Readings
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. (John 16:13-14)
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:4-9)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Thought
Today is 4th May and for many people across the world it is known as ‘Star Wars Day’. I have to say that I am not a big Star Wars fan, in fact I have only seen one of the twelve Star Wars films, but I have watched every episode of ‘The Big Bang Theory’. The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom about the lives and loves of a rather awkward group of scientists who are seriously into their superheroes, comic books, Star Trek and Star Wars and through them I learnt that 4th May was Star Wars Day. To understand the choice of date you do need to say the date in a particular order, it is not that today is the 4th of May but that today is May the 4th. For those who know anything about the films you will recognise the play on words as the well-known phrase from the films ‘may the force be with you’. Terrible as the play on words is, once you know that May 4th is Star Wars Day you don’t easily forget it or the reason why.
As Christians we know what it is to have a real force at work within us, not a fictional one, made up for a film series, but the real living power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We are currently in the period of the Christian year between Easter Day and Pentecost, when we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in a special way on the first disciples. We do not however have to wait for Pentecost for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, it is available for us each and every day.
At the end of a communion service we often say the words ‘Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory’. This is a prayer that we could say at the beginning of every day.
So on this May 4th, may the real force of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
Prayer (Edwin Hatch)
Breathe on me, breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what Thou dost love,
and do what Thou wouldst do.
Amen