By Dr. Tom Pace
Acts 1:6-8
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  

Reflection:
Many years ago, I was the pastor of a small church in the city of South Houston. It was a small town with a small-town love and charm (and, of course, small-town drama) right in the middle of a big city. I had not been there long, just a newbie, but Alan, the Church of Christ pastor, had been there forever. He was even serving the church in which his own father had been the pastor. One day, he and I were having lunch, and he said, “Somedays, I just go down to the railroad tracks to watch the train go by because apparently, it is the only thing in town I am not pushing forward!” We laughed together but then spoke candidly about the spiritual challenges of the Christian life. Too often, we think we are supposed to be “pushers.” Make something happen. Dig deep inside you. Jesus is counting on you. Save some souls. Change the world. 

As we begin a month of devotionals based on the book of Acts, we will see a host of witnesses who have been used by God to change the world. Peter and Stephen, Philip and James, and most of all St. Paul, whose ministry comprises the majority of Acts. But the protagonist in Acts is not so much Paul or any of the other apostles. The lead actor in Acts is the Holy Spirit, the one who makes it all happen. 

No longer do I want to be the guy who paddles laboriously across a still lake, sometimes against the wind, hoping that my effort will get me to the other side. I want to ride the rapids of the Spirit, paddling like mad to keep my boat aright and headed in the right direction, looking to guide it into the current that moves us down the path toward God’s preferred future. THAT is the story of the book of Acts.

I wonder what God has in store for you? What adventures will you encounter? What persecutions will you endure? What miracles will you witness? What surprises will come your way? Instead of asking God to bless the work you are doing, look around you and see the movement and the current of the Holy Spirit, and jump into the swirling waters. You will be in for the ride of your life.

Prayer:
Gracious God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, we want to be a part of your powerful movement in the world.  Draw us in. Anoint us, fill us, propel us with your Spirit, that we might be a part of what you are doing in the world. Amen.