The BreadCast

(Acts 17:15,22-18:1; Ps.148:1-2,11-14,Is.6:3; Jn.16:12-15) "It is He 'who gives' to all life and 'breath' and everything else." "His majesty is above earth and heaven," brothers and sisters. And so our psalmist today encourages all in the heavens and all on earth to "praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted." "From one stock He made every nation of mankind to dwell on the face of the earth," and it is "in Him we live and move and have our being." And so should we, "His faithful ones," not offer Him praise? Brothers, be not ignorant as the men of Athens who thought "the God who made the world and 'all that is in it,' the Lord of heaven and earth," as "something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of man's genius and his art." Could man with all his intelligence make the sun or wind? Then how can it be that he might contrive the Creator of these? Such groping in darkness for the God who is "not really far from any of us" shall not be tolerated forever. For the time has come to turn on the lamp which lights the room and let all shadows flee. He who is going to "judge the world with justice" is among us now; it is He whom God "has endorsed in the sight of all by raising Him from the dead." And it is faith in Him to which we must come. Jesus promises the disciples that "the Spirit of truth… will guide [them] to all truth." It is He who "will not speak on His own, but will speak only what He hears." He receives from Jesus, who possesses "all that the Father has," all that He announces to us. And Paul is His mouthpiece today, speaking not what he has invented by his erudite learning and fanciful imagining, but rather proclaiming the truth he hears the Spirit inspiring in his soul and burning in his heart. We shall not get to heaven on stairs we make with our soiled hands; they cannot but crumble under the pressure of time and the weight of truth. Only by obedience to the Spirit who inspires all, shall all find the presence of the "God Unknown" to hearts of stone and minds as fleeting as a wisp of smoke. "He calls on all men everywhere to reform their lives," for their scoffing at truth shall bring them alone to a dark room, where there shall be no breath of the Spirit. But we who know all wisdom comes from God, living in its light are made His children. ******* O LORD, may we know your glory in the Word announced to us by the Spirit Jesus sends. YHWH, the light of wisdom you alone shine by the Spirit of Truth come through your Son. You are exalted above earth and Heaven, and we cannot approach you by our minds or the work of our hands – only by faith will we come to know your surpassing glory. O LORD, let your glory be announced to all that all might praise you in whom we live and move and have our being, that all might thus come to know themselves by realizing we are your offspring. If we do not see you, how blind we remain to everything, hopelessly groping in the dark for truth and light. We cannot make truth, we cannot make you, for it is you who have made us. May we heed your call to reform our lives, dear LORD, that we might come to understanding, that guided by the Spirit we might come to faith in you and praise your Name forever with all your children in the heavenly kingdom.

O child of courage, though but a boy you gave your life as the strongest of men, proving thus your love for Christ, a love that steels souls even in the face of death, even in the youthful breast – if but a young child like yourself could die so freely for the faith and show the face of Jesus to the whole world, how much more should we, so graced by the Lord with years of devotion, be ready to give for the name of God? Pray your innocence may renew our hearts and your strength fortify our commitment to give our lives for Christ and His Church.

O brave soldiers, the world could not take Christ from your hearts; though it tried to expunge Him from the army in which you served, your allegiance to the holy One of Israel, our Lord and God, remained firm, and so death you preferred to life without Jesus – pray for us who are so weak in faith, that our stale complacency might be invigorated by the blood of our Savior, the blood you yourselves shed as you filled up what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Pray we shall not turn from the sacrifice to which the Lord calls us but embrace with joy the cross we must bear, and which bears us unto Heaven.

(Acts 16:22-34; Ps.138:1-3,7-8; Jn.16:5-11) "Immediately all the doors flew open and everyone's chains were pulled loose." "Your right hand saves me," David sings unto the Lord this day in our psalm. Mighty indeed is His power, and so we should "worship at [His] holy temple, and give thanks to [His] name," for He has "built up strength within [us]"; by the power of the Holy Spirit He has set us free from our prisons, from the chains of sin. "When I called you, you answered me," David sings. And how the Lord answers Paul and Silas as they call unto Him in song of their own. "After receiving many lashes they were thrown into prison, and the jailer… put them in maximum security, going so far as to chain their feet to a stake." Yet what do we find these apostles doing in the deep of the night? – "praying and singing hymns to God as their fellow prisoners listened." And God hears their prayers; they bring "a severe earthquake [which] suddenly shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations" and setting all those inside free of their chains. Can we have a clearer sign of the Holy Spirit's presence and power than this? Well, yes, because as wondrous as earthquakes are, the truest sign of the Spirit came this night when the jailer "and his whole household were baptized." The earthquake and the flying open of prison doors may have opened his heart to hearing the word of God, but his wholehearted acceptance of "his newfound faith in God" is the Spirit's great work. For what is of greater importance, the stone and steel of a prison cell shaken and cast to the ground, or the salvation of the eternal soul of man? The Lord Jesus has promised to send the Spirit as Advocate to plead our cause and prove us right about our faith in the One who saves from sin. In justice and in truth He goes to the Father, and from His exalted throne He sends forth the Paraclete to prove His presence with us still; and by the grace and power of the Holy Trinity at work in our midst, "the prince of this world has been condemned" and the prison he built to contain us destroyed. "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart." Let us sing to Him, brothers and sisters. Let us join with David and Silas and Paul, and all the redeemed of the Lord, and "joyfully celebrate with [our] whole family," with all the children of our God, our everlasting faith in the Father, Son, and Spirit. From prison we have been released; with the Savior we are risen. His Spirit is upon us now. ******* O LORD, may we believe in your Son and so be saved from our sin, entering your House with songs of praise. YHWH, you have saved us from certain death, death at our own hands because of our sins. To our very foundation you have shaken us and served to make us new men. May all be baptized in your Name! Send your Spirit forth, O LORD, to shake this place in which we dwell, that we might be released from our prisons, from dwelling in our self-made hell. The chains of this world are easily broken by your power come from above; let us turn quickly from our sin and acknowledge your power and might, and we shall be saved – we and all our household. No fear let us have of the world's efforts to chain your Word, O God. Despite all, let us sing your praise, knowing the devil has been condemned, and the Spirit will never die in us. And whatever darkness may surround us this day shall soon pass, and with your angels we shall sing your praise in your eternal kingdom.

(Acts 16:11-15; Ps.149:1-6,9; Jn.15:26-16:4) "You must bear witness." The Spirit will come and call to your hearts to speak of the name of Jesus and His salvation. As He prompts you, you must speak the truth in love, you must go as He calls – you must bear witness. And sometimes the word you speak, and you yourself, will be accepted with the faith and great hospitality as known in Lydia (who is said to be "one who listened," for "the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying," and who generously invited Paul and his companions, foreigners traveling to distant lands, to "come and stay at [her] house"); and other times those who "know neither the Father nor [the Son]" will "expel you from synagogues," will cast you violently from their midst, and "anyone who puts you to death will claim to be serving God!" It does not matter. The Word must go forth, in season and out. How few true witnesses there seem to be today, for in the time and place in which I stand certainly the Word of God is out of season. False witnesses with strange gospels abound, but the tongue of the apostles is tied, and what is spoken seems to land upon deaf ears. Those who have no conception of the Holy Spirit and so know neither Father nor Son are emboldened to speak as messengers of Jesus, though the Jesus they know is not the Christ and what they speak but serves to lead the sheep astray. And where is His Church? Will no one stand to speak of His love? Today instead of "sing[ing] for joy upon [our] couches… the high praises of God… in our throats," the houses in which we dwell seem to swallow our souls, and we are left mute in the face of destruction. And it is hard to say that our faith is shaken, for who can find any faith at all? Neither persecution nor glad acceptance do we find, for we speak no word to challenge the world. Let us pray to the Lord, brothers and sisters, that He will send laborers forth, that even in this time of lethargy upon His Church, new life is beginning to grow. For until the end of time the Word must go forth; before then it shall not have reached its goal. However well the devil may fool us into complacency, we must know that it is always time to preach the Word, for ever will hearts be seeking Him – and ever hands seek to destroy Him. "The Lord loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory." This call to the humble must be heard by all. ******* O LORD, let us stand strong in doing your will, praising your Name, come what may. YHWH, help us to go forth in the Name of your Son, to speak His Word to the world, to bear witness to truth as He has. For though we be persecuted and even killed for serving you, there will be those who will listen and be saved. Ready our hearts for what may come, O LORD, that we shall not fear in the hour of darkness, on the day the power of the evil one asserts itself. Help us to realize his power is as nothing and those who do his bidding shall pass like the fading grass. Only those who hear and heed your voice will stand on the last Day. The faithful will rejoice in you, LORD, and sing a new song to your glory come into our midst by the grace of Christ and the power of the Spirit. We shall praise you forever in your eternal House. Even now in prayer we come to dwell with you.

O leper with the lepers, you united yourself so thoroughly with those you served that you became one of them, one of the frightful and rejected souls abandoned by the world but redeemed by the blood of Christ through your intercession. To them you brought the consolation of government support and the love of the Lord, and so, many were inspired to drag themselves into your chapel – pray we join them there, listening attentively to the Word of salvation and finding healing for the disease that eats away at our souls; help us to embrace the cross the Lord provides to lead us on the narrow way to Heaven.

(Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Ps.66:1-7,16,20; 1Pt.3:15-18; Jn.14:15-21) "Put to death in the flesh, He was brought to life in the Spirit." It is of this way to life Jesus teaches us when He says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," for what is it to keep His commandments but to carry His cross – to lay down our lives, to die to the flesh, to suffer for His sake – and what is love but the life the Spirit brings. And both dying to self and loving God we find the Spirit at work in our lives; He is "the Spirit of truth," yes, but also the Spirit of love, for He is the love of the Father and the Son, and it is by Him we become one in love with Father and Son, and so share in the oneness of the Holy Trinity. Love and truth are really one and the same; neither exists without the other, for both are of God who is one in Himself. We know the commandment of God, which calls us by the fire of truth to kill all the sin within our souls, is simply a commandment to love, for the whole law is summed up in love. And when Peter calls us to "always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for [our] hope" (in other words, to speak the truth of the risen Christ), he cannot but immediately add, "Do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear"; for if not spoken in love, it is no truth at all – it is but vain posturing. Truth and love may also be seen in Philip's work in the city of Samaria. He went and "proclaimed the Christ to them" – thus the sword of truth goes forth to pierce hearts and bleed them of sin – but the new life that is brought about by this death to the flesh is also evident, in the signs of God's love he enacted in casting out evil spirits and in the "many paralyzed or crippled people [who] were cured." And oh how the fullness of truth and the perfection of love came upon these converts when Peter and John "laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." Alleluia! If before "there was great joy in that city" upon being "baptized in the name of Jesus," now what joy there is for them to know this blessing would never leave. Jesus promises to send "another Advocate to be with [us] always"; this is the Holy Spirit who confirms in us that once dead to sin, we shall live forever in Him. For this blessing let us "shout joyfully to God" and "sing praise to the glory of His name." For indeed now by His kindness and His truth, by His grace and by His might, in love and justice He has set us free from the death of sin and brought us to life in Him. Alleluia! Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Loving Sprit" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, reveal yourself to us this day that we might praise you with joy. YHWH, we sing praise to your Name for all your gifts and graces but especially for the great gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love and truth, the Spirit of the Christ, ruling our lives. For sealed by the Spirit we are forever joined to you and your Son in surpassing glory. Alleluia! How blessed are we, dear LORD, that your Son has been preached to us and we have welcomed Him into our hearts and so found healing from all that sin had inflicted upon us. What joy there is in being baptized in the Name of Jesus! What everlasting joy we know in having the hands of your apostles laid on our heads that we might receive your Holy Spirit! For now we are filled to overflowing with your glorious praise. No longer orphans, we are joined to you, our Father, through Jesus your Son. One with you, O Triune God, we become as, put to death in the flesh, we are brought to life in the Spirit. Alleluia!

(Acts 16:1-10; Ps.100:1-3,5; Jn.15:18-21) "I chose you out of the world." What is the world but heartache and sin; from this the Lord would release us. Jesus tells His disciples: "You do not belong to the world," and yet, as is most evident in the journeys of Paul, to all the world do the apostles go. The Master tells them, "You [will] find that the world hates you"; even so, they preach to a world which has no respect for the name they proclaim, who "know nothing of Him who sent" them. The inevitable persecution they do not fear, the death their work brings they do not flee, but face all in complete readiness. Indeed, Paul is our example of the commitment we all must have to doing the Lord's will in this world. With great fervor he travels from land to land and, praise God, "through all this, the congregations grew stronger in faith and daily increased in numbers." He transmits the Lord's Gospel message to all waiting ears and perseveres through all trials. For there are those throughout this earth who will listen to the Word that "the Lord is God; He made us, His we are," and that Jesus is His Son – and Paul cannot help but strain forward to find these hearts which long to "come before Him with joyful song." So great is Paul's desire to bring the word of the Lord to those who have never heard it before that he must be restrained by the Holy Spirit. Twice today in our first reading he is prevented from entering and preaching to lands for which it is not time, finally being called in a vision to those who awaited him. Paul and the apostles' readiness to do the Lord's will is related clearly in Luke's statement, "After the vision, we immediately made efforts to get across to Macedonia, concluding that God had summoned us to proclaim the Good News there." We must go where we are called and move as we are led by the Spirit of Jesus the Christ. Into the world He leads us all to bring His light forth. Though never of the world, we must encourage all the world to "sing joyfully to the Lord," to "serve the Lord with gladness." By our words and by our lives we must show that we are "His people, the flock He tends," and others will be drawn from the clutches of a world that hates the truth and into the protecting arms of God. ******* O LORD, let your Word go forth to all the world that all might be saved from the world and come to you. YHWH, should we not rejoice that the world hates us, that it persecutes us and the Word we speak, for does this not show that we are of Jesus, that we are one with Him in following in His way? And is this not the path by which fruit is born, fruit that will last unto Heaven? Is this not the way souls are saved and come to rejoice in your kingdom? Help us to remember this, LORD, to remember and desire only to do your will, to follow in the way Jesus leads and bring His Word, His Spirit, to the ends of the earth. Make your apostles as zealous as Paul to bring the Gospel to all who are open to receive salvation, to know the blessing of being your children. May all souls be grafted onto the tree of your Chosen people. Let your Church increase in faith and numbers, LORD, until the return of your Son.

(Acts 15:22-31; Ps.57:8-12; Jn.15:12-17) "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Do not Judas and Silas fulfill the Lord's command to "love one another"; do not they lay down their lives for the Lord when they bring word "to the brothers of Gentile origin in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" of the apostles' decision regarding those who have "upset [them] with their discussions and disturbed [their] peace of mind"? Do they not carry the love of the Lord in their persons as well as in the letter in their hands? And are these not made friends of the Lord even as the apostles and elders, even as those who come to them? Jesus says to His disciples in our gospel, "I call you friends, since I have made known to you all that I heard from my Father." And now in the same way these disciples "go forth and bear fruit" as the Lord has commanded by making known to the children of the nations "the decision of the Holy Spirit," the whole Truth of God's love, thus drawing them into the friendship of Christ. The apostles and elders, who call themselves "brothers" of those of Gentile origin, "have unanimously resolved to choose representatives and send them" to witness of the Lord's love for them; Paul and Barnabas are called by the apostles, those "who have dedicated themselves to the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ" – there is left no doubt of the strength of the decision that is made and the authority by which it comes. And so "there was great delight at the encouragement [the letter] gave," for it and those who read it hold indeed the love of God, the absolute truth of the Holy Spirit, by whose power they have been freed from the burdens being imposed upon them and brought into the fold and friendship, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia! "I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord, I will chant your praises among the nations." With David, the Gentile disciples "sing and chant praise" to the living God who is "exalted above the heavens" and "above all the earth." The Spirit of the Lord is upon them now by the love that has been laid down before them, and now they too are called to lay down their lives in the Lord's love, as are we all, that friends of Jesus, sons of the Father, may ever be drawn into His holy fold. ******* O LORD, your love is all we need – help us to worship you with our very lives. YHWH, let us all live in your love and rejoice in the blessing of the Holy Spirit; let us dwell with you in the glory that is above all the earth. Obedient to your Word, to the rightful authority of your Church, we follow in the way of the Spirit and find ourselves as friends of your Son. You do not make the way difficult for us, but quite simple. You simply call us all to love. To lay down our lives for one another, even as Jesus has done, may seem impossible to our corrupted hearts – but in you all is made very easy, for your yourself are love. O LORD, help us to walk in the footsteps of your Son and so bear the fruit of eternal love. It is clear, dear God, that you desire all to share in your great blessings. You long to give us all we ask for. You wish for us peace of mind and heart, and you know this is found only in doing your will, for your will is only love. Let us heed your command to love, and so chant your praises in the kingdom.

(Acts 15:7-21; Ps.96:1-3,10; Jn.15:9-11) "We are saved by the favor of the Lord Jesus." We are told of the Council of Jerusalem, convened to determine if the Gentiles need be subject to circumcision and the Mosaic Law, "After much discussion, Peter took the floor," and that after he had finished speaking, "the whole assembly fell silent." What is there to say after the Rock of the Church has spoken? And how marvelously his declaration mirrors Jesus' own simple command to His disciples, "Live on in my love." I am certain that before he stood to speak in the midst of the din of argument that pervaded this first assembly of God's people, Peter heard the words of Jesus speaking to his heart: "Simon, son of John, feed my sheep." He remembers his call and the Spirit the Lord has placed upon him as keeper of the keys of heaven. He remembers, too, the vision the Savior of mankind brought to his mind, instructing him not to discriminate in his sharing of the Word of God. He therefore reminds his brothers that God "reads the hearts of men," and particularly of how "He showed His approval [of the Gentiles] by granting the Holy Spirit to them," just as He had done to those gathered in this assembly. God "made no distinction… but purified their hearts by means of faith also." And would they then place undue burden upon what God has wrought by His own hand? Yes, Peter in his pronouncement sings of the "new song" of the Lord and by doing so encourages all to "sing to the Lord; bless His name." He hereby "announce[s] His salvation," that His glory might be told "among the nations; among all peoples, His wondrous deeds." Here he demonstrates how the Lord "governs the peoples with equity." The righteous judgment that James makes, now shared in harmony by all assembled, is none other than the judgment Peter has proclaimed – which is none other than Jesus' own word for all to keep the commandment to live in the Father's love that all our "joy may be complete," that all may be gathered into the Father's kingdom. Scripture says of the House the Father builds here on earth, of Jerusalem, His Church: "From its ruins I will rebuild it and set it up again, so that all the rest of mankind and all the nations that bear my name may seek out the Lord." What was the house of David now shelters all the nations – the old Jerusalem has become the new City of Peace held in God's own hand, His Holy Spirit breathing upon its members and giving them life. By the favor of Christ has this been accomplished; let no man shorten the arm of the Lord. ******* O LORD, may all peoples be saved by the love your Son bears to us. YHWH, it is by faith you have purified our hearts, and it is to love you call us. It is by the Spirit we are saved and drawn into your holy kingdom. O let the favors of your Son be upon us, dear God! His love beat in our hearts and course through our veins. Yes, let us live in His love and so remain in your joy forever. Your commandments are not burdensome, O LORD, but lead only to freedom, absolute freedom in the light of your presence. Help us not to take unnecessary burdens upon our shoulders, burdens that would keep us from you and your love. Let us never quench your Spirit at work in our lives. Work your wonders in our midst, dear LORD, and may we cooperate fully with them, that forever we might sing your praise and bless your holy Name with all our brothers and sisters. In faith may all souls seek your face, and so find it by your grace.