Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear friend,

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

Evidence of the action of the Spirit of God may just show itself in these ways that Paul writes about in the letter to the Galatians. You can imagine the early Disciples feeling giddy and excited as they were being invited into relationship with Jesus, as they started to follow him! But in the subsequent years after his death and resurrection, after he sent his Spirit, these fruits bear out beyond initial excitement. However, I’m not so sure they’re the the kind of coffee-cup version of Peace, or Joy or Kindness. A life that followers of the way of Love were experiencing was often one of sacrifice, perhaps with a deep peace of knowing they were seeking to be faithful, perhaps with the deep joy of intentional community, perhaps with the gift of generosity that begets itself. We too, I hope, experience that current of of love and joy and peace that comes from God and leads us to a holy hope.

There was a summer when I lived in intentional community at a place called the Charis Community. I was the recipient of hospitality, I lived there for free as a guest receiving that awkward and wonderful gift as I journeyed through seminary's Clinical Pastoral Education requirement, working as a Hospital Chaplain Intern at UVa Hospital. I brought some dishes and a twin mattress, some clothes and not nearly enough bug spray, and made my temporary home among friends and fellow pilgrims seeking grace and peace in the transitional moments of life. One of the dishes I brought was a mug, that says joy joy joy joy joy. My Dad gave it to me on one of those too-full days where my parents came to see me preach at my sending Church in central Virginia, and helped me move to Seminary some years prior. I got a little nervous whenever one of the other community members would use it-but in the midst of a very reflection-oriented CPE experience, chose to lend the joy and hope I could skip the childish moments of "that's mine!" I don't know why one particular community member chose the mug every day but I hope and pray we did lend each other our joy that summer. I also hope we lent each other our faithfulness and patience, practicing a way of peace together.

The Spirit of God that guides the Body of Christ is active, so active that the deep courage and joy of living a life following the way of Christ can be known in the grand or the small, in the deep joy or the silly yet holy joy joy joy joy joy.

In Christ,
Mtr. Taylor