May 28: Relational God

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness." Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me." (Act 8:18-24)

I find this a fascinating story. I mean the book of Acts is just a really crazy story. You just never know what to expect next… and so it is with a bit of surprise (and a shrug because at this point we already know to be ready for surprises) that we come upon this story of Simon the Magician. Simon had a following – people wanted to see him and what he was going to do next. Simon worked magic - he had a bag of tricks. And now? Well now he’s seen what the Apostles are doing by the power of the Spirit – healing, calling out unclean spirits, blowing winds, tongues of flames… what Simon sees is a whole lot of tricks he wants to add to his bag.

So two things really capture me in this story. The first is the last the sentence. “Pray for me to the Lord…” Prayer is a just a problematic thing for so many of us. Pray for me says Simon… missing the point that he is perfectly capable of praying for himself. Simon seems to think that the Spirit really is just another trick that he needs to get so that he can work some new kinds of magic, and maybe he even thinks prayer will be one of those. But prayer is just a conversation!!!

Prayer isn’t a trick, or a skill, or a power.

Prayer is talking and listening. Prayer is saying to God what is on your mind, and listening to what’s on God’s mind. Prayer is developing a conversational relationship with God. Simon thinks he lacks something that he needs in order to pray – and so needs to ask these apostles (these people who have had hands laid on them and the power of the Spirit dwelling in them) to do it for him.

This leads to the second thing that captivates me, the idea for Simon is that there is something he needs to buy… a blessing, a possession of the Spirit – its as if he needs his membership card!! And I think this cuts a bit close to home… because don’t we fall into that way of thinking too sometimes?

Don’t we start thinking that being a member of a church is like carrying a membership card in the Spirit… a membership card in heaven… a membership card in salvation? All three of those things are gifts from God to us… and none of them are contingent on possessing a membership card! But don’t we some times fall in the trap of thinking like Simon - that if we pay our dues we can “get in”?

We know in our heart that isn’t true and we aren’t surprised by Peter’s words at all. But it is tempting to think our money can buy us a closer relationship with God. It’s tempting to think that our money, or membership, or institutional blessing can convey on us eternal life and the power of the Spirit. And it’s also tempting to think that we can bypass a relationship to God and ask others to do that for us. But that just isn’t how it works.

In fact what Simon would find – if he could only trust it… is that if he was able to pray for himself than the Spirit is just waiting to fill him up! Simon would find and hear in his prayer that if he could just trust it, God has already saved him – member or not, ritual blessing or not, dues paid or not… what Simon would find if he actually tried to develop a relationship with God (through conversation and practice and trust) is a lot more transformative power than simple tricks and misguiding magic.

Do you have a conversational prayer life with God?
How do you find yourself tempted to put trust in a membership card rather than God?
Have you found yourself hoping others might take on your responsibilities for you?


Relational God, your Spirit is a gift to us of constant and abiding relationship. You yearn to live in deep conversation with all your people. Stir us speak – and to listen – and to abide in holy friendship with you through the power of your Spirit. Amen.