in intimate relationship with us. We are so grateful. Help us today to let go of anything that hinders that relationship from our end so that we can live in an awareness of your love and presence every day. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 23 – Jesus the Defeater of Death – Luke 24:5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
In Luke’s gospel, the first Easter morning dawns with three women who have risen in the darkness to go together with spices to anoint Jesus’ body. When they arrive at the tomb, they find two dazzling men and no Jesus. One of those angelic messengers asks the question in today’s verse. The result of the work of Christ is to render death moot. This of course does not mean that death has no meaning. It, as all of creation, has a purpose. What it means is that death is not final. It is not the last thing. (We will explore this theme more toward the end of our summer of basics.) The fact that Jesus defeated death and showed us that God’s love for us is everlasting does not mean that our physical bodies will not die. It does not mean that we will not endure pain and grief in letting go of this life, or in releasing our loved ones to God. It does not mean that we are unfaithful if we fear death or if we can’t seem to shake the grief surrounding our own losses. It simply means that there is a bigger picture and plan at work in, with, and through us. We do not know what comes next. We have brief glimpses, like gates of pearl and Jesus’ resurrected body, that suggest some things, but much of the next life is a mystery. We can be sure that if we needed to know more, God would have revealed more. In Hebrew theology, that did not have a clear belief in an afterlife, death was seen as the enemy, a punishment that came on humanity as a result of disobedience. In Jesus, that thought process is laid to rest. Death is not our enemy. It is not an evil but is turned into a good. That does not mean that we seek death. Life and death belong to God alone. It simply means that we get to double down on living because dying is just a change of address. The true miracle is that we are already living our eternal life so we can focus on living to the fullest rather than biding our time in this veil of tears hoping for better days to come. Take a moment today to consider how you feel about death? Sit with the mystery and the many emotions. Say to yourself and God “In Christ I have life eternal.” Start living from that truth and see what changes.
Prayer: Everlasting God, we thank you for the promise of eternal life in Jesus. Help us today to live into that promise with joy and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 24 – Jesus our Savior – Luke 2:29-32 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.
How quickly the angel choruses disappear! How quickly the shepherds go back to their flocks! How quickly the pageantry of the miraculous birth gives way to the affairs of ordinary life. Mary and Joseph have a son to rear, and we who gathered dewy eyed at the manger know where that life is going. The story from which we take today’s verses, emphasizes a theme that Luke repeats often; Jesus’ commitment to the law, even from the cradle. These verses, often called the Song of Simeon, refer to two rituals required by the law for babies. One was the ritual cleansing of the mother. Since there was blood involved in childbirth, a woman was considered unclean for a period of time following giving birth. The length of time depended on whether the child was a boy or a girl. After the birth of a male child a mother was unclean for 7 days and underwent purification for 33 days. It was twice as long for the birth of a girl. During this time she was not allowed in the temple or to touch any holy thing. At the end of the proscribed time, the mother was required to sacrifice a lamb plus a turtledove or pigeon. If the family was too poor to afford this sacrifice, the law provided that two doves or pigeons could be substituted. Mary’s sacrifice tells us not only that she was a woman of faith, but that Jesus was born into poverty. The second ritual was a dedication ritual in which a first-born son was returned to God as a thanksgiving for the gift of fertility. For five shekels the baby could be redeemed and raised at home. Simeon, whose name means “God hears”, was an ordinary man of faith. He was not an ordained religious leader, nor did he have any special religious credentials. He simply walked with God. He lived a life of prayer that was marked by patient waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled. When he sees Jesus he instantly knows that his long wait is over. The word translated salvation refers to the one who brings salvation. It is from the root sozo and it means wholeness, wellness, perfect and eternal wellbeing. What Simeon sees in Jesus fulfills his life to the point that he is overwhelmed. The word ‘dismissing’ means to free fully, to relieve, to release, to let die, to pardon, to forgive, to loose, and to set at liberty. This is the salvation that Jesus brings. Take a moment today to think about each of these aspects of salvation for your life. What does wholeness, wellness and perfect eternal wellbeing mean to you? How can you begin to live into your saved state today? What does it mean to you to be fully freed? From what? To be relieved? Of what? Go through the list above and consider what this means for you. Thank God for your Savior.
Prayer: Saving God, we are humbled when we consider the life that you intend for us, free whole, well and eternal. We thank you for your saving love and healing presence. Help us today to live into our dearly bought salvation. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
Week of June 25 – Holy Spirit
June 25 – Ruach – Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
I will never forget the first week of Hebrew class in seminary. We had learned our letters and sounds. We even had a small bit of vocabulary under our belts when our professor set us to translating the first five verses of the Bible. I was very intense about the whole thing. As I plodded through, I remember the moment that took my breath away. I had managed to translate the empty void and to feel the dark waiting. Then I got to verse two, ‘a wind from God swept over the waters.’ I began to cry. It literally reads, ‘the spirit (ruach) of God, she hovers. The Hebrew word we translate as wind or spirit is ruach. It can also mean breath, air, courage, breeze or even temper. It refers to the invisible, intangible quality of life itself. Spirit is what distinguishes a living things from a non-living thing. Obviously the Hebrew scriptures do not contain a doctrine of the trinity, but the work of the Spirit is everywhere, always present, enlivening, holding back the chaos, sorting light from darkness, bringing things to life at the right time, spinning the planets and imagining bountiful new starts. Ruach is the force of divine energy moving to create in love and for love. Ruach Spirit is not gentle. It is fierce and powerful. A Jewish master once said, “God is not nice. God is not an uncle. God is an earthquake.” Can you think of a time when Spirit shook you up and started something new in you? Can you think of a time when chaos seemed to rule everything around and inside you and there was a pervading darkness? As you think of that time, can you begin to sense Spirit hovering over and putting boundaries in place so that you could find your way? Can you think of a time when you felt overwhelmed, breathless, Spirit-less? What does it feel like to hear the news that even then, even now, Spirit is bringing something new to birth in your life? Take a moment to ponder the areas of your life that are stuck and confusing. Are there voids that feel dark and ominous? If so, acknowledge those things to God with patient expectation of how Spirit will move over, and in, you to bring vast bounty and joy. Be thankful.
Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
June 26 – Shekinah – Exodus 29:45-46 “I will dwell among the Israelites, and I will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
The Hebrew word shekinah does not appear in the Old Testament but, drawing on intimate verses like those we consider today, the term came into wide usage in the early Talmudic period. It refers to God’s intimate presence and special bond with God’s people and the world. It is often talked about as a kind of ethereal light that surrounds people with holiness, mystery and intimacy. Once during a period of hardship in my life, I took my study leave in a cabin on the coast of Nova Scotia. One day I was walking on the beach when a dense fog suddenly surrounded me. At first I was afraid, totally disoriented. I couldn’t see my way home. So I just stood there for a moment taking deep breaths of the moist salty air. Suddenly, I felt the fog itself become a kind of embrace, powerfully surrounding all of me, all the goodness and all the broken pieces of my heart and life. It felt like a divine hug and I knew that all I needed to do to get to the cottage was to lean into that embrace and walk by the wild water until I found home. God’s shekinah never leaves us. Are there places in your life right now where you need a divine Spirit embrace? Do you feel disoriented and not know how to find your real home in this world or in God? Does loss seem more powerful than love in your life? If so, I invite you to stop and take some deep Spirit breaths. Slow your mind down for a moment. Offer yourself for a reorienting Shekinah embrace. It does not matter if you don’t feel it. It is happening and the healing has already begun.
Prayer: Ah Holy Lover, surround me today with your mysterious embrace. Envelop me with your ethereal light. Dwell with me, today and always. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
June 27 – Spirit our Advocate – John 14: 15-16 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.”
In Jesus’ passionate farewell address to his follower in John 14, he promises his friends that, in the context of love and obedience, he will ask the Father to send the Spirit to help them after he is gone. He first describes the Spirit as ‘another Advocate.’ The Greek word, parakleton, is also sometimes translated as Helper or Encourager. In Greek writings of the day, it is the word for a legal advisor, one who pleads another’s case, or one who acts as a proxy. The qualifying word ‘another’ helps us see that the Spirit is one who will continue the same awakening, loving, redeeming work of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Spirit as Advocate provides a defense for us, even if undeserved. We can think of Spirit as our divine defense attorney when we have stumbled badly. What is so touching to me is that it means that we do not face the consequences of our sin and failure, alone. Spirit makes a case for our defense, and because of Jesus’ work, it is a persuasive case indeed. Today, think for a moment about anything for which you need Spirit to make an argument for your defense? Have you neglected your spiritual life? Have you harbored hate or unforgiveness in your heart? Have you nursed prejudices or demonized opponents? Are you a little too prone to harsh judgment of others or yourself? If so, remember that Spirit, using the record of Jesus as your own, pleads your case to God. If you can’t think of anything that needs pleading, that can be because you are not aware of your faults and you can ask Spirit for insight. It can also mean that Spirit is doing a great work in you and you are growing in righteousness every day. Take an honest look. Retain Spirit as your Advocate and rejoice that you do not have to face the music alone.
Prayer: O Holy Advocate, I thank you for taking my case! Help me to learn from your advocacy how to live a new and forgiven life. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
June 28 – Spirit of Truth – John 14:17 – This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
Immediately after Jesus promises us another Advocate, he describes that one as the Spirit of truth. The Greek word we translate as truth, alethia, refers not so much to truth as opposed to a lie, as it does to ‘big truth’, truth that lies at the very heart of things. The alethia that the Spirit both is, and insists upon, includes a commitment to actual facts, of course. It also includes the deeper realities of the soul. Spirit of Truth helps us by insisting that we confront the lies of our age, and our own blind spots and false excuses. Or, at bare minimum, Spirit asks us to acknowledge that we have blind spots and that we do not know what we do not know. Spirit of Truth desires that we examine our assumptions that hurt us and others. Spirit insists that we take a look at the places in our lives where we function by rote so much that we regularly miss the wonder of the moment. Spirit of Truth is an anti-arrogance potion! It is Spirit that opens our eyes to truth, teaches us the meaning and implications of God’s ways, and shows us how we are to honestly live in this world. Today take a moment to think about Spirit as Truth. We know that we live in a time that seems to love lies, that chooses lies over truth, that decides that lies really are truth. So how do we sort that all out? The easiest and most reliable way I know of when confronted with conflicting narratives, both external and internal, is to ask a couple of diagnostic questions. Is this idea, narrative, belief, behavior, conclusion consistent with what we know of God revealed in Jesus Christ? Is it loving? Is it forgiving? Is it just? Is it redemptive? Does it support the common good? Or, is it exclusive, judgmental, mean spirited, violent, self-serving or based on prejudice? When we honestly ask those questions, it quickly becomes obvious where Spirit Truth is found. Today, take a moment to notice when choices that have a moral component need to be made. Ask yourself the questions above and listen for the Spirit’s answer.
Prayer: Spirit of Truth, guide us today in every choice and action so that you may be glorified in our lives. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
June 29 – Spirit as Memory Aid – John 14:26 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.”
Continuing in John’s Gospel, Jesus is still in the upper room with his friends, trying to prepare them for what lies ahead. The tenderness of his attempts to comfort them is striking. He sees their confusion and fear and in essence says, ‘I know you don’t fully understand all of this, but I am asking the Father to send you the Spirit and that one will teach you what you need to know. Spirit will clear things up for you.’ As if that were not enough, he looks at them with soft eyes and says, ‘Spirit will also help you remember me and what I have said to you.’ Yesterday, I visited my 97 year old mother in her care home. Her memory is not what it once was and, sadly, she knows it. She doesn’t trust her memories even when they are trustworthy. But, if I begin to reminisce with her, tell her about a family outing, or ask her a question about a play (she was a drama teacher) she can usually find a snippet or two. When I give her space and she concentrates, something wonderful returns to her and brings a smile of joy and pride. Today’s verse tells us that in our own lives Spirit will prime the pump and help us remember just what we need to of Jesus’ teaching so that we can live in joy and safety. The Greek text of this word is very strong. It could literally be translated the Spirit will cause you to remember. Have you ever found a word of scripture come into your mind at just the needed moment? Maybe you don’t know the quote completely or couldn’t find it in the Bible, but you know it is there and it is perfect. That is Spirit as teacher and memory aid, bringing to mind just what you need to face your moment. Today, pause and think of any area of life in which you feel the need of extra guidance. Quiet your mind and emotions as best you can and ask Spirit to remind you of something Jesus taught that can help you in your situation. Listen and be thankful. Don’t worry if nothing comes to you immediately. You may not need the answer now. It will come when most needed.
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, help me today to remember Jesus’ teaching at exactly the right moment. Teach me your ways and make me mindful. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
June 30 – Holy Helper/Adopter – John 14:18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.”
This is one of the passages that leads people to think of the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ. Other passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit is the continuation of Jesus’ earthly ministry. This passage expands the notion of Jesus as Advocate to assure his friends that they will not be left orphaned by the events that are about to unfold, even though Jesus will seem to be taken from them. Here we see Spirit as Adopter or Rescuer. About two years ago, Robbie and I adopted a rescue dog, Bonnie. When she came to us she had known hard times. Picked up as a stray, she had obviously recently had puppies but none were recovered. She was a wild thing and did not know what to do in a house with two senior citizens! But we could feel the love in her. She quickly bonded with us and now we cannot imagine our home without her. In a sense, we were her Helper/Adopter. In another sense, she was ours. Jesus tells his friends that life in the Spirit will be similar to that, a mutual, loving, bonded, intimate relationship that changes everything. Take a moment today to think about the wonder of Spirit adopting you and moving in with you. From what have you been rescued? What do you need to learn to adapt to Spirit’s ways? Set an intention today that you will stop frequently and acknowledge Spirit’s presence in your heart and home. Ask Spirit if there is anything you need to learn? Thank Spirit for coming to your aid and rescuing you.
Prayer: O Holy Helper, I thank you for rescuing me from danger. I thank you for every new start you have brought into my life. I thank you that you never leave me alone. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
June 30 – Spirit as Flame – Acts 2:2 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.
Peter and the other disciples have gone to Jerusalem on the instruction of the risen Christ. Jesus has ascended to the Father and now they are ready to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Matthias has been chosen to replace Judas, and Peter has begun his preaching ministry. Hundreds have gathered in Jerusalem for the Hebrew festival of Pentecost which occurs fifty days after Passover as a closing festival of the harvest season. In this section, we get a powerful look at Spirit’s power and priorities. Fire is deeply symbolic in the Bible. It symbolizes both power and purification. In this story, tongues of fire hover above each listener’s head and they are able to understand each other when they are speaking in languages that they do not know. This does not refer to the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues that Paul often talks about. What happens here is that each person understands what is being said in their own native language. Spirit fire doesn’t come as some great banket of fire. It is individual. Each person receives the power and the cleansing that each so desperately needs in order to face the challenges and wonders of life. Individual sins are purged and all dividing walls come down. No one language or culture dominates. Each understands what God is doing in his or her own language. Each stands on its own and receives the truth and refining of the Spirit in the way it can be understood. In the Acts story, Spirit’s first act is justice, leveling the playing field, doing what must be done to bring people together in holiness and with power. When we engage with Spirit we find the perfect language of love for each person. Think today about those with whom you need to communicate. Is there an issue of injustice or division at work? Ask Spirit to give you ears to hear what is important to the other person. Ask Spirit to give you the perfect loving words to share what needs sharing.
Prayer: O Flame of Love, give us ears to hear you speak in others today, and give us your language of love and justice with which to respond. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.
dai