Abiding with the Spirit Week 3: Weekend Reading John 16.1-15 ‘I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. ‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Reflection We end the week with words Jesus speaks to his disciples in the Upper Room on the night before his crucifixion and death. Jesus promises that he will send the “Advocate”, the “Spirit of Truth” who will be active in the lives of the disciples and the Christians who will follow them. John’s Gospel generally uses the word “abiding” to speak about relationship with God. Also, when reading the Acts of the Apostles, the entire book details the untameable movement of the Holy Spirit. This “abiding” or “tarrying” with the Spirit – a key emphasis in Black Pentecostalism – requires us to be open to the unthinkable. For example, during the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906 to 1909, even white pastors came to learn from the Black leadership of the fellowship. Such openness to the Spirit’s guiding is vital to our discipleship today. Watch Take note of moments when you were surprised by life's outcomes. ...and pray for greater openness to God's surprises in life. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
The indwelling Spirit Week 3: Friday Reading Acts 2.43-47 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Reflection The Spirit of God is mighty! Yes, the Spirit is Holy! But there is a deeper revelation about the Holy Spirit played out in the Acts of the Apostles. When we come to the end of Acts Chapter 2, the community of the first believers begin living in the world in a radically alternative way. They hold all things in common. They sell their possessions. They pray and worship together, breaking bread as Jesus taught them. They also were known for signs and wonders. Everyone was in awe of them. What has made the difference here? It is the fact that this early Christian community is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. People of the Holy Spirit live alternatively, in a way that is distinctive and filled with grace. They seek unity and seek to rebuild where life is most broken. Their hearts are overfilled with love, despite the cold heartlessness of the world. Watch Reflect on moments you might have felt the Holy Spirit within you. ...and pray for a clearer sense of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
The Holy Spirit Week 3: Thursday Reading Acts 2.37-42 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Reflection In today’s reading we encounter the first converts to Peter’s message. We begin to see that they devote themselves to the teaching of the apostles, a central part of which is that upon repenting of their sins, believing in Jesus, and being baptised, they would receive the Holy Spirit. This emphasis on the Holy Spirit in these early moments of Christian history is vital for later doctrinal developments. We now stand on centuries of reflection which have rested on the fact that the Holy Spirit is indeed the third person of the Trinity. However, there is more to be done and more to understand about how the Spirit operates in the world. Black Spirituality reminds us that “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4.24). Watch Consider how your understanding of the Holy Spirit has developed over time. ...and pray for a stronger and deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit in your life. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
The ancient Spirit Week 3: Wednesday Reading Acts 2.14-24 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. Reflection We are now at the heart of Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. We come to a deep truth. The Spirit is none other than that ancient Spirit, the Spirit promised in the Book of the Prophet Joel from which Peter quotes. The plan was always for all to have access to the Spirit of God, without distinction. Most revivals and spiritual outpourings in Christian history have emerged from oppressed and marginalised communities and experiences. When considering Black Spirituality, and especially the rise of Pentecostalism across the world that is connected to it, we see the same pattern. Black spiritual traditions are inherently Spirit-oriented (or “pneumatological”). This means that they prioritise the power and presence of the Spirit of God, and as such, they consistently remind us that the Spirit of God is ancient, and not contained by any religion or denomination. Watch Note your thoughts and reflections on more expressive forms of Christianity. ...and pray for a continued revival and outpouring of the Spirit within all our churches. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
