July 29, 2024 — suggested reading: Acts 22:22 – 23:11

“Paul looked directly at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day.” At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?” Those standing near him said, “Do you dare insult Godʼs high priest?” Paul replied, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ʻYou must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.ʼ” Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, he ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Have courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Acts 23:1-11

The Lord appears to Paul and says, “Keep up your courage!” What helps you “keep your courage?” How do you keep yourself moving forward when it seems like everyone and everything is against you? Max Lucado writes these words: “Do-it-yourself Christianity is not much encouragement to the done in and worn out. Self-sanctification holds little hope for the addict…(and I would add those who have made bad choices and bad decisions). At some point we need more than good advice; we need help. Somewhere on this journey home we realize that a fifty-fifty proposition is too little. We need more…We need help. Help from the inside out…Not near us. Not above us. Not around us. But in us. In the part of us we don’t even know. In the heart no one else has seen. In the hidden recesses of our being dwells, not an angel, not a philosophy, not a genie, but God.”

Paul’s strength comes in his relationship with Jesus. Though Paul showed a lot of spirit and strength when he persecuted Christians, Paul now preaches Christ crucified — the main difference is that his strength comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way Paul could have persevered through his shipwrecks, his beatings, his imprisonments, and other setbacks. Paul is a living example of the power of the Holy Spirit working in people.

Pastor Dave

July 28 — Pentecost +10B

“Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,  “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”  Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.” John 6:1-21

“Make the people…..”

Imagine 5000+ people milling about — some are sitting — some are standing and talking to each other — and the disciples are supposed to get them all to sit down. I have trouble getting 100+ people so sit down after they share the peace on Sunday morning. How could the disciples “Make these people” do anything? But he says “Make them sit down”…

Has Jesus ever made you sit down? Has G-d ever told you “enough is enough?” Now, sometimes those moments are not so clear while you are in them — in the middle of whatever storm you were experiencing— and so it takes some reflection and discernment to realize later that G-d was acting upon you to slow you down — if not to sit you down — so that perhaps you might have some time to open your hearts and ears for Jesus. In this world where we are so busy, it is not surprising that G-d needs to work just a little harder to get our attention. Sometimes G-d will just sit us down and say — Listen!

My friends, I think G-d is working miracles in our lives all of the time — but we aren’t always aware of G-d’s activity — we are too distracted — too busy to see them for what they are — and then to offer our thanks and praise. This is not good. G-d is saying something to us today — through these two miracles — the feeding of the 5000 and walking on the water — we see how Jesus comes to us throughout our lives:

1.  He comes through others

2.  He comes to us personally

It is a ministry of presence — either through the presence of others who bear the light of Christ to us, and feed us, and listen to us, and walk beside us — or through the presence directly of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I think these texts are reminding us that we should always be looking for opportunities to be someone else’s “Thankful” — ways to serve others, help others so they will say “I am Thankful to have you in my life.” And, if we are listening to the calling of the Holy Spirit, we might just be able to be a part of a miracle — but we have to be open to seeing the opportunities in front of us and serving others.

Pastor Dave