Alex Swain
https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/the_daily_readings.php?d=16&m=6&y=2021
Beloved in Christ,
What we offer to God matters.
In 1 Samuel 2:12-26, we see the priestly sons of Eli were “scoundrels.” They stole from what the people would offer to God for themselves, they engaged in severe sexual misconduct--and likely abuse, given the power dynamics of the priest to the women-temple-servants. They used people and they used offerings for God to feed their own power, domination, greed, and lusts.
Their offering was one of mayhem and debauchery and abuse. God’s punishment is their death to come.
Contrasted to this in today’s readings from Acts, the Apostles, as they continue living a self-offering of their very lives to God, are granted by Christ the Holy Spirit. “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.…” (Acts 2:2-4a)
As the Nicene Creed affirms, the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift of life, for “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life…”
We see death, and life.
These themes are certainly related to God’s proclamation in Deuteronomy 30 (which is not part of today’s reading, but hey, we were just in that book with last week’s readings!)
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
What we offer to God matters!
What of ourselves do we offer to our Lord? Where have our hearts turned away from God and God’s life-giving grace, to “bow down” and worship other gods? The world, and God, bear witness to our livelihoods and by God’s grace may we offer ourselves to Him, for the sake of the world.
Amen, amen!
Alex Swain