SPIRIT EMPOWERED

INVOCATION....  d365.org  (Rebecca Poe Hays)
The very nature of God's Spirit is to express power and to share it.

When so many feel powerless, it is good to know that God is generous, offering the Spirit's empowerment to all the world.

The offer is there for you now as well. Reach out, reach up for the power of the Spirit in your life.

 

SATURDAY, June 1  "Growing Tall"

Psalm 92:12-15 (Good News Translation)

The righteous will flourish like palm trees;
    they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 They are like trees planted in the house of the Lord,
    that flourish in the Temple of our God,
14     that still bear fruit in old age
    and are always green and strong.
15 This shows that the Lord is just,
    that there is no wrong in my protector.

Grow tall in the Lord!

A healthy plant magnifies the glory of its creator.

Fertilized by the soil of God's Word,
Nurtured by the light of God's Love,
Sustained by the waters of Spirit Baptism,
We grow strong and empowered in God. 
Ready to flourish and fully live
As a demonstration of the amazing God
Who created us. 
Grow tall in the Lord!   

BENEDICTION....  d365.org (Vicki Vogel Schmidt)

Come, Blazing Fire,
Anoint our tongues with the messages of peace;
Till, though blind, we see,
And deaf, we hear,
And imprisoned, find release.

FRIDAY, May 31 "Spirit Directions"  

Acts 8:26-28  (The Message)

Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

   The Spirit is God's e-mail system, postal service, text message, telegram - whatever era of communication you imagine - to deliver God's instructions to us. Unfortunately that message rarely comes as clearly as Philip's directive: "Go down the abandoned road to Gaza".  A bit bizarre, Philip probably thought.  But the key to this story is that Philip listened and Philip acted, however strange it might have appeared.  The result was a special encounter and conversion that would not have taken place if Philip hadn't responded to God's directions. 
     It takes practice to hear and respond to Spirit directions.  It takes time spent listening, time spent learning the ways and communication methods the Spirit uses with us personally.  When the message is understood, we are empowered to act, and the results can be an amazing interaction with God's glory. How does the Spirit speak to you? Are you prepared to listen?  To respond? Am I?

THURSDAY, May 30 "Bountiful Baskets"

Romans 5:3-5 (The Message)

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

But wait, there's more!
Don't just praise God for the grace and glory,  Praise God for trouble!
Praise God for the problems that arrive daily,
For trouble breeds patience,
And Patience builds character.
A character of which God approves.
The result? HOPE! 
And hope never disappoints.
When we wait in joyous expectation,
We will experience the love of God 
Poured out in every action,
Every relationship, 
Every detail of our life,
Both large and small. 
The blessings and power of the Spirit
Might just overwhelm us. 
Praise God for the suffering and trouble
And then wait with anticipation 
Of the good that will come in time.   

WEDNESDAY, May 29 "Open the Door!"

Romans 5:2 (The Message)

We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

Throw wide open the doors of faith!

Discover God's loving grace waiting on the other side. 

Love that overcomes guilt and pain. 

Grace that declares us worthy of such love. 

Love that frees us to fully live. 

Grace to enter a life of glorious adventure.

 God keeps the door open...always. 

Believe and fling open the door to your soul.

Stand on the threshold of the

Power of the Holy Spirit,  

The Power of LOVE. 

Throw wide open the door to GOD. 

TUESDAY, May 28  "Glorify the One"

John 16:14-15 (CEB)

He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you.  Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you.

God, Christ, and the Spirit are One.

Glorified as One.

Proclaimed as One. 

What belongs to the One, belongs to each; 

To be announced. 

To be shared. 

To be delivered to all who seek it. 

When we take what the Spirit offers

We glorify the One. 

When we act and serve in the name of the One,

We glorify God.

We glorify Christ.

We glorify the Spirit. 

WHEN we act.

WHEN we serve.

Reach out and grasp the Spirit power.

Reach up and grasp the power of Father and Son.

Be a part of the Glory.  

MONDAY, May 27   "Tutor Spirit"

John 16:12-13  (CEB)

 I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now.  However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come.

     When we are very small, our parents explain things to us in simplified, 'easy to understand', terms.  We aren't capable of grasping complex concepts at an early age. As we grow older and mature, we slowly add more complex knowledge and insights to our understanding of life.  
      Likewise, if God tried to explain all there is to know about the "Laws of the Universe" we would be overwhelmed in mass confusion.  Our brains would be on overload!  So instead, Jesus gave us what we could understand, and we continue to have the luxury of an in-house tutor, the Holy Spirit, to guide us as we grow. Bit by bit that understanding empowers us to be more God-like in our speech and actions.  But we have to 'attend class' - we have to attend to the Spirit to allow such empowerment to happen!  How well have I listened to my 'tutor' lately??  


SUNDAY, May 26    "Thank You Notes"

Psalm 92:1-4 (The Message)

What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks,
    to sing an anthem to you, the High God!
To announce your love each daybreak,
    sing your faithful presence all through the night,
Accompanied by dulcimer and harp,
    the full-bodied music of strings.

You made me so happy, God
    I saw your work and I shouted for joy.
How magnificent your work, God!

     Every Christmas growing up, I remember finding a package of Thank You notes tucked into my stocking from Santa Claus.  It was a gentle reminder that we need to acknowledge the gifts we have received.  

     The book of Psalms is filled with Thank You notes to God written by David, songs of praise and thanksgiving. When was the last time we voiced our thanks to our Creator?  Perhaps today is a good time to WRITE out our thanks, in whatever form seems right and appropriate.  

My heart overflows with thanksgiving
For all your gifts, Creator God!
For the majesty and beauty of our world,
For the intricate design and web of all life.
You touch our senses with your magic and glory,
You send daily reminders of your presence. 
When I turn my eyes to the glow of sunrise on the hills
I see you, God, reflecting your love to the world. 
When melodies of the songbirds dance in my ears,
I hear you, God, bringing joy to our hearts. 
When I bury my nose in the depths of a rose,
I smell you, God, filling our world with aromas of grace. 
When I caress the velvet ears of a puppy,
I feel you, God, holding us safely in your arms. 
And when I savor the bread of the communion meal, 
I taste you, God, at one with your world. 
Thank you, Loving God, for the gift of your Son,
For the gift of your Spirit.
Alive in our senses, 
Alive in our world.
Alive in us.
Thank you, God.