Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 16: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 16 and 17; Evening, Psalm 22;
Job 9:1 to15 and 32 to 35; Acts 10:34 to 48; and John 7:37 to 52:
“Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7: 39).
I have noticed, particularly in the Gospel of John, that the Holy Spirit comes after our Lord Jesus has been “glorified.” It is understood that being glorified means being crucified. For me this is sad. None the less, the Spirit only comes when the physical Jesus leaves us. It is this Spirit of Christ that abides with us today.
This concern about where a holy presence comes from also takes on a human significance. Some were worried about where Jesus came from. This was a geographical concern rather than a spiritual concern. “Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?” (John 7:41). It seems one has to have read at least the Gospel of Luke or Matthew in order to understand the geographical, earthly origins of Jesus. I think it’s not that important. We should be more concerned about the Spiritual origin rather than the geographical earthly origin.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). We need believe nothing else. My belief is, “I Trust in the Creating Word through the Holy Spirit of the Incarnate Word, in whom we live and move and love and have our being, and to whom we must give an account.” I have been to the Holy Land, in particular northern Israel, a picture of which, is at the beginning of each of my daily blogs. I also remember that our Lord Jesus began his ministry in Cana and in Capernaum of Galilee, a place he chose of his own free will. Everywhere else that he went, he was taken in his early life.
I believe it is the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads Christians, both in our individual souls and in our Churches, no matter the denomination or where we are on this planet. We are the Lord’s, and it is the Holy Spirit of the Lord that guides us if we would just listen and follow.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia; Israel and Palestine; and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray: (A Collect of Guidance, p.100 of the BCP)
“Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
onewhoponders 