The Fruit of the Spirit

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control.  There is no law against such things.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another."  --Galatians 5:22-23, 25-26

The Spirited Community

All who believed were together, and had all things in common . . ." --Acts 2:44

Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35 describe a community of faith born of, and living in, the power of God's Spirit.  We read these two texts together, and noted the qualities of a "spirited community:"
--daily worship together
--a devotion to learning (careful listening and applied practice)
--devotion to fellowship and a shared table
-- the celebrating of the Lord's Supper
--devoted prayer life
--glad and generous hearts
--constant praise of God
--entire community was cared for
--possessions distributed as any had need (no "absolute" private property)
--committed to spreading the good news of God's love everywhere

These were characteristic of "The Way," which is what the early church was called.  The Spirit of the Lord inspires and nourishes the community, making growth and holy surprise ever possible.  An apostolic community witnesses to the resurrection power of our God manifested in the midst of the everyday.

In what ways is our St. Andrew's Church such a community?

Do You Love Me?

On Wednesday we read the second of our post-resurrection stories, from John 21:1-19.  Simon Peter and six other disciples are back home in Galilee.  Rather than sharing the amazing good new of Jesus' resurrection with everyone they can find, they return to life as they lived it before Jesus had called them.  They "go fishing," but after a long night of labor, have "caught nothing."
As the sun comes up, Jesus is standing on the shore.  They do not recognize him. He affectionately addresses them as "Children,' and asks if they have any fish, to which they reply, "No."  He urges them to cast their nets from the other side of the boat.  When they do, they receive a huge catch of fish.  Their life with Jesus is much more fruitful than without him.  The story reminds us of the story in Luke's gospel where Jesus calls some of these very same disciples for the first time (Luke 5:1-11).  It is virtually the same story, that time at the beginning.  The crucifixion has not stopped the story  of Gods love from continuing!  The memory of the beloved disciple is stirred, and he shouts, "It's the Lord!"  Simon Peter, so anguished by his failure to stand with Jesus before, responds excitedly by jumping in the water and swimming hurriedly to the shore, leaving the other disciples to haul in the catch of fish.
When the disciples get to the shore, they find fish and bread cooking on a "charcoal fire."  We realize that we heard those words once before in the story:  when Peter was confronted in the high priest's courtyard, asking if he was with Jesus, he was warming himself by a "charcoal fire!"  At that time, he denied knowing Jesus three times.  Now, in this story, we hear Jesus ask Simon Peter if he loves him--three times!  After each time, when Peter says, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you!," Jesus commissions Peter once again:  "Feed my lambs." "Tend my sheep."  "Feed my sheep."  "Follow me."  There is new life beyond failure.  There is the healing power of forgiveness.  Simon Peter will demonstrate his love for Jesus by loving others fully. "Love one another as I have loved you."
This powerful conversation only takes place after Jesus has invited all of them to an abundant breakfast, joining their catch with what he has already prepared, in a very special communion meal.
What kinds of experiences remind us of what Jesus has already taught us?  Are there places in our lives where we recognize the presence of the risen Christ?  How does Jesus tend to our failures, and inspire us to serve him in love once again?  When we celebrate communion, will you remember this story? How do we make our love of Jesus visible?

With Burning Hearts

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" --Luke 24:32

The story of the Road to Emmaus is an important one.  It focuses not just on what God's resurrection power does in Jesus, but what God's power for new life does in us!
The setting is the afternoon of Easter day.  And even though Jesus has risen from the tomb, and Mary  Magdalene, Joanna, and the other women have testified to the tomb's emptiness and the good news of Jesus' rising, two of Jesus' followers are leaving town, acting as though the resurrection hasn't happened.  For them, the disappointment of Jesus being different than what they have expected him to be seems too much.  Also, they are traumatized by the awful events of Good Friday, and fear that death really has had the last word, and that their story with Jesus is over.
The risen Christ meets the men on the road and comes close to them, but they don't recognize him.  Luke writes," but their eyes were kept from recognizing him."   This is a way of saying that we don't always see Jesus' presence in our lives because he comes to us in ways we are not expecting.  He ask them about their experiences and feelings; he listens as they tell him what Jesus has meant to them.  He then takes familiar stories from the scriptures and reinterprets them in the light of his life and God;s love.  He teaches them a new way to read the Bible, and new ways to recognize him in the Bible stories and in their own lives!
When they get to Emmaus and they ask him to stay with them, he does, sharing a meal: breaking the bread, blessing it, and giving it to them,as he had done at the Last Supper.  "Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him . . ." They talk to each other excitedly, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us!" They are filled with God's inspiration as they receive the risen Jesus, and they are moved by the realization that his story is their story! Instead of continuing to move away, they change direction, go back to Jerusalem, and tell the other disciples the good news of meeting the risen Jesus!
Jesus meets us where we are.  He draws close to us.  He opens up the scriptures so that we can understand our own lives in the light of God's boundless love and mercy. He makes wherever we are into a place where we learn and grow; we don't just talk about Jesus, we talk to him! He gathers us at his table so that we might be nourished by his presence and amazed at everyone else's inclusion.  He sends us out as people whose lives are only measured by God's grace.  We change direction. And our hearts burn.

The Day of Resurrection!

Good Friday

Jesus lived, the nonviolent, self-giving love of God to its fullest.  He never compromised that love, even in the face of ridicule, punishment, and the cross.  When he calls out, "It is accomplished!," he is announcing the wholeness of that life.  In a way, it is the completion of God's original creation, because Jesus has fulfilled the life that God has intended for all of us "from the beginning", and opened a path of fulfillment for us.  This is why we call Holy Friday "Good!"  And because love is the power of God, the greatest power, death will never have the last word.

Maundy Thursday

"To allow Jesus to cleanse our feet is to remove all that prevents us from using our feet to follow him, to scrub way our insecurities, to wash away our weariness, to buff off our bitterness."
                                                                                        --Alyce McKenzie