The Entire Book of Acts in 3 Minutes

For those of you who missed some of the installments in Easter season, here's the whole story.

Not all of my posts have to be serious. Today let's just have fun! Post a comment and tell me what you think of it.

God's Love Has No Limits

St. Paul wrote, "To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

We all have weaknesses, although they are probably different from the weakness that Paul never really explains to us. We order a burger and fries when we know perfectly well what it will do to our cholesterol level. We are impatient with the slow person ahead of us in line at the grocery store, because we have important (to us) things to do. We judge others based upon their appearance, or their accent, or the car they drive. We spend more time at work than we do with our families, and then justify it to ourselves because we are "providing for them." We get angry with loved ones when they don't live up to our standards or expectations. We stop listening when we're with someone who has an opposing point of view on our favorite issue. We don't answer the telephone or respond to emails and text messages when we're "not in the mood." We take for granted the things that others do for us on a daily basis, and don't ever say "thank you."

We are so very lucky that God's grace is unconditional, and that God's love has no limits. He has infinite patience with us, and waits for us to seek him out. He doesn't judge us when we exhibit our weaknesses in all their glory. He doesn't get angry with us for living up to His standards (and they must be very high!). He doesn't get impatient when we do the same stupid things over and over again. And he never stops listening to us ... even at those times when we don't know that we're communicating with him.

When we are depressed, God is there to lift us up. When we are anxious, God is there to calm us down. When we are sick, God is there to give us patience and courage. And when we are thoroughly disgusted with ourselves, God is there to remind us that we are made in His own image and -- as I read somewhere in a Facebook post -- "God didn't make junk."

He always gives us another chance.

Coming Up: Trinity Sunday

God's grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of ALL of us sinners and our receipt of God's blessings. I can think of few things that evidence God's grace more than the Trinity.

Trinity Sunday, celebrated this year on May 26^th, is one of the few feasts that celebrates a doctrine rather than an event. On it we honor the “triune God,” Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It lasts only one day instead of having a whole “season,” which some say is symbolic of the unity of the Trinity.

Pope John XXII officially established the feast day in AD 1334 as the Sunday after Pentecost. It is especially popular in the Anglican tradition because Thomas Becket was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, AD 1162.

The concept of the Trinity is certainly beyond my full comprehension.  Although described in the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, it is most comprehensively addressed in the Athanasian Creed, beginning with the words, “We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.”

How can this be? Here are two illustrations that helped me. Think of your two eyes. They are distinct, yet one and undivided in their sight. Think of a musical chord. The notes are all distinct, but joined together as one chord the sound is richer and more dynamic. So the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is one Lord, almighty and eternal.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Today We Celebrate Pentecost, or Whitsunday

Pentecost (from the Greek pentecostē, or “50th day”) is a major festival celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. You can read the Biblical account of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-41, but here’s the short version. 

Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29). The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many of whom had come from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. 

Red is the liturgical color for this day. Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost. The color red also reminds us of the blood of the martyrs. These are the believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives. 

A tradition of some churches in earlier times was to baptize adult converts to the faith on Pentecost. The newly-baptized would wear white robes on that day, so Pentecost was often called "Whitsunday" or "White Sunday" after these white baptismal garments. Many Christian calendars, liturgies and hymnals (particularly those from the Episcopal/Anglican tradition) still use this term.

 

 

A New Beginning

For quite some time I've written a column in our church newsletter -- a church called Grace -- called "Graceful Worship." Most of the time I've focused on how we worship, why we worship the way we do, and how it all came about. Over time I've been amazed, and very grateful, that people seem to like my column. But I've recently found myself wanting to expand the things I write about, and the people that I can reach out to. So I've decided to blog, and this is my opening day! I don't yet know how often I will post, but I'll try to write at least once every week. I hope my friends at Grace will follow me, and that I get to make some new friends as well.

"From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16).