In the Gospel of John, Christ reassures the disciples that when he is gone, they will have the Holy Spirit to teach and guide them.  What a wonderful gift from God.  To be indwelt with a guide to show us the way in life. 

The Psalmist prepares us for today’s story of the apostles.  “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory.”  We are reminded that our God is the maker of all things.  Idols are simply silver and gold, made by the hands of men.  Everything comes from God.  At the O’Reilly dinner table we start with a prayer and then we each recite the best part of our day.  I try to emphasize that everything comes from God and cultivate a thankful spirit in each boy.

I have to tell you, I love the book of Acts.  The stories are incredible.  What a time it would have been to be alive and witnessed the apostles in action.  At times they remind me of something akin to the three stooges on fire for God.  Stumbling and bumbling with their newfound faith, but incredibly focussed on Christ.  As the story opens, Paul and Barnabas make a quick exit as a plot to stone them unfolds and they arrive in Lystra.  There Paul continues to preach the good news when he sees a crippled man listening.  Paul looks directly at him and sees that he has faith to be healed.  What did Paul see?  Would he see it in me?  The man jumps up and walks around.  The crowd goes wild.  Paul and Barnabas are high fiving over the harvest of souls they see before them when they realize the people are bowing down and sacrificing to them personally.  Now, if it were me and my ego, I’d be inclined to let this “worship me” thing play out a little and see where it goes.  However, Paul and Barnabas are a little more focussed on their mission than me.  They tear their clothes and rush into the crowd shouting, “Don’t do this.  We are only human like you.  We want you to turn from these idols to the Living God.”  Sometimes I laugh at the people in the Bible who worship idols.  Sometimes it’s when I’m gazing out my front window at my beautiful, shiny new van.  Hmmmm.  

My second son was recently confirmed into the church.  I asked him what it meant to him to be a Christian.  He had several what I would call pat answers and then said “you have to be a leader.”  Considering Christ’s call to servanthood this struck me and I asked him to explain.  He said that if you aren’t a leader the world will simply sweep you away with it’s views and you won’t have the courage to proclaim the good news.  I think if Paul looked into my son’s eyes, he might see the “faith to be healed.”