Day 243 from EVS – Daily Office Lectionary has included the following story from Acts 2:
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place… And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance… But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give your words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day…” (vss. 1, 4, 14-15)
By now all the members of Gloria Dei know that I have retired from ministry as Senior Pastor of the congregation. It was a difficult decision, to be sure, but one that also brings peace and expectation for good things to come. I am convinced that God has a plan for all of us, like Peter and the disciples of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, if only we can move beyond our current expectations.
Now that is a present reality for me! I, who am the preacher, the teacher, the worship leader, and the public speaker of faith? I feel like Moses afraid of talking to God in the Exodus, or Saul leaving his speech at the beginning of Acts. What shall I do now, when small weekly devotions like this one take hours to write, instead of minutes as in the past? How can I preach the gospel when ordinary conversations soundly get stuck, and I sound like a pitiful drunkard who has lost his speech in the presence? Thanks be to God who uses all these things, no matter what our current situation, because grace is all we need, and all that we can say to others.
(retired) Pastor Rob