Good Morning Friends,
Soon in the liturgical year we will begin the journey from the Transfiguration to the Cross. But today we frame this with other images of our spiritual history. Today we remember the connection between Babel and Pentecost. Today we remember that the Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city but that many cities have been laid to waste on the journey. Then we seek to have a voice that uses our gifts for God and we wonder why things go wrong. Do We Have A Failure To Communicate?
Scripture: Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9 (NRSV)
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.”
Acts 2:1-13 (NRSV)
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
Mark 8:34-9:1 (NRSV)
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
James 2:14-26 (NRSV)
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (NRSV)
Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, . . . and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our* hearts, crying, ‘Abba!* Father!’
Galatians 4:4-6 (NRSV)
Message: We have all seen before and after pictures used in advertising. Most of them relate to weigh loss, hair loss and skin care. Most seem fake or false. But some of the products actually work, though results vary because the person using the product or program doesn’t always follow through with it. Then we have the Burger growing mold. Who would have thought that authenticity might work? Following through and being authentic is important as well for the Christian life and the work of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives in what we call Church. Sometimes it is not the words but the inflection that carries the meaning in sermons. Indeed, an ordinary word can become extraordinary with the right emotion. It is in such a way that everyday people in their brokenness and rubble find extraordinary love and grace when joined to form a body of believers. It is through a relationship with Christ that communicates this time and time again. Like Saint Francis says, share the Gospel and use words if you have to. You see, when Christ’s light shines through us an amazing transformation happens… but also communication. When God’s light shines through us we come alive in a new way. Our broken strands of spiritual DNA are joined with others brokenness and something is created and communicated to our very soul. Until then we are never really communicating our part that Jesus has gifted to us to share. Friends, if we are waiting to find a purpose, we need to be ready for God to act in and through us.
And So, bring your relationships and resources to bear on the gift you have been given and explore how your gift can help others. But do this in Christ and for Christ. This is the way to joy. This is how our broken rubble builds a church. This is how our babble of words form a message. This is how with Christ as the cornerstone we build a life of abundance in the Kingdom of God. Here is the arrangement. Each of us has to ask for it. We have to ask God for the personal experience of it. So be a good example. Do not be discouraged. Realize that there is power in the positive thinking of us being children of God. Only in a personal experience with Jesus do we dare to claim God as our father. Here we claim a faith that works… a saving faith… a dynamic faith. Here we praise daily and develop daily by not just saying…by not just feeling…by not just thinking… by not just believing, but by doing with Jesus.
Pray that we train our lips to honor both our earthly father and heavenly One. Pray that we be motivated to learn how to turn our acts of kindness to the Lord in praise. Pray that we be motivated by praise to glorify Him in each of our acts of daily kindness…sharing His goodness with others continuously. Pray we act like we are heirs of God’s Kingdom. Pray we receive adoption as sons of God the Father. Pray we believe we are children of God. Pray we experience God providing, comforting, and when necessary disciplining and protecting. Pray we are changed from the inside and find peace. Pray we find strength to declare the power of God to the next generation. Pray we honor the Father by believing in His son. Pray we pray and preach for God’s Kingdom to come. Pray we give attention to activities that will lead to transformation. Pray we let God’s light shine through us. Pray we become all that God wants us to be. Pray the light of truth and love shine in and through us to the glory of God for His purpose in us. Pray we learn through charity and love how to communicate our faith to others. Pray we communicate a message of hope and trust that is both humble and powerful. Pray the Kingdom of God is reflected in the inflection of our voice. Pray that we not end up merely helping people to survive but be reformed and transformed so they might thrive. Pray we begin to embody the kingdom of God as an alternative to the world, for the sake of the world.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 