Reading
27 When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,[a] yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.[b] 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:27-32) Reflection I am writing this on a day when the Ukraine conflict is still very much underway – so much devastation has transpired: lives lost, homes burned, families torn asunder, churches bombed. Everywhere I turn, there are more reports on the suffering and atrocities being committed. Yet what stands out for me are the several telephone interviews I have heard in which a Ukranian prays for Putin. I had read how religious are most Ukrainians, a nation with many observant Jews and Christians. Hearing their pleas for mercy and God’s grace for the very leader and soldiers invading their country and demolishing their churches feels biblical to me. I have also heard speculation that in their determination to shut down media and news reports that conflict with the Russian narrative, it is possible the leaders of the aggression are not receiving accurate accounts from the field. Yet there is no silencing the truth. As areas of Ukraine are released and UN forces come through, the evidence is undeniable. Some Russian soldiers have deserted, unable to obey human authority in light of actions so immoral and egregious to God (they, too, are religious). And so, I pray that by the time this devotion is read, perhaps an armistice has been achieved. That faith will prevail. That in time, repentance and forgiveness may restore the people on both sides to brotherly love and that the world will join in lifting up prayers for lasting peace. –Heather Wolf Prayer Abba, I weep. For the pain in the world. For the injustices we do to one another. For all those who forget your commandments – to love you and each other, to honor the lives you have afforded – forgive us. Let your Word be taught, and your ways remembered. Amen. 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. In the current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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