4th Sunday during Lent
Read 1 Peter 1:3-12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, … It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,” 1 Peter 1:10, 12a (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our serving’. A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and God’s presence in their lives. Experts were able to repair most of the statue with its arms outstretched, but its hands had been so severely damaged that they could not be restored. Some suggested they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was. It was decided to leave the hands off and at the base of the statue the townspeople added the sign: ‘Christ has no hands but yours.’ Every Christian is a minister of Christ. The work of the church, or meeting the needs of people, is the responsibility of all believers. God has created us for service, through His grace He has gifted us with so many gifts to share and tell others of His love. The greatest gift we have been given is that of faith to respond to the Good News about Jesus. A response to that incredible gift is to serve in whatever way we feel called – read the list of gifts Paul has written for us in Romans 12:3-8. St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) wrote a poem similar to the above story: “Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes within which He looks in Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body.” Use your gifts to praise and bring glory to God! Prayer: Lord Jesus, use my hands in service to you. You have gifted me with so many talents to use for you. Help me to be willing to serve you in grace-filled service. Amen
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13a).
Read John 16:12–15
Our world seems to be dominated by media – social media, web media, news media, print media, and, of course, now artificial intelligence is in the mix. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what the truth really is, what we can believe and what sources we can trust. It’s all very confusing and rather worrying.
Today’s verse highlights God’s guidance, which provides us with an interactive relationship with God, giving direction and purpose to our daily lives. In John 15:26, Jesus promises that an Advocate (sometimes called Paraclete), the Spirit of truth, will come who will bear witness to Jesus and what Jesus has done for us.
We don’t have to rely on any of our current media formats to provide the truth. It is simple and has remained the same for millennia: Jesus came to be among us, to die for us, and to save us from our sins, so that we and all who believe can look forward to entering our heavenly home when the time comes for us to leave this life. And that’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!
We believe this truth that we have known since our baptism. In our faith journey, this truth is repeated and reinforced for us every time we go to church, when we study the Bible and when we share with our Christian friends. It is also the central message of many of the hymns and songs we sing. I love our hymns and the way we express our beliefs and what God has done for us through this medium.
Nothing is stopping us from sharing this precious truth so that others can come to know it too, with the help of that same Spirit of truth, who can work in us and strengthen our knowledge and faith. And with that faith, we have hope – hope for all that Jesus has done and will do for us.
Spirit of truth, thank you for remaining steadfastly the same. Strengthen our faith so that we remain constant to the beliefs that you have planted and nurtured within us. Help us to share that truth with others. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
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The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Read Romans 8:18–30
When my children were younger, there were times when I found myself interceding on their behalf. Often, this occurred in circumstances where they lacked the maturity, capacity or self-knowledge to articulate for themselves what was in their best interest. Sometimes, as their mother who loves them, I was able to communicate their deep needs better than they could.
Whereas we are limited to using words to intercede for those we know and love, today’s text tells us that the Spirit intercedes with ‘groanings too deep for words’. It is an expression of pleading, which is more intimate than human words can express or apprehend.
The same Spirit who dwells within us knows us fully and intercedes on our behalf. He is also fully conversant with the heart and mind of God because he is God. Despite our limitations, pride, selfishness and blind spots, we can be certain that as the Spirit intercedes, his intercessions are completely received by God and in tune with God himself.
While our prayers are constrained by the way we curve in on ourselves due to our sinful state, the Spirit attends to our weaknesses. He transforms them in line with the will of God, who works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We are assured that the Spirit, who knows us better than we know ourselves, strengthens and takes up our pleas with a passionate intimacy that is beyond human words.
There were no doubt times when my intercessions on behalf of my children were misguided. Fortunately, the Spirit doesn’t make such mistakes. We can pray in confidence that the Spirit intercedes in truth, wisdom and in line with the mind and heart of God.
What deep things of the heart are you struggling to find words to express to God? Let the Spirit intercede on your behalf.
Pray for Australian Lutheran College. Thank God for its support of the teaching of Lutheran theology among the LCA International Mission partners.
Dr Merryn Ruwoldt is the Academic Dean at Australian Lutheran College.
by Evaena Sumbayak
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You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:9a).
Read Romans 8:1–17
In this season of Pentecost, we are reminded of the profound role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Today’s text offers us a powerful message about the contrast between living according to the flesh and living by the Spirit. The flesh, marked by sin, leads to death, while the Spirit brings life, enabling us to live righteously.
Paul emphasises that the Spirit of God is not a distant force but dwells within us. This is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, and it is through this Spirit that we experience spiritual resurrection. Although our physical bodies are still subject to sin and death, the Spirit brings us life through righteousness, transforming us from the inside out.
Living by the Spirit is more than just following rules; it is about embracing a new way of life empowered by God’s presence. The Spirit guides us to resist the desires of the flesh and live in a way that reflects God’s righteousness. It is through the Spirit that we participate in God’s redemptive story, not merely as passive followers but as active witnesses to God’s love and power.
Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not confined to the early church but is alive and working in believers today. The Spirit empowers us to live out God’s will, to love others, and to be agents of change in the world. He is a continuous presence, equipping us to reflect God’s character in our daily lives.
In this Pentecost season, let us open our hearts to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and be reminded of the new life we have in Christ, both now and in eternity.
How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life? To what degree are you allowing the Spirit to guide your actions, shape your character and lead you toward a life of righteousness and peace?
Pray for the National Committee Lutheran World Federation in Indonesia (KN-LWF), as the Spirit works in and through it to bring life-transforming grace to others.
Evaena Sumbayak is the Program Officer, Gender Justice, Child Policy, Disability and Education, at KN-LWF, Indonesia.