Do You Know Any Everyday Saints?
Good Morning Friends,
There is a theology of place but I have found that the people are more important than the place. For it is in the everyday people of grace… that we find a home….a family…a community. So here is to all those who are the lifeblood of community…everyday Christians. They tend to bring into their relationships a peace that is a gift from God and a witness of the risen Christ in them. Here on our journey from Easter to Pentecost and beyond we recognize that we too can be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Words of Jesus…. He can abide in us with a strength that grows the fruit of peace. Do You Know Any Everyday Saints?
Scripture: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
John 14:15-27 (NRSV)
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Acts 4:13-22 (NIV)
Message: Today’s reading from Acts speaks of the courage of Peter, who, after the healing of the crippled man, preached the Gospel before the leaders of the Sanhedrin. Those religious leaders were enraged at his boldness, they wanted to put Peter to death. They had already forbidden the Apostles to preach in the Name of Jesus, but Peter continued to proclaim Jesus, claiming it was better to obey God rather than men. Quite a deference. Here is a man who had changed from that time he denied knowing Jesus. Now Peter is strong in his testimony. Then we are reminded the words of Jesus, saying in His risen body to the disciples…”Peace.” And we see an amazing peace in Peter as he acted on these words and faced trials and persecution. The amazing thing is that he became strong in the process of growing in the peace of Christ. The amazing thing is that he was so ordinary and common until Jesus changed all of that. Friends, peace grows and thrives where respect and love of other believers are present. Peace grows and thrives when we become clear witnesses of God’s power in our lives. Peace grows when we obey the Lord. Peace grows in us when God’s peace takes us over. Here in this place of peace we discover God’s purpose and our potential through acts of faith. We do so look for places of peace and grace. We look for the perfect place to live and work and we seek relationships of peace as well, but peace seems so elusive for most of us. Maybe peace is more easily found in the everyday acts of grace and love that, like salt and light, combine for God’s purpose.
Pray that in every difficult situation in life we find the peace and strength in the words of Jesus. Pray that in prayer we would find perspective. Pray that here we discover that peace is a fruit of the Spirit, a true hope for a stressed out world. Pray that in prayer God would cultivate this peace in our lives. Pray we grow in peace with God and are reconciled to Him and within ourselves as well. Pray we have peace in God’s plan and obedience to God’s will. Pray we have peace with others found in mutual respect and deliverance from threats. Pray we not worry about anything but pray about everything. Pray we tell God what we need. Pray we thank God and experience peace for in it will also be our strength. Pray we count as friends all those everyday Christians that are part of God’s miracles. Pray we realize we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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