On the Way to Wonder

Acts 2:14-41, Part 2

Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church, is an enormous change for the followers of the Jesus faith community.  On Easter Sunday the followers are cowering behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.  On Pentecost, shortly later, we see that “suddenly” a violent wind, tongues of fire, and speaking of languages of all people present signals the presence of the Holy Spirit in a new, surprising way. The outside people are confused about what is happening.  Are the followers drunk?  A new explanation of the nature of God is about to be shared.

         Peter speaks to the Jewish monotheistic (one God) people.  Peter starts explaining.  Jesus has lived a life revealing the character of this God they believe in and claimed to be that God, was crucified by them and rose again.  Jesus is alive and is God.  Now this, the Holy Spirit.  This experience was predicted in Jewish history of the Spirit of God inspiring Jewish believers. Their knowledge of God is expanding to what we now call Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Three in One  He also explains the people’s role in crucifying Jesus and many are convicted of their error and repent.

         The idea that intrigues me about this is not the putting together of history but the spiritual growth of Peter.  I pondered if the Holy Spirit just overwhelmed Peter and used him to speak truth or are we seeing an example of genuine spiritual growth?  Traditionally we put the question as whether we have inborn gifts when we become believers or does God gift us for special tasks?  In the Gospels, Peter has often been the first to speak but often putting his foot in his mouth. Now he begins to emerge as a gifted leader of the group of followers, no longer denying Jesus, but openly explaining what has happened.  He is growing spiritually.  He is no longer in his comfort zone because of his speaking to a mass of people but he is using own personality in new and more powerful ways.

         So as we look back over our lives, can we identify arenas where God has helped us grow?  I do note that the passage focuses on growing in Peter’s ability to bring glory to God, not himself, and a growth in being more integrated within himself and with others.  Perhaps your love for drawing has grown into an ability to make cards to encourage others, or scrapbooking of memories.  Our cousin used his woodworking skills to raise all the furniture my husband sits on just that bit higher so my husband can stand up easier.  We are not all speakers like Peter but we all do have the Holy Spirit in us and can bring glory to God in our own unique way and setting.  The saying, God don’t make junk!  Blessings as you use your gift.

Acts 2:1-13

         The Day of Pentecost, the followers were gathered together when “suddenly.”  After waiting from Ascension to Pentecost, celebrated by 40 days in our Christian calendar, the followers experienced the promised Holy Spirit. 

         We understand waiting.  We wait for the baby, about 9 months.  We wait for the war in Ukraine to end.  We wait for Christmas.  We wait to see if the chemo is going to work.  Suddenly something happens that changes everything.  On Pentecost, suddenly there was the blowing of a violent wind, the appearance of what looked like tongues of fire on heads, and the followers were somehow enabled to speak languages previously foreign to them.  Suddenly something happens that makes us aware that our waiting is over.  Perhaps the contractions begin.  Perhaps the organist starts playing the chosen wedding song.  Perhaps the doctor enters into the waiting room.  The unexpected signals we are about to enter an “experience.”

         Many theologians through the centuries have written about the meaning of the wind, the flames, and the languages.  But as I read this passage as a spiritual formation experience that is meaningful to me, here, today, I ponder what are the signals to my soul that I am in the presence of the Holy, that I am standing on holy ground?  Few of us have seen flames on heads but we have felt the tingle of our nerves, the sudden rush of warmth, the catch of our breath as we observe a sunrise or a sunset.  We realize we are standing in a special four dimensional moment and are experiencing something special.

     The crowd was confused.  Some thought the followers were drunk.  Some were totally amazed to be hearing their own language, to feel like God was speaking personally to them.  Even so today.  We have a spiritual experience and some people’s eyes glaze over and think we’ve drunk too much.  It makes no sense.  For some of us, we feel a deep sense of being understood as if God is speaking in our heart language.  The door opens to something new that is about to happen in our lives.

         So what primes your pump, clues you in, that you are in the presence of the holy?  Ideas might enter that you know are not your own?  Music moves you deep in your gut?  A verse in a passage jumps off the page into your attention?  The pastor seems to be speaking just to you..

Spend a moment reflecting on special  moments in your life identifying the special details.  Thank God that the Holy Spirit visits even us today.

Acts 1

Yesterday we wore red to church and celebrated Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church.  Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, writes a second epistle, the book of Acts, that continues to tell the story of how that group of early disciples had to reorganize their whole world of faith after the shock of the crucifixion.  Between Easter Sunday and Pentecost we remembered the different people who saw Jesus and saw how he was orienting his followers from seeing him in person, listening to his teaching, and observing his miracles to a bigger vision.  Their understanding of God and the reality of God’s kingdom was growing. 

         At Pentecost we see the beginning understanding of a Triune God, one God but three expressions or persons.  A mystery.  The Holy Spirit is mentioned at creation, hovering over the waters, but Pentecost expands our understanding.  Often the book of Acts is studied to look at how the church grew.  Some even idealize it as the model we should follow.  I would like to go through Acts as a “faith formation” study.  I am fascinated that those early followers who understood so little, really, grew to be the fathers of the faith who changed their world and helped define ours.  What lessons were they learning?

         In Acts, Luke is writing to his friend Theophilus (possibly a pseudonym for theo-godly, philus– friend).  The Gospel of Luke told the story of the incarnation of Christ.  Acts talks about the planting of the early church and the early formulating of faith expressions.  Chapter 1 offers two promises that undergirded those early followers.  Jesus had promised the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, and he had promised to return.  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)”

         Jesus predicted the baptism of the Holy Spirit to come in Jerusalem.  John the Baptists had hinted at this but Jesus says it is within a few days.  The followers though were still not really understanding and thought he was talking about his return.  Actually we have two promises, the promise of an Advocate that gives power and the eventual return of Christ.  The first promise was fulfilled in chapter 2 and we wait for Christ’s return.

         So what promises undergird our faith?  I battle fear of many things but interestingly, my confirmation verse given me by a pastor who knew me little was Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  I am always encouraged and look forward to seeing God’s presence in a situation.  What promises do you stand on?  Name it and read it again with anticipation!  Blessings!

My confirmation verse in 8^th grade was Isaiah 41:10.  It has followed me through my life and been quoted to me at trying times by strangers.  Just a few verses earlier in Isaiah 40: 28 we read the following verse that was quoted in the sermon by Eric Liddell when he preached on the Sunday he chose not to run at the Olympics for religious reasons.

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

 He will not grow tired or weary,

And his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak.

Even youth grow tired and weary,

And young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the Lord

Will renew their strength,

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not grow weary

They will walk and not faint.

Our hymn today came from these verses.  We focused on waiting this week.  To wait challenges us. Waiting on God’s promises and waiting for him to act on our behalf is always a good choice.  Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday and we switch our focus.  Blessings as you wait on the Lord.

Psalm 130  A song of ascents.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
²     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.

When I looked up “wait” in a word search of the Bible, 17 quotes appeared from the book of Psalms.  It is the book that talks most about waiting on God. I am surprised that Psalm 130 is a psalm of ascents because I think of waiting as a maintaining time, not an ascending time.  The author is unknown but it was sung as pilgrims climbed the hill to Jerusalem.  It focuses on repentance. 

         My kids love to recall stories like when “Mom mushed Molly.”  I drove over our dog who weaved infront of our car as I drove in the driveway with all the kids who felt the car go thunk, thunk.  I would love to erase that story!  Verse 4 rejoices in the Lord’s forgiveness.  Our past will not be thrown up in our faces as we wait..

         The author waits “more than a watchman waits for the morning.” That is an interesting image.  As a chaplain I pulled night shifts or was on-call.  Do watchmen wait for dawn so they can see clearly if the enemy is sneaking up?  That line is quoted twice!  After a long night of worry, perhaps bad dreams, of anticipation of an upcoming operation or celebration, it is indeed a relief for the daytime to arrive and the process to start.  Waiting is finished.

         What are you waiting for?  Jot it down.  We are all journeying to our own Jerusalem, our own destination.  Let’s read this psalm one more time and allow its promises to soak into our souls.  Blessings as you wait on the Lord.

Psalm 27:9-14

Have you ever felt unseen, invisible, insignificant, or unimportant?  Some times people talk over you, around you, past you and it feels like you don’t matter.  My husband is progressing with dementia and is becoming more and more silent and it is so easy to forget that he listens and perhaps at some level understands.  Often we assume young children don’t understand.  Our youngest son at age two would put his hands on both sides of our face, turn us towards him and ask what a word meant.  He was listening.

         King David is pleading with the Lord.  Psalm 27 is a song of lament, a psalm that expresses genuine dismay as David faces enemies.  He calls on God as his potential light, salvation, and stronghold but he also sees his enemies surrounding him.  The last verses of the Psalm are often quoted.  “Do not hide,” “do not turn away,” “do not forsake me,” teach me,” and “lead me.”  Those are the cries from the gut of a person who needs help.  I know those cries and I bet you do to.  David continues, though, “¹³ I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  David is not thinking about resolution by going to heaven.  He realizes God acts now in the reality of our everyday lives.  His conclusion, “wait for the Lord,” “be strong,” “take heart,” and “wait.”

         Waiting is not easy but God does act.  Resurrection is not just an event but a reality that affects our lives.  And God’s answer is so much better than our thrown together solutions emerging from the stress of the moment.  May God bless you as you wait on him.  He sees the big picture.  He cares for all parties.  And he acts.  Blessings.

⁹ Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;
         you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my   Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my        oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
          I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27: 4-6

Waiting between Easter and Ascension, between Ascension and Pentecost must have been fascinating for the fly on the wall.  In modern language, one fly might have said “Wait for it…” as the story unfolds.  These early followers had been following Jesus around the countryside, listening to his teaching, watching him heal, and basking in his presence.  Suddenly he is crucified and resurrects and they are told to wait for him in Jerusalem.  I cannot imagine the emotional, spiritual and social reorientation those early believers were going through.

         Yesterday we looked at Psalm 27 written by David who himself knew a lot about waiting fo God to fulfill promises.  He was anointed as the next king when a youth caring for his flocks but the whole reign of Saul occurred before that promise was fulfilled.  Psalm 27 speaks to that waiting process.

         First David focuses on images that he associates with his knowledge of God.  God is a light that brings revelation to the waiting time.  God is his salvation, the only one who can fulfill that which he seeks.  God is his stronghold, the focus he occupies his mind with, kind of like picking your thought for Lamaz.  But “wait for it…”  what is David waiting for?  The next verses that we look at today share that David seeks to “dwell  in the house of the Lord.”  David looks beyond the enemies seeking to defeat him, the sins that plagued his life, and all the politics of his day.  He looks to the peace and security of dwelling in the house of the Lord and being able to feel that safety.

     So I must ask what we focus on when we are struggling.  Are we just asking God to relieve the pain of our situation – heal our loved one, defeat an enemy, resolve the chaos or is there a greater picture we can focus on?  Lamaz convinced me that the mind can only focus on one thing so focusing on a fond memory, a Bible verse, or even a spot on the wall, will lessen the pain that is only “labor.”  I do know that when I “chew that bone”, as my husband says, of some dilemma I’m facing that the problem grows larger and larger.  Where is your “sweet spot” that helps you cope?  For David it was thinking about being in God’s dwelling place.  Where is it for you?  Spend some moments now resting there with God who dwells with you.  Blessings.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
         that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
         to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
         he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
         at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Psalm 27

During a very difficult time in my life, our family had to move to Nairobi so my husband could work there.  I was devastated.  I had to leave my home, my friends, and my ministry.  I met a fellow missionary who had experience with Navigators and who challenged me to check her Bible memorization.  I decided to join her and to memorize Psalm 27 as I was waiting for my future to unfold.  The first verse presents three pictures for relationship with the Lord, Jesus.  Light, salvation and stronghold.

         Light helps us see the rocks and holes in the road we are traveling.

         Salvation does not mean there is no trouble but I will survive!

         Stronghold is a place of protection and safety.

Those were powerful images that carried me through a rough waiting time.  As you read this psalm, what pictures speak to your situation?  Perhaps underline them and rephrase them so that they zero in on your dynamic.    Jesus does shed light on my situation, insight that leads to         acceptance. 

         Jesus partners with me and walks with us through my challenges. 

         Jesus is the friend who has my back! 

How would you rephrase the aspects of Christ that help you wait?  Blessings.

Psalm 27  A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?
         The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me to devour me,
         it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out         against me, even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
         that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
         to gaze on the beauty of the Lord  and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
         he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon         a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
         at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and         make music to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;
         you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my   Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my        oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
          I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 5  A psalm of David.

¹ Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament.
² Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

³  In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
⁴ For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand in your presence.  You hate all who do wrong;
⁶     you destroy those who tell lies.The bloodthirsty and deceitful       you, Lord, detest.
⁷ But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow    down toward your holy temple.

⁸ Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—
    make your way straight before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God!  Let their intrigues be their downfall.
         Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
         Spread your protection over them, that those who love your      name may rejoice in you.

¹² Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor         as with a shield.

Last Thursday was Ascension Day when Jesus was taken up towards heaven, out of sight of the followers, perhaps in front of 500 people according to 1 Cor 15:6.  The people “returned to Jerusalem” and waited.  Next Sunday we switch to the Pentecost season, the appearance of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1.  It feels like waiting is a theme these days, waiting for Ukraine war to end, waiting for the Jan 6 hearing, waiting for inflation to decrease, waiting for justice, and waiting by the graveside of those lost to violence.  Wow, heavy times. 

         So I decided to immerse our hearts in passages this week that deal with waiting.  Psalms includes many “laments”, people crying out to God because of the wrongs of life.  Let us join our hearts with theirs as they put words to some of the grief swirling around in our hearts.  They remind us that as people made in the image of God that God laments with us over evil and is working for a better world.  Read this Psalm and soak in its truth.  Blessings.

John 21

Contextualization is the process of taking an idea and making it understandable in a different context.  So for example the story in Luke 2 where four men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus but the house is full so they can’t get their friend in.  They go up on the roof and dig through the ceiling and lower their friend into Jesus’ presence.  Contextualization makes the scene understandable to Eskimos who live in igloos or to nomads in Kenya  who have rounded portable houses.

         Little Peggy March in 1963, having just turned 15, shot this song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. She was the youngest female artist to claim that fame.        I was in high school.  Whoopi Goldberg sang the song contextualized in Sister Act !, leading a choir of nuns in San Francisco – for the Pope.  Love was love for God.  This song still remains my favorite example of contextualization.  I cannot keep my feet still and break into a smile whenever I hear it.

         We pondered Jesus’ encounter with Peter after the resurrection, after fishing all night, after a breakfast and then the end of the conversation.  Jesus told Peter, “Follow me.”  What does following mean to you?

I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
And near him, I always will be
For nothing can keep me away
He is my destiny

I will follow him
Ever since he touched my heart I knew
There isn’t an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep
Keep me away
Away from his love