Reading
Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 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?” 38 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. 39 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.” (Acts 2:36-39) Reflection What a week for a guilt trip, am I right? Many of you are probably still reeling from the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in the past 48 hours. Maybe you’re still humming the refrain asking, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Maybe you can still hear your voice crying out among the crowds to “Crucify! Crucify him!” And don’t bother trying to point the finger in blame or scapegoat anyone else. This one whom God has made both Lord and Messiah is the Jesus whom you crucified. I know because I did it too. As we sit in the liminal space of this Holy Saturday, then, now is our chance to take stock. With the cross still looming over the day, its shadow serves as an indictment for all the ways in which we reel and deal in life-robbing courses of action. Where is it that we have fallen short of the glory of God? Where is it that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves? Where is it that in thought, word, and deed we have caused an affront to God and one another in the things we have done and the things we have left undone? I’m not going to lie; such honest questioning might get uncomfortable. But then I hear my voice once more calling for crucifixion from the crowd and realize we might just need that honesty to go forward. If you’re there, too, then maybe you’re also left wondering what those around Peter and the apostles were wondering: what should we do? What recompense do we need to offer? How do we change the ways? Well, it turns out the answer is already behind us, even while its fulfillment lies ahead. In our baptisms, being baptized into Christ’s death, we find all those ways hanging on yesterday’s cross. And now, being united into Christ’s resurrection, we keep vigil through this day and look to the dawn that heralds God’s loving response on the horizon. So, cling fast to these promises: new life is just around the corner. ~ Justin Lingenfelter Prayer O God, you are the creator of the world, the liberator of your people, and the wisdom of the earth. By the resurrection of your Son free us from our fears, restore us in your image, and ignite us with your light, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (taken from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship Vigil of Easter service) ___________________________________________________________________________ Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. The current season of Holy Week brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
Anyone is welcome to contribute! If you'd like to write for us, please e-mail [email protected] Email
Get our daily devotions delivered to your e-mail box each day by signing up below:
Archives
May 2022
Subscribe |