June 24: Chance Encounters

One afternoon at about three o'clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius…"

He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners…

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men are searching for you. Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them…”

The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends…

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word…

"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

(Act 10:3, 11, 19-20, 24, 44, 47)

Okay so this is a little different than my normal procedure for scripture texts (if I come off as normal at all in these devotional-like reflections). But I got caught up with a theme that seems to run throughout this chapter of Acts. So I have cut out verses that run through the whole story of Peter’s call to go to Cornelius.

Look back through the texts – what is it that you notice that binds these particular verses together?

The Holy Spirit… God at work before, during, and beyond the text – at least that is what drew my attention. This story could be told as Peter visiting an important Roman leader and, by the power of his charisma and preaching, converting him and his household.

Instead…

Instead it’s the story of God tilling the soil, weeding the ground and watering the seed, and watching over and nurturing it as it comes to fruition (bears fruit). Look at just how much the Holy Spirit has done to prepare for and nurture this moment of witness and transformation. This is exactly what we mean when we say that we go out to join God at work in the world.

I have never been a fan of the idea of a prayer of invocation where we invoke God’s presence as if God needs us to call God to be present. I do however think such prayers – or candle lighting – may serve to invoke our attention to the God who is already present and at work.

Cornelius and Peter are to be commended… they are attentive to the movement and calling of the Spirit – and many of us hardly take the time to listen and hear God speaking and moving in our life. But more importantly I feel deep in my heart the reassurance of this text that tells us that we aren’t doing any of the work of discipleship and apostleship alone.

What may seem like a chance encounter to us may well have been one that is the result of much work of the Holy Spirit in a multitude of ways we may never even know about. God really and truly is there with us and before us!

It reminds me some of my favorite words in the Bible. When Moses tries to get out of going to Egypt because he claims he is a poor speaker and God says to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak." (Exodus 4:11-12)

Are you open to Holy Spirit calling you to respond to God’s work in the world?
Do you trust God to teach you what you are to speak and do?
Will you go into your life helping others to also live attending to God’s Spirit?

Ever present God,
Help us to attend to your Spirit that is constantly at work preparing the world to hear our witness… to nurture our lives to be that witness… to permeate the encounters of our life – intentional and random – with your life-giving care.
Amen.