Wednesday 28 May 2025 - God's offspring

Wednesday 28 May 2025

Today is Wednesday the 28th of May, in the 6th week of Eastertide. Eliza King and Tenielle Neda sing, ‘All Who Would Believe’. Before I knew my deepest need Before my eyes were opened You died to bring my liberty So, this alone I boast in It's not that I had loved You, Lord But that You first had loved me You looked upon my helpless state With Your unfailing mercy 'Cause I don't deserve a thing Still, You gave Your life for me So all who would believe Can finally be free From death and the grip of sin And into new life again Now all who would believe Look to the Son and find Pеace Though it was He who knew no sin Thе Father laid upon Him The heavy weight of all we'd done The fruit of our rebellion And still He freely drank the cup And unto death surrendered The Son of Man was lifted up That we might be made righteous And I don't deserve a thing Still, You gave Your life for me Now all who would believe Can finally be free From death and the grip of sin And into new life again Now all who would believe Look to the Son and find The way, the truth, the life The light of all mankind The resurrected King Our blessed Prince of Peace 'Cause I don't deserve a thing Still, You gave Your life for me So all who would believe Can finally be free From death and the grip of sin And into new life again Now all who would believe Look to the Son and find Peace Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 17:15, 22-18:1 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him. Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’ When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’ At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. In his mission to Athens Paul faces not friendship or direct opposition but mockery. The Athenians are sophisticated people and find his mention of the resurrection absurd. Have you ever been mocked or belittled for your faith, or felt ashamed to speak of it? How did you react to such an experience? Paul tries to find ways to speak of his faith that will make sense to his particular audience. What might open up the possibility of ‘spiritual conversations’ among your friends or acquaintances? What comes to you as you imagine trying to do this? Listen to the words of the first part of the reading again. Is there something that strikes or stays with you, and why does it do that? Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him. Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” Where have your thoughts and imagination taken you in response to today’s reading? Take some time now to speak to God about whatever has arisen for you and ask for whatever you need at this time. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen