Reflection on readings for June 7

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved but abides forever.

(Psalm 125:1)

1 Kings 2:1-3:2

Acts 5:1-42

On Easter we remembered and celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was Easter. In what the church calls Eastertide, we have been remembering the resurrection. As we approach Pentecost,  we are also assessing what the impact of the resurrection has on our own lives.

Acts takes us back to the very early church, the period immediately after ascension and pentecost.

The believers were caring for each other--to the extent of sharing their possessions (Acts 4:32-35) and caring for many, many others. They performed great numbers of healings (5:12-16).

And they preached. And the preaching upset the authorities. When called to account, their response was "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

Peter and the other apostles summarize the message that inspired them and continues to inspire us as we move through Eastertide:

God raised up Jesus.
God exalted him so that he might give repentance and forgiveness.
We are witnesses to these things.

But they weren't the last witnesses. The Holy Spirit continues to move through the church.

Psalm 125:1-5

Psalm 125 begins with a statement of confidence: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people from this time on and forevermore.

As I thought about these verses, I was struck first by the psalmist's use of place. That is, he looked around him where he was and saw God right there right them, and further knew that God had always been there and always would be. We are like that big mountain over there. We cannot no more be moved than it can. God is like the mountains that surround this city. I can step out into the street and see them all around us. God is like that, all around us.

Perhaps I will remember to look around today and to let familiar objects remind me of God and God's qualities and the qualities of people who recognize God's presence.

This psalm continues with a prayer to the Lord to do good to those who are good. We need to remember to be good if we are sincere in this prayer.

Proverbs 16:25

Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right,

but in the end it is the way to death.

Prayer for Today: Choose a prayer for Pentecost from Joan Stott's website The Timeless Psalms.