Connect
Fifty days after Easter is Pentecost, when we celebrate the official birth of the church, made possible by Jesus bestowing the Holy Spirit on his disciples. On Sunday, Pastor Chris shared a story about he and other pastors in India being able to feel the Holy Spirit as a moving presence, like a wind, when they prayed together.
Consider:
- What comes to mind when you think, "Holy Spirit?"
- Have you ever experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Grow
Why the Holy Spirit?
In the readings for this Sunday, the Holy Spirit is described as a wind suddenly blowing over the gathering of disciples, who are suddenly given the power to speak in tongues, or in languages they don't normally speak. This was very recently after Jesus' resurrection, and according to the Message version of the Bible, there was a large gathering of Jews in Jerusalem at the time, so that this phenomenon reached a large audience. The disciples went on to baptize many of them.
Read:
- Acts 2:1-21 [1]
Consider:
- What do you think about the words of the prophet Joel, which Peter mentions?
Asking the Holy Spirit to help us pray
Read:
- John 20:19-23 [2]
- Romans 8:26-27 [3]
- sermon [3]
Pastor Chris preached that we believe Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us through baptism, and gives us gifts that empower us to serve and to let the world see the Risen Jesus in how we care for one another and our world. But to do this, says Pastor Chris, we've got to actively keep growing -- and growing up -- in our faith by staying in constant contact with God through his word. Chris outlines some concrete ways to do this:
- Sign up for Bethlehem's daily email Bible readings: (http://www.bethlehem-church.org/worship/word)
- Read Mark's Gospel, one chapter a day, until you finish.
- Read Luke's Gospel, one chapter a day, until you finish.
- Ask for the Spirit's guidance in your reading.
- Ask the Spirit for help when you pray.
In Romans, Paul writes:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God!
Close
We close with a prayer from this past Sunday's bulletin:
O God of love, you take the little we offer and turn it to great results. The more we give, the more your blessings abound. Receive us as coworkers with Christ in the transforming work you seek to do throughout all the earth. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Prepare
Words for the Week
Try this contemplative approach to reading scripture called lectio divina
Take a deep breath and find a little silence within yourself. Then:
Read the verse a few times with a listening heart filled with unhurried expectation.
Reflect on this question, "What are you saying to me in this verse today, God?"
Respond by talking to God about your real feelings, thoughts, questions, and doubts.
Rest by simply being with God who knows you and loves you.
Monday
- John 14:25-27 [4]
Tuesday
- Psalm 51:10-11 [5]
Wednesday
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 [6]
Thursday
- Galatians 5:22-25 [7]
Friday
- Ephesians 1:11-14 [8]
Saturday
- Romans 8:26-27 [9]