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.
The disrupting Spirit Week 3: Tuesday Reading Acts 2.1-13 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ Reflection The beginning of Acts 2 records a decisive moment in the life of the Early Church. Some affectionately call it the birthday of the Church. But this is perhaps a rather a bland name for a truly dramatic event. The Spirit comes in power and disrupts everything, fills everything, displaces everything! Disciples locked away in fear become emboldened. Those who could not speak were filled with a new energy, new giftings, and new fire. Peter, the one who had denied Jesus, becomes the first preacher. There is no shame here. There is simply a deep freedom in testifying to the great work of God in Christ Jesus. Thanks to the disruptive power of the Spirit, those being hunted down by violent oppressors are now not afraid to disrupt the status quo to preach the truth of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Ultimately, the Spirit always disrupts lies, violence and fear. Watch Consider ways the Holy Spirit might be disrupting your life and plans. ...and pray for humility to allow the Holy Spirit's power to reshape and redirect. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
