Wednesday - April 26, 2023

SCRIPTURE  James 3:5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. WORDS OF HOPE “It only takes a spark to get a fire going” is from the gospel song “pass it on” and that’s what activists who step up, speak up, and lay their lives on the line for others have done and are continuing this legacy today. Each year on May 22, Harvey Milk is remembered for his work as a gay activist before his assassination in 1978. Harvey Milk Day commemorates an amazing advocate for gay rights who stood up for injustice along with the likes of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Anna Mae Aquash who was assassinated for supporting indigenous rights. The minute each of those spoke out, they understood their lives were in danger yet willingly made enough noise until others heard the cry for justice and joined in. They each pioneered a cause sparking a fire in individuals so enormous that even after their deaths, those flames continue burning today. Harvey became the first openly gay person elected to serve as a San Francisco city supervisor. He urged and encouraged people to come out of the closet and openly fight for their rights. He championed anti-discrimination laws and coined the phrase “you gotta give em hope” which inspired folks to fight for their rights. After his assassination, instead of the fire being extinguished, his legacy began to catapult the movement toward greater national awareness and mainstream influence. Milk’s activism sparked the quest for justice and radical inclusion ensuring the same rights for ALL who had been expelled, dismissed and harmed by injustice. The Bible is full of individuals who stood up, shouted out, lost their lives and sparked movements that are still burning today. Our best example is Jesus who’s teaching to love one another was given as a command, not a suggestion! PRAYER Sovereign, Omnipotent God, Creator of ALL things everywhere, we give you thanks and praise for the sacrifice Jesus made creating the spark that burns in our hearts with hope! In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson

SCRIPTURE  Acts 2:1-11 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 people 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.” WORDS OF HOPE This is an interesting passage, which when I reread it, I noticed something I had never realized or heard preached on. Our Pentecostal siblings frequently use this passage to show that the gifts of the Holy Spirit include speaking in tongues. And I am not certainly one to dismiss or to discourage the infilling of the spirit. But two thousand years after the events recorded here there always questions about whether what we are reading has somehow or another been changed through translation and usage. The thing that I noticed that I had never noticed before is that those who are reportedly speaking in tongues, are Jews. The gathered crowd asks “are not those who are speaking Galleans?”. Indeed, a careful reading of the Passage seems to say that perhaps it was not so much that they were speaking in tongues, but that the people gathered around heard them speaking in their own language. This possibility changes the story. If those speaking has suddenly begun speaking in tongues other than their own it implies that the power of the spirit is the ability to speak God’s word. On the other hand, if those listening are hearing the word in their own language, it implies the power to understand God‘s word. What gift the Spirit is bringing depends on which side of the equation you stand. Are you a speaker or a listener? The interpretation that the gift of the spirit is the gift of understanding through listening is much more hopeful to me personally. It says that no matter what language God‘s word is spoken in, it will be understandable to the listener. That will speak to me in a way that I can understand. And by extension, I feel it means that it will speak to me when I needed it most as it did in that moment when the apostles were speaking to the crowd. In the next section of the book of Acts, Peter begins his fiery speech to the crowd. And the fact that he is one speaking to many, and they all understand him seems to indicate that they have received the gift of understanding as much as he has been given the power to speak. So, I would say for your devotion time, contemplate the understanding that you have been given of God‘s word. God is still speaking through ministers and pastors, and through your own heart. PRAYER God who comes to us through the Holy Spirit, give us an understanding of your word and teachings, such that no language barrier can separate us from you or from each other. Help us to be mindful that those who speak a language other than that which we might speak are no less capable of understanding the Word. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare .

READING  1 Kings 8:54-56 Now when Solomon finished offering all this prayer and this plea to the Lord, he arose from facing the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven; he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise that he spoke through his servant Moses.” WORDS OF HOPE Today is “World Bee Day”. If I were looking for a blessing from God, I would probably not immediately look toward a bee, but they are indeed just such a blessing. I used to be afraid of bees. I would run from them, imagining that their purpose in life was to sting me. Though their cousins, wasps, may indeed be a bit more aggressive than bees, as a child anything that flew felt like a threat. Today, I look at bees, particularly European Honeybees as blessings. They are far more concerned with gathering pollen and making honey than stalking me so they can sting me. Their work, particularly the pollination part makes our survival possible as they pollenate and propagate most of the vegetables and fruits we humans consume. Without bees, we would most likely starve. So next time you enjoy an orange, or savor honey on that morning biscuit, think of Solomon reaching out his hands and giving thanks. I have included this short prayer I found on a website called BuzzAboutBees.net. PRAYER Bless the bees. Bless them with abundant healthy food and nesting sites. Bless them with strong, healthy offspring. Bless future generations of bees, and may their populations be expanded and protected. Thank you for bees, and may they forever be blessed. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTURE  1 Peter 4:1-2, 8 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God… Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. WORDS OF HOPE Peter originally wrote this letter to believers facing persecution, a scenario that’s still so relatable for many of us. He essentially tells us that experiencing hardships in life means we’re doing it right. It echoes what Jesus said in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” These biblical messages are refreshing because they are the direct opposite of the world’s messages, which often prioritize ease and comfort over struggle. I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on the words of Peter and Jesus. Really let them sink in. How do they make you feel in your body? For me, they feel like tension releasing from my shoulders and jaw. Like remembering to stop holding my breath. Tomorrow, I’ll find out if I’m one of the thousands of people who will be laid off at my company. The reasons are intentionally vague, and algorithms will likely make the final decisions. This world of “evil human desires” often reduces our humanity to expendable names and numbers on spreadsheets. I could wallow in anger or discouragement, but I choose to focus on how this experience can bring me closer to “the will of God.” If you’re facing similar hardships, my heart is with you. Please remember to be kind to yourself and to the people in your life. Framing love as an action verb that we constantly return to is our greatest strength and will always produce the most meaningful rewards. PRAYER Lord, thank you for calling me to love. Please help me anchor to Your love, especially in times of suffering. Work through me to extend lovingkindness to every person in my life. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Logan Alexander Johnson

SCRIPTURE  Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because God has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. READING If the poor, the women and the dispossessed sat at the tables where theological decisions are made, there would be a different set of sins. -Sister Joan Chittister WORDS OF HOPE At the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus is in the synagogue, and the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah is handed to him. He finds the place where the prophet proclaims that the spirit anoints him to proclaim good news to the poor, to set prisoners free, to give sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free. Jesus then shocks the room by saying “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. In that declaration, Jesus frames his ministry not in power, but those who are excluded from power. Sin is reframed not as a personal failure, but as neglect or harm toward the vulnerable. Jesus proclaims that the marginalized define faithfulness and even religious decision-making spaces are critiqued when they exclude or diminished the disregarded. If that quote from Sister Joan Chittister smacks you between the eyes, perhaps we can reconsider who sits at the table when we name sin and discern what is right. Too often, those conversations happen among the comfortable, the secure, and the well-resourced. Yet Scripture consistently shows that God’s perspective emerges most clearly from the margins. When those who struggle—the poor, women, and the dispossessed—are absent, our vision narrows. We begin to call acceptable what harms, and overlook what truly breaks God’s heart. What would happen if the guests at BACH or iCARE were at the table of deciding what is sin and harmful? How would our churches be different if black and brown and native peoples were to speak truth in seminaries and Sunday School classrooms? And would we listen and adapt, or would we have our feelings hurt or comment about their tone? Are the voices of women being seriously considered or are they asked to be ‘patient’ and not make anyone uncomfortable? What about trans children whose medical care is being denied? Can those who speak in Central American Spanish or Haitian pull up a chair? The invitation here is not merely to listen, but to make space, to shift perspective, and, in so doing, to be transformed. And can we hear that summons honestly, even though it can hurt or sound harsh? For when those long silenced are finally heard, we may discover that God has been speaking through them all along—and that the path toward justice begins by pulling up more chairs. PRAYER God of good news, open our ears to hear your voice in those long silenced, and widen our tables to reflect your justice and mercy. Transform our hearts, that we may name sin truthfully, stand with the vulnerable, and follow you in liberating love. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs