Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,

Easter is 50 days long! This always takes me a little while to get used to. We’re not right back in Ordinary Time, we’re in this extra joyful season for a while. Today’s readings draw us into this season with references to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in the world and beyond. We ready ourselves for Pentecost, for the descent of the Holy Spirit, and at the same time draw from stories today from before the Crucifixion (our Gospel reading today), and after (1st Peter), and of course, long before in the Psalms and Exodus. 

John’s Gospel reflects Jesus’ foreshadowing the Advocate, who will come to comfort and animate and counsel even to this day.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)

For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. (1st Peter 4:6)

The Spirit of truth, sharing the Gospel, being open to the Spirit can all start to sound like a totally different language than is typical for us. Many of us do some translating to share our faith in a way that can be understood. Some of us like the jolting nature of a different vocabulary, we like to dwell in the richness of generations’ ways of expressing that which is just beyond our comprehension. Somehow even this, trying to name what is perceptible about the Spirit of God reflects honor and hope, and reminds us of our humility too - sometimes we can only reach with faith for a description close to what we know of this truth of God’s love.

The Collect this coming Sunday prays “Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.” As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the presence and power of the living God, may pray this faithful prayer, “open our eyes, help us to see.” Though we see this truth, this Gospel, at times dimly, may we know God’s trustworthiness well enough to risk new sight, to risk following God with joy.

In Christ,
Mtr Taylor