The Church in the Power of the Spirit

Morning: Psalm 118; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Acts 4:18-21, 23-33

Evening: Psalm 145; John 4:19-26

Jesus answers a woman’s question about the place of worship: The time is coming to worship God ‘in spirit and in truth’. Is this that time? Our buildings are closed, worship is in flux; yet out of this time, good things may come. We know God cannot be confined in any place or by any practice. As the Church in exile - dispersed instead of gathered - I am sure we are now called to return to our spiritual foundations and, in the power of the Spirit, to invite humanity back to the truth of our origins in God.

Graham

P.S. Some time ago, before Covid-19, I arranged to take some ‘Sabbath Time’ in June and holiday in July. While some aspects of those plans have changed, I will be stepping back from “Heart Soul Mind Strength” until August 1^st, to allow time for rest and refreshment of my own spirit.  See you again in August!

Miracles around us; what we need is here

Morning: Psalms 107:33-43; 108:1-13; Ezekiel 36:22-27; Matthew 9:18-26

Evening: Psalm 33; Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20; I Peter 2:4-10

 “The report [of what Jesus did] spread throughout that district”, says Matthew. Jesus healed a woman suffering from a bleeding disorder, and also a twelve-year-old girl. Nowadays, astounding news ‘goes viral’ on the worldwide web. But attention spans are short and amazement short-lived. Our almost insatiable hunger for amazement is not easily satisfied. If we are to grow in the love that heals us, it will depend on our cultivating in ourselves the capacity to be amazed at the daily miracles all around us. Wendell Berry has rightly said ... What we need is here.

New ways of expressing love

Morning: Psalm 102; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Ephesians 5:1-20

Evening: Psalm 107:1-32; Matthew 9:9-17

Right now, the way we are doing things is changing dramatically. Since the old ‘containers’ no longer meet our present needs we are finding new containers for the important tasks. Offices are disappearing. Appointments happen on-line. Haircuts (if you have hair?) are do-it-yourself! Jesus also changed things dramatically. He said his Way was like ‘new wine’ that always needs fresh containers (wineskins). These times call us to think of new ways of doing essential tasks. Likewise, we search for ever-new ways of expressing the Love that builds up the human family. Not an easy quest, but an exciting one!

Rules for the new life on the Way of Christ

Morning: Psalm 105:1-22; Zechariah 4:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-32

Evening: Psalm 105:23-45; Matthew 9:1-8

More beautiful words from Paul: “Let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours ... do not let the sun go down on your anger ... Thieves must give up stealing ... Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear ... Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another”. This is the Way of Christ.

Honouring our calling, even in confinement

Morning: Psalms 101; 109:1-30; Isaiah 4:2-6; Ephesians 4:1-16

Evening: Psalms 119:121-144; Matthew 8:28-34

He probably suffered much harsher conditions than most of us have to endure in our present confinement, but Paul’s words from prison to the church in Ephesus are beautiful and remarkable. With faith and resilience he encourages them, and us: “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” May it be so with us.

What sort of man is this Jesus?

Morning: Psalms 97, 99, 100; I Sam 16:1-13a; Ephesians 3:14-21

Evening: Psalms 94, 95; Matthew 8:18-27

Jesus is clear that following him is not for the faint of heart. You may have to sacrifice your comforts, make hard choices and give first priority to his Way over your own. This is also not something to be postponed; now is the moment to live in this Way. Due to the impact of such demands, following Jesus may prove stormy and feel risky. But you can be confident, says the Gospel, because all nature is at his command. What sort of man is this Jesus? Unlike anyone you have ever known. Implication: He is worth getting to know.

Meeting Jesus again for the first time

Morning: Psalm 89:1-18; Joshua 1:1-9; Ephesians 3:1-13

Evening: Psalms 89:19-52; Matthew 8:5-17

A Roman centurion recognizes Jesus’s authority while his own people do not. Sometimes you are so close to something that you miss its significance, while outsiders see it immediately. Followers of Jesus, those who call themselves ‘Christians’, may know the story of Jesus but still cannot say what he means for them beyond being a great historical figure, or an amazing teacher and spiritual guide. Imagine, though, as one writer puts it, you are ‘meeting Jesus again for the first time’? What do you think that will be like? Perhaps it will cure the blindness of familiarity?

How do you measure success?

Morning: Psalms 66, 67; Exodus 3:1-12; Hebrews 12:18-29

Evening: Psalms 19, 46; Luke 10:17-24

Success is tricky. What is success? How should you measure your success? How do you check the results of being faithful and true? Is it by ‘likes’ on social media? It might be, it might not. Does success lie in being popular? The disciples come back to Jesus full of their own successes in fighting evil. But Jesus warns them: “Do not rejoice at this ... but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. In other words, be glad if and when you are doing the right thing, not because other people like you for it. They may not.

Our healing task

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Number 11:16-17, 24-29; Ephesians 2:11-22

Evening: Psalm 136; Matthew 7:28-8:4

Jesus heals a leper. Lepers are outcasts, with a contagious disease for which there is no known cure. Social - not just physical - isolation is their lot. Jesus touches and heals the ‘unclean’ leper. Jesus’s authority is confirmed by this power to heal and to restore to community a man who has probably been isolated for a long time. Now, we are all discovering the isolating impact of disease, for everyone. We are also learning how we must work to strengthen the bonds of human community. Pray that we will - for this is our healing task.

Build on the rock - the rock is Christ

Morning: Psalms 85, 86; I Samuel 2:1-10; Ephesians 2:1-10

Evening: Psalms 91, 92; Matthew 7:22-27

I remember a song from childhood: “The wise man built his house upon the rock ... The foolish man built his house upon the sand.” It was obvious, but I did not understand the metaphor - that the house is a life and the rock is Christ. In dreams, a house is probably your life. To build your ‘house’ is to build your life. In Jesus’s story, the ‘rock’ is his teachings and his ways. Build that house on that rock. I get the metaphor now, but I’m still building after trying sand more often than I care to admit!

No longer with us but ever present

Morning: Psalms 8, 47; Daniel 7:9-14; Hebrews 2:5-18

Evening: Psalms 24, 96; Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus leaves his disciples with 2 astounding stories to tell. The first story is that, in a moment, he is suddenly no longer with them. The second story is that he is and always will be with them to help them to do as he commands ... which is to teach people to love as he loves. When you rely on Jesus’s enduring presence for strength and guidance, you know you can accomplish great things. And after they leave the mountain where they last see him, Jesus’s disciples do indeed go on to accomplish great things in his name.

Self-sacrifice in love is worthy of honour

Morning: Psalm 119:97-120;Leviticus 26:27-42; Matthew 22:41-46

Evening: Psalm 68:1-20; 2 Kings 2:1-15; Revelation 5:1-14

This is the Eve of the Ascension, when the Church remembers Jesus’s return to back from where he came. The details are shrouded in mystery; no-one can explain it. What the Church has said down the ages, though, is that the sacrifice of Jesus ‘makes holy’ all for whom he was willing to die. Because of that, Jesus is worthy of honour. Honour is due also to all who are willing to sacrifice their own priorities and comforts for what is good and true, for whatever serves love. We honour Jesus’s sacrifice best by our own acts of self-sacrificial love.

Persist, and love grows

Morning: Psalm 78:1-39; Leviticus 26:1-20; I Timothy 2:1-6

Evening: Psalm 78:40-72; Matthew 13:18-23

Elie Wiesel, concentration camp survivor, said the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. You could become indifferent and cease caring if you had tried hard to love someone and you met with their indifference. Indifference breeds indifference: ‘Oh well, what’s the point!?’ Some seeds do fall on rocky ground, but you have to persist with love. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Love has ... a redemptive power. There is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long.” Persist, and love grows.

We tell Good News, and we are Good News!

Morning: Psalm 80; Leviticus 25:35-55; Colossians 1:9-14

Evening: Psalm 77; Matthew 13:1-16

Many think that, in the parable, God is the Sower sowing Good News in the world; so, we are sowers, too. The Good News is that suffering and the power of death are overcome on the Cross and in the new life of Christ. Now, what if we ourselves are Good News? What if we are not only sowers, scattering seeds? What if we ourselves are seeds of God’s love, now scattered in the world? Perhaps this is something we might learn - and, I pray, never forget - from this strange time of suffering and death we are in?

It’s not about what you have

Morning: Psalms 93, 96; Leviticus 25:1-17; James 1:2-8, 16-18

Evening: Psalm 34; Luke 12:13-21

For a society that has its roots planted deeply in the story of Jesus, it is astounding that the ‘West’, especially North America, ignores Jesus’s saying: “Life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” Really!? Why do we not see this? Why do we keep building our lives on things? Like the man who built larger barns to store more grain, we keep amassing treasures that we cannot use, not in this life or the next. Yet spiritually, we are impoverished. Will this pandemic finally teach us to give up this illusion and pay attention to Jesus?

The road is hard that leads to life

Morning: Psalms 75, 76; Leviticus 23:23-44; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Evening: Psalms 23, 27; Matthew 7:13-21

Decisions, decisions!! Life is full of choices. Jesus presents them: ‘Enter by the narrow gate ... Beware of false prophets ... Live in God’s way.’ The alternatives are stark ... the broad way leads to destruction ... lies cannot bear good fruit ... you may miss your destiny. How easy it is to choose a destructive and calamitous life. Instead, for a fruitful life, put your trust in God. The attractive path may be a dead end. Choose the path that is true. It sounds simple. Jesus pulls no punches though ... ‘the road is hard that leads to life’.

Ask God to help you treat others well

Morning: Psalm106:1-18; Leviticus 23:1-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Evening: Psalm 106:19-48; Matthew 7:1-12

 “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” In his ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus speaks these famous, probably unoriginal words to round off three other teachings ... not to judge, to guard what is holy, and to ask for help when we need it. The last one may prove most important. Not judging and guarding the sacredness of life do not come easily. Jesus promises help from beyond your own meagre resources that will enable you to treat others as well as you think you deserve! Of course, if you ask for trivial things, expect nothing.

Unseen witnesses to the Love that heals us

Morning: Psalm 80; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 John 2:18-25

Evening: Psalm 33; 1 Samuel 12:1-5; Acts 20:17-35

There have been very few famous witnesses to Love when compared with the multitude of unknown ones. St. Matthias, whose day it is today, is one such unknown. He replaced Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus; that’s all we know. Famous apostles, like Paul, did great things. Countless unseen witnesses also do great things, and yet, fame is not a necessary consequence of greatness. We cannot all be famous, but we can all aspire to greatness. Many great unknowns serve and live in the Love that will heal the human family. And that is enough; it is the one thing necessary.

Life’s work - decide whom or what to serve

Morning: Psalm 72; Leviticus 19:1-18; I Thessalonians 5:12-28

Evening: Psalm 119:73-96; Matthew 6:19-24

Wealth is the energy and abundance of the Creation. You do not automatically serve wealth because you are wealthy. You can be poor and still serve wealth. Serving wealth is being devoted to the illusion that accumulating wealth will save you. Modern economies serve that illusion when they believe that health lies in ‘wealth creation’. But we are not God. Wealth creation is the Creator’s work not ours. When we serve wealth, we fracture our relationship both with the Creation and its Creator. Deciding whom or what we will serve - where our heart lies - is our life’s work.

Pray, but do not heap up empty phrases

Morning: Psalms 61, 62; Leviticus 16:20-34; I Thessalonians 5:1-11
Evening: Psalm 68; Matthew 6:7-15

Keep it brief and to the point! Jesus teaches: Pray, but do not heap up empty phrases. To demonstrate, he gives us the Lord’s Prayer ... <<Pray in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial but rescue us from the evil one.>> 58 timeless words containing a universe of meaning. Sometimes, less is more.

The reward you need

Morning: Psalms 56, 57; Leviticus 16:1-19; I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Evening: Psalms 64, 65; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus teaches: “Whenever you fast ... or give alms ... or pray ... your father who sees in secret will reward you.”  With Jesus, it’s not “if” you do these things. He assumes you will follow these spiritual practices. But you must do them in secret. You don’t do them in order to get a predetermined reward, like good fortune, wisdom, long life, or respect. It is fair to expect some benefit from spiritual discipline. But you probably will not know beforehand what the benefit will be. You only need to know your reward will be the one you need.

Grace for all ... there are no ‘most favoured nations’

Morning: Psalms 24, 29; Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36; Hebrews 12:1-14

Evening: Psalms 8, 84; Luke 4:16-30

Whenever religious people make judgments about other people - saying that, for some reason, the others are not among the ‘chosen’, or the ‘righteous’, or the ‘blessed’ - you can assume the religious people are mistaken! This is why Jesus is thrown out of his hometown ... because the people think grace is especially for them. But the amazing, and shocking, and wonderful thing about Jesus is his declaration that grace and forgiveness and healing are for all people, all nations - no special status for anyone! Now, to embody this in our common life, let’s see now .... ??

Love shows itself to be stronger than hate

Morning: Psalm 55; Exodus 40:18-38; I Thessalonians 4:1-12

Evening: Psalm 1138, 139:1-17; Matthew 5:38-48

Please dig into Jesus’s teaching; it suggests courage, not weakness: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also”. Think about this carefully: slapping your right cheek is a contemptuous backhand gesture. Jesus teaches: Do not accept contempt ... offer the other cheek. For all kinds of reasons, this is a strong gesture, not a weak one. Our culture has it wrong when it characterizes ‘turning the other cheek’ as a betrayal. Love does not ‘wimp out’; love stands courageously against injustice but refuses to practice injustice. Love shows itself to be stronger than hate.

No half measures

Morning: Psalms 40, 54; Exodus 34:18-35; I Thessalonians 3:1-13

Evening: Psalm 51; Matthew 5:27-37

When it comes to standards of human behaviour, Jesus is fierce. He will not countenance excuses, as if some offensive behaviour might be explained away as somehow less culpable. For him, every kind of behaviour that breaks human relationships fractures the natural balance of things. There is no such thing as a little bit of adultery. Or a small broken promise. When you find yourself participating in such brokenness, there is no way around it. You must face it and put it right. Jesus’ advice is deliberately extreme, to draw attention to the need for drastic action to heal brokenness.

The humanizing effect of reconciliation

Morning: Psalm 50; Exodus 34:1-17; I Thessalonians 2:13-20

Evening: Psalms 114, 115; Matthew 5:21-26

Murder is a terrible act of violence ... but it does not come out of the blue. There is a violence of the mind and heart that nurtures anger towards another; there is a violence of speech that damages another’s dignity; there is a violence of contempt towards another that demeans their humanity. All this violence is inherently deadly, because it dehumanizes and devalues life. The astounding thing about Jesus’ teaching on this is that if someone treats you with such violence, it is you who should seek reconciliation with them! For to return violence for violence dehumanizes you more.

Healing - restoration from isolation to community

Morning: Psalms 97, 98; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 13:20-35

Evening: Psalm 145; John 5:1-12

 

Some of us feel quite isolated after 8 weeks of physical distancing. Imagine a disabled man so isolated for 38 years that there had been no-one to help him at the right time. Perhaps the miracle for him that was as important as his physical healing was that finally someone paid attention to how alone he was. His healing calls us to pay attention to why some people (even we ourselves?) become cut off from others, and, more importantly, what they (or we) need in order to be restored to community. Restoration from isolation to community is the true healing.

Morning: Psalm 45; Exodus 32:21-34; I Thessalonians 1:1-10

Evening: Psalms 47, 48; Matthew 5:11-16

What could these metaphors mean ... salt for the earth, light for the world? Well, there are lots of tasteless values governing our lives; plenty of darkness, too. Maybe one way to think about what Jesus means by salt and light is to imagine the world without either! Both salt and light promote health and life, growth and flourishing of every kind. So, to be a person who brings health, life, growth and vitality to where they live ... maybe that’s the goal? And remember, you only need a little salt and light to make a big difference.

May the Fourth be with you!

Morning: Psalms 41, 52; Exodus 32:1-20; Colossians 3:18-4:18

Evening: Psalm 44; Matthew 5:1-10

I cannot resist a Star Wars reference today. But think for a minute about ‘the Force’. Isn’t ‘the Force’ the Spirit of God? The Spirit is available when you are open. You are most open - and, therefore, most blessed, says Jesus - when you: ... are at the end of your rope ... have lost something dear to you ... accept who you are ... are in balance in your inner world ... cooperate rather than compete ... people persecute you for being who you are. By being vulnerable, you open yourself to the infinite power of the Cosmos.

Come away and rest awhile ... receive compassion

Morning: Psalms 63:1-8, 98; Exodus 28:1-4,30-38; I John 2:18-29

Evening: Psalm 103; Mark 6:30-44

You plan to take time out from busy activity and rest, and you should ... but some need arises, and you think you should change your plan. After all, Jesus was going away for a quiet time of rest with his disciples. Then a crowd gathered and, ‘He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd’. Jesus let compassion lead. But you are not Jesus; you are a disciple. There are times when you must rest and allow yourself to receive the compassion and nourishment that Jesus offers ... receive, so that later you can give.

Called into new ways of equity and justice

Morning: Psalms 30, 32; Exodus 25:1-22; Colossians 3:1-17

Evening: Psalms 42, 43; Matthew 4:18-25

What makes people give up lucrative and attractive lifestyles in order to follow callings that serve integrity, honesty, faith, hope and love? With Jesus, it was his remarkable acts of healing. He called fishermen to invite people out of darkness into light - like fish drawn up from dark depths into the daylight. A new calling is beckoning to millions these days; it holds the possibility of profound healing for the Earth. Coronavirus reveals afresh the dark old ways of inequity and injustice; a renewed humanity is called into new paths of equity, justice, light and life. Let it be!

Workers of the world … let faith be seen in action

Morning: Psalm 119:137-160; Job 23:1-12; John 1:43-51

Evening: Psalm 139; John 12:20-26

Some talk about the faith, reason about it, and convince people of its validity. Others are more inclined to show their faith in what they consider practical actions. Saints Philip and James, whose day it is today, are practical apostles. When Nathanael and ‘some Greeks’ are curious about Jesus, Philip gets cracking and sets up a meeting. For James, the quality of faith is measured by actions that bear it out. Perhaps it is only a coincidence that Philip and James share their day, May 1^st, with the various celebrations of workers around the world, but it is fitting.