June 8 | Acts 2

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DAILY READING

Acts 2

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REFLECTION

The Holy Spirit Comes

By Elaine Pierce

Many years ago, my family helped settle a Ukrainian family in Columbus. Mom and Dad and their 4 young children lived with us for 3 weeks while our church helped find them a place to stay. They spoke very little English - very little - and our Ukrainian was non-existent. You can imagine how comical - and frustrating - our attempts to communicate were. I remember that I subconsciously spoke much slower and louder, and of course that made no difference. Today I can say hello and goodbye in Ukrainian, while the Sorokas speak English very well. What we had in common was our faith in Jesus, and that went a long way toward understanding one another.

Have you ever been at our church on Tuesday and Thursday evenings when Festa students, newly arrived immigrants from all over the world, fill our classrooms as they eagerly study English? It is like the United Nations has convened in our building! So many languages, so many different cultures, all joining together to learn their new country's language.

Perhaps that is a little glimpse into what that first Pentecost day was like, when "all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (v. 4)." We know that not everyone rejoiced when this happened. Some were "amazed and perplexed;" others made fun of them, assuming they were drunk.

What do you think? I have never experienced the Holy Spirit in this way, and part of me longs for such an incredible gift. However, I know that He is active and alive in my life, and every day I ask him to guide and direct me. Notice the results of the Spirit's work in verses 42-47. To summarize, the early church exploded! Every single day, this small band of once-discouraged disciples saw miracles. and wonders. People came to saving faith. The young church broke bread together. They shared possessions. They prayed. They worshipped. God was doing a new thing! What began on Pentecost, when they were all together, continued, and to this day God is working in hearts and minds.

Where is God working today? He is certainly at work at UALC. As we welcome new friends and neighbors to our church, let's thank God for what he has done and what he will do as he brings people to faith. We can join him in this work, and thank him for the privilege of service. Pray mightily, and trust him to give you what you need. He will provide!

PRAYER

Lord, so often I rely on myself and I don't trust you, and the results show. Help me to pray, to worship, and to serve, and to leave the results to you. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ELAINE PIERCE

It is a delight and joy to write Sunday's UALC Blog post. I have been a UALC member for 20+ years and I value our community of believers. I draw strength from God's Word, and it is my hope that you join me in seeking to grow closer to Him as we read, study, and pray together. I've been married to Gene for 47 years, and we have four grown children and nine grandchildren. It is an exciting time to be alive, and I count it all joy to serve him, even in the midst of challenges. To God be the glory, for the great things he is doing!

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June 7 | John 17:20-21

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DAILY READING

John 17:20-21

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REFLECTION

Christian Community: What Jesus Wants and How We get There

By Todd Marti

The theme of this week’s readings has been living in Christian community. Today’s reading tells us what Jesus wants that to look like: we are to be as closely knit to each other as Jesus is to the Father. That is a tall order, but this week’s readings gave us several directions on how to fulfill it.

One was do better than the world around us.  Ephesians 4:17; 1 Peter 1:17; and Romans 12:2  each told us to aim higher than the norms/standards of the general culture. As Romans 12:10  put it, we are to “outdo one another in showing honor” to each other, something we rarely see in the world at large.  We are to love on each other to extents and in ways that the world would not.  That is how we live out Jesus’ command that we are to love each other so well that the world will know us by our love. John 13:34-35.

Another was to subordinate our desires to those of our brothers and sisters, to focus on their good.  As Philippians 2:3-4  put it, we are to “value others above [ourselves], not looking to [our] own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Relatedly, Ephesians 4:17-24 and 25-32  told us to get rid of the junk in our own lives that either hurts others or hinders our ability to bless them.

We were also told to follow Jesus’ examples and directions. Matthew 11:29 told us to put His yoke around us and follow Him. Philippians 2:5  told us to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” The WWJD  concept of the 1990s comes to mind.

Do those things come naturally? No. Do they require us to change our default modes of operating? Yes. Is that hard? Yes, at times.

But as anyone who has received the blessings of Christian community will tell you, it is worth it, exponentially so.  So ask God for His help in doing these things. He will be glad to provide it, and you will be glad you did them..

PRAYER

Loving Father, help us to love each other like you and Jesus love each other. Help us to love beyond worldly norms, to put others first, to remember and follow Jesus’ examples. And help us to taste and see the goodness of the community you desire for us, and to be motivated by that to persevere and excel in these things.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TODD MARTI

I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.

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June 6 | Philippians 2:1-11

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DAILY READING

Philippians 2:1-11

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REFLECTION

Until Christ is Formed in You

by Ken Dillman 

The apostle Paul labored intensely over many of the early churches found in the New Testament, Colossae, Galatia, Corinth, and Philippi; his desire was to see people grow spiritually so that “Christ is formed in you!” (Gal. 4:19)

Paul didn’t go from church-persecutor to super-apostle overnight, he had to “unlearn” what he believed was righteousness and learn anew what living in the righteousness of Christ was like. Paul had confrontations with Barnabas, confrontations with Peter, could come across as brazenly assertive, and even arrogant when he refused to take John Mark on a missionary journey with him and Barnabas. (Acts 15:36-41)

In today’s text, Paul encourages the Philippians to be like-minded in loving each other and others, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Phil. 2:1-2) Paul’s desire was to see the Philippians focused squarely on Jesus.

My wife and I have been attending UALC for the past eight years and have come to appreciate just how desirous the pastors at UALC are for the congregations to be focused squarely on Jesus, while having an intense love for each other; they too want to see Christ formed in each one of us, with the encouragement of being like-minded in Jesus.

As a former pastor, I recognize that working to help a congregation be like-minded is sometimes like herding cats; all of us have our individual personalities, desires, likes, wants, needs, wounds, and preferences, and we can sometimes think the world revolves around us.

Imagine trying to herd those cats all day every day!

The apostle Paul experienced this regularly, as seen in Philippians Chapter 4, when he encourages the congregation to assist two women, Euodia and Syntyche who were members of their congregation having a disagreement. Paul understood that like-mindedness was needed, but even more so, lowly-mindedness was needed, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)

The pastors at UALC are focused on helping our congregation mature in Christ, and at the same time to willingly confess their own need for maturity, that their feet, like ours, are made of clay. I thank God for their example and humility.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the pastors of UALC, please help them to help us grow in Jesus, in like-mindedness, in lowly-mindedness, and love. Amen

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My wife, Karen and I have been attending UALC for 6-7 years and enjoy God's presence in our gatherings. We live in Hilliard; our three adult children live in Central Ohio. I am a retired Chaplain and Pastor, and enjoy writing, walking, jogging, and listening to live music. I appreciate the opportunity to write for the church’s devotionals.

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