Ephesians 5:19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Oh friends, I’m truly sorry that the Bit is this late, but there is good reason for it. Unlike many of you, I was not able to have a lazy-day Saturday morning because I had to attend our annual Pentecost Prayer Breakfast at church, which necessitated me being up and out at an early hour, and by the time I got back home after twelve, having first run a couple errands in the rain, I was too tired and bloated to make a good go at the Bit, so I enjoyed a nap first, and here I am at two o’clock finally beginning the Bit.
Now that’s good Bruh Paulian sentence, as I like to call those long, involved ones! (smile) And yes, the rain finally fell today, as we knew it would in God’s good time. But it was all worth it friends. As usual, it was a good diverse crowd, from different faiths, different cultures and plenty of different kinds of food. And our priest, Father Jeff was in his element, much charged up by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately though, the guest speaker, an Anglican Bishop fell sick and so was unable to grace us with her company and encouraging words.
But not to worry, a fine time was still had by all, as is always the case when the people of St. Francis of Assisi Anglican church get together, even more so, as we are celebrating our 50th anniversary as a parish in this neighbourhood. (smile) We prayed and sang, danced and worshipped, ate good food, and had wonderful fellowship together, under the encouraging presence of the Holy Spirit. What more can one ask for of a lazy-day Saturday eh? Not much! And hopefully, because of the late hour, we will end up with a short Bit. Hn! Hn! Hn! But I won’t count on it, for brevity has never been one of my many attributes. (smile)
Anyway, let’s get started by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as we like to say, if your prayer was offered up from a sincere heart, then it was immediately being answered, because there’s no prayer that our wonderful God likes to hear more than one calling to be in His faithful and ever-LOVING presence. Now, with all of our activity earlier today, this scripture popped up as being a rather appropriate one for the Bit. Please read with me, these educating and encouraging exhortations of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus.
‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity to expose sin), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21)
Oh my people, that is exactly what we did this morning at our Pentecost Prayer Breakfast! We were filled with the Holy Spirit…and not wine…and gave thanks to the Father through Christ Jesus, as we sang songs and hymns, making melody in our hearts and voices to the Lord God Almighty! Nothing could be sweeter than that, my brethren! That’s why I keep advising us to fellowship with each other, for in numbers there’s a greater potential for encouragement and education. And we’ll end with this prayer we offered up this morning, titled ‘The Holy Spirit.’
Please pray with me, in a call and answer fashion. ‘Come Holy Spirit, creator, and renew the face of the earth. Come Holy Spirit, come. Come, Holy spirit, counsellor, and touch our lips that we may proclaim your word. Come Holy Spirit, come. Come Holy Spirit, power from on High: make us agents of peace and ministers of wholeness. Come Holy Spirit, come. Come Holy Spirit, breath of God, give life to the dry bones of this exiled age, and make us a living people, holy and free. Come Holy Spirit, come. Come Holy spirit, wisdom and truth: strengthen us in the risk of faith. Come Holy Spirit, come. Amen’
Yes friends, we desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do all those things which we’re supposed to be doing, but which we are not doing to the extent that we should. So as I implore us every day, let’s get serious and get together, forget our petty differences, only remembering our common faith in Christ Jesus and begin working towards our goal of true and sincere witness for Christ. That’s the only way we will ever make a positive difference!
And wonder of wonders, the Bit is shorter than normal. Strange things do happen in this world my bredrin. (smile) Much LOVE!
…in unity…there’s strength and power of purpose…just waiting for us to harness them…
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