The Baptism Of Our Lord / Epiphany 1 / Ordinary Time 1
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
... they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
-- Acts 8:16
Beginning with chapter 2, Acts began to describe this strange experience of the Holy Spirit among the believers. If the Spirit created life out of the formless void described in Genesis 1 ff, this same Spirit visited them at Pentecost in a way that united them. This Spirit seemed to be creating new life in the church out of the chaotic world around it. This Spirit not only converted people to a new way of life, but that way of life overcame greed (Acts 2:43-47), healed people crippled from birth (Acts 3:1-10), gave frightened fishermen great boldness in front of the religious leaders of the day (Acts 4:1-12), demanded honesty among believers (Acts 5:1-11), set prisoners free from prison (Acts 5:17-21), and inspired recent converts with great wisdom (Acts 6:8-15). The Spirit seemed to break down walls and pull the church along with it. Understanding the word of God was not sufficient.
When the news arrived that some had accepted the word of God in Samaria, according to Acts, what was missing was the power of the Holy Spirit. As the story that will soon follow makes clear, this power was not for sale nor was it open to being controlled or manipulated by others. Even the apostles had to pray that these new believers would receive the Spirit. Only then did they lay their hands on them, and these new believers received the Holy Spirit. It is easy for the church to become so focused on church growth strategies that it forgets that the real power of the church is beyond the church's control. For the church to grow, there must be both proclamation and reception.
The power of God in our midst is a gift that breaks down all barriers but is totally beyond all our clever strategies. At the same time, the story suggests that the gift of the Spirit came as a result of laying their hands on these new believers. It is through the intimate contact with the fellowship of believers that the power of belief is made visible in the life of new believers. The Spirit arrives through the community and not as a result of the special belief or actions of individuals.
-- Acts 8:16
Beginning with chapter 2, Acts began to describe this strange experience of the Holy Spirit among the believers. If the Spirit created life out of the formless void described in Genesis 1 ff, this same Spirit visited them at Pentecost in a way that united them. This Spirit seemed to be creating new life in the church out of the chaotic world around it. This Spirit not only converted people to a new way of life, but that way of life overcame greed (Acts 2:43-47), healed people crippled from birth (Acts 3:1-10), gave frightened fishermen great boldness in front of the religious leaders of the day (Acts 4:1-12), demanded honesty among believers (Acts 5:1-11), set prisoners free from prison (Acts 5:17-21), and inspired recent converts with great wisdom (Acts 6:8-15). The Spirit seemed to break down walls and pull the church along with it. Understanding the word of God was not sufficient.
When the news arrived that some had accepted the word of God in Samaria, according to Acts, what was missing was the power of the Holy Spirit. As the story that will soon follow makes clear, this power was not for sale nor was it open to being controlled or manipulated by others. Even the apostles had to pray that these new believers would receive the Spirit. Only then did they lay their hands on them, and these new believers received the Holy Spirit. It is easy for the church to become so focused on church growth strategies that it forgets that the real power of the church is beyond the church's control. For the church to grow, there must be both proclamation and reception.
The power of God in our midst is a gift that breaks down all barriers but is totally beyond all our clever strategies. At the same time, the story suggests that the gift of the Spirit came as a result of laying their hands on these new believers. It is through the intimate contact with the fellowship of believers that the power of belief is made visible in the life of new believers. The Spirit arrives through the community and not as a result of the special belief or actions of individuals.
