Sunday, May 11, 2008

“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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” Acts 2:1-3

Yesterday’s vigil was a day of waiting, of praying and hoping and wondering. Today is, well, today is a powder keg. The disciples had been holed up since the ascension of Jesus. They weren’t sure what to do. Jesus had promised that they would be given the Holy Spirit, but they could not yet conceive of what that meant. And in the meantime, they didn’t know what to do. They were fuel waiting for the fire, but God had not yet given them the match. And suddenly, today, God does exactly that. They go out into the city to speak in languages they’ve never learned, of things they can’t understand, with promises of life in Christ for all people. Some of the people who hear them assume that they are drunk, even though it’s still morning. But God’s presence here is undeniable, because of the raging wind and, even more, the surprising tongues of flame that rest upon their heads. As we celebrate this day and remember the mighty acts of God’s Spirit in the past, we also hear the call to be people of the Spirit, with living faith burning so brightly in our hearts that it’s undeniably clear for all who see us.

Monday, May 12, 2008

“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28

As I write this, the world is still learning the full scope of the devastation wrought by the cyclone that ravaged Myanmar. Right now the death toll is estimated at 22,000 but I suspect that by the time you read this it will have climbed even higher. The people of the world are no strangers to such tragedies but familiarity does not make such an event any easier. And such a storm always begs the question, “Where is God in all of this desolation?” The minor prophet Joel is concerned with just such events. Until our verse for today, Joel’s narrative is concerned with a devastating plague of locusts. This is not exactly the sort of disaster we experience, but it’s certainly an example of the natural order rearing its ugly head. While Joel might have been tempted to focus on his confusion, he instead focuses on the graceful promises of the Lord. In the midst of rampant destruction Joel does not suggest that God has deserted the people; instead, Joel points out that when everything else is stripped away, the Lord is all that remains. Joel 2:28 marks a shift in Joel’s work, moving beyond the destruction to a new vision. God promises that even in the midst of our worst tragedies he will give us dreams and visions to see beyond them, and the strength and wisdom to make those dreams and visions a reality that we may respond to the tragedies, large and small, that confront us every day.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

“Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them behind.” Ezekiel 39:28

Where is the Lord calling you? I am often tempted to think that the Lord is calling me to comfortable places, where I know everyone and everyone knows me. One might call this “Cheers” theology – “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” Yet so many of the experiences of God’s people point in just the opposite direction. The prophet Ezekiel spent his entire career trying to tell God’s people that it was not their fate to be called to easy comfort. Ezekiel had the fun job of being a prophet during the early years of the Babylonian exile. His call was to preach the people’s sin to them, but also to proclaim that God was not through with his people. This was a tough sell on both ends. We usually don’t want to admit that we might be to blame for our current situation. Nor do we want to believe that God might have led us into a less than happy situation. Yet so it was in Ezekiel’s time and so it often is today. God does not envision a life of ease for his people. God envisions a life of faithfulness, and that’s a mighty different thing. The promise of being called home eventually is sure and certain, but God has many other things up his sleeve for us between now and then.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

“And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.” Acts 1:26

After the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, there was a sudden and deep void in the group of the original disciples. But they were not without candidates for replacing him. After Christ’s ascension, the disciples met in Jerusalem to choose a replacement. Putting the matter squarely into God’s hands, they cast lots. The two men up for the position were Joseph Justus and Matthias. Matthias, about whom little is known, was chosen; the church remembers him on this day. We do know that Matthias wasn’t new to the movement. He had been a follower of Jesus since the time of Jesus’ baptism. After his election as one of the 12, Matthias’ task was to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus. One might wonder why the lots that had been cast pointed to Matthias. God clearly had this calling in mind for him. But God also must have had something in mind for this other man, Joseph Justus, as well. We don’t know much about how Matthias fulfilled his calling. We know even less about Joseph Justus. The way in which they were each called seems rather odd, but we do know that God had something in mind for each one of them, something they could each offer this growing community that knew and believed in the lordship of the resurrected Christ. We, too, are chosen and called in ways that seem strange. Nonetheless, we are chosen and called.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

“When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31

Life in the church has never been boring, but the early days were really something! The only thing to chalk it up to is the fact that the believers were brand new to being encountered by the Holy Spirit. Maybe you and I take the Spirit for granted. We talk about the Spirit always being present. We talk about being attentive to the voice of the Spirit. In other words, we often talk about how we tap into the Holy Spirit. The early church didn’t know anything about this, and the faithful were better for it. They didn’t do anything in relation to the Spirit; the Spirit did everything in relation to them. The book of Acts is the amazing story of the Spirit’s initiative, God’s presence running amok in the lives of believers. Today’s verse speaks of what happened when the believers prayed – the whole building was liable to shake and, even more amazing, the people felt empowered to speak the word of God with boldness. Perhaps we can only be reminded by the earliest disciples that the work of the Spirit is, well, the work of the Spirit. We can’t create it; we can just hang on for the ride with all of our faith.

Friday, May 16, 2008

“The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Acts 8:15-16

In two days the First English community will receive about 15 households into our family of faith. New Member Sunday is always an exciting time in the church. New people joining our community affirm that God is up to good things in our congregation. We are reminded that we have much to offer beyond the folks who are already here. But this Sunday is not an end or an accomplishment, but the beginning of a journey. These new folks have received the word of God in baptism but they have much left to receive, just like those of us who have been here for years. Our passage from Acts recounts the joyous event of many Samaritans becoming new members in the early church. They’d received God’s word. But that was not the end. Peter and John set out from Jerusalem to welcome them into the community of faith, and to pray that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon them. With the Spirit in their lives, the Samaritans were ready for a new journey full of surprises. So it is for the individuals who join First English, and so it is for us, as the Spirit comes to us anew this day.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

“Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:18-19

It has often been said that the discipling church has two primary purposes: to give glory to God and to witness to God in the world. Our psalm for today highlights both of these. It begins with the Lord being attentive to those who fear him and who hope in his steadfast love. In other words, the Lord rejoices when we gather in awe to celebrate his never failing love. But that’s not where we end, for when we worship the Lord we remember that his mission is to deliver from death those who suffer from famine or any other want. This deliverance will ultimately come only from God (that’s why we celebrate his steadfast love, not our own) but in worship we become aligned to the Lord’s purposes in his world. This includes working to alleviate famine and suffering of every kind. Why? It’s the nice thing to do, but even more, because when we witness and serve in this way, we are fulfilling the demands of worship. When we gather in awe and hope, we find ourselves sent to places of fear and famine, so that God may be found in both places.

Devotions – Year Five – Week Nineteen

Pastor Dave Lyle