Walking from Easter to Pentecost
It all broke apart during Holy Week. Cruelty, betrayal, suffering, injustice scattered the Jesus Movement. But precisely at the moment when evil seemed to triumph, the goodness of God burst out from the tomb.
Wonderful. So ... what do we do now?
That is the central question of the Easter Season: Now what? This is the time when broken pieces are put back together into something called the Church. It’s a time for both exultant rejoicing and deep questioning. Who are we on the other side of Resurrection? What is our work? How shall we be the Body of the Risen Christ for the world? Who is our neighbor, and how shall we join with them?
The days after Jesus rose again must have been a time when the disciples felt like they were putting together a puzzle without a picture, or a Lego set without instructions. The first thing to do: gather back those broken pieces, and see how they can fit together.
They started trying to remember really hard what Jesus had said and taught and done. They tried to pay attention to what he was saying and doing when he mysteriously appeared to them now, out of nowhere. And they took a fresh look at their own most ancient scriptures, to see what new meaning now emerged from the old and familiar. They took these broken pieces, and saw how they might all fit back together again.
This devotional booklet is full of such pieces of memory. Let us read, reflect, pray, sing, see, and attend to these pieces. From what has been broken apart, let us build again the Church in our day.
Final Easter Penteccost Booklet to download
Fifth Week after Easter
Friday, May 3, 2024
God chooses us
An excerpt from John 15:15-17 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard fr...
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Thursday, May 2, 2024
Abide in love
An excerpt from John 15:9–11 Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide...
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Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Christ is the true vine
An excerpt from John 15:1-2 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
Reflection ...
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Tuesday, April 30, 2024
The power of Christ’s peace
An excerpt from John 14:27 Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Refl...
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Monday, April 29, 2024
The coming of the Holy Spirit
An excerpt from John 14:25-26 ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of...
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Fourth Week after Easter
Friday, April 26, 2024
Dwelling in Christ’s presence
An excerpt from John 14:1-3 Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told ...
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Thursday, April 25, 2024
Receiving whom God sends
An excerpt from John 13:20 Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Reflection from Tina, Tyler, and Emily Ca...
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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Set apart for the work
An excerpt from Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they ...
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Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Sheltered by the Good Shepherd
An excerpt from John 10:27-28 Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Refle...
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Monday, April 22, 2024
Recognizing the voice of our God
An excerpt from John 10:3-4 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them...
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Third Week after Easter
Friday, April 19, 2024
Easter faith changes us
An excerpt from Acts 9:3-5 Now as Saul was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you pers...
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Thursday, April 18, 2024
Flesh for the life of the world
An excerpt from John 6:50-51 Jesus said, “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread ...
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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Come and see what God has done
An excerpt from Psalm 66:5-7 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rul...
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Tuesday, April 16, 2024
The earth sings praises to God
An excerpt from Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.
Reflection from Kathryn Kinjo Duncan, St. Gregory’s: No matter where I am in my faith journ...
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Monday, April 15, 2024
The power of belief
An excerpt from John 6:2 Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’
Reflection from Dave J...
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Second Week after Easter
Friday, April 12, 2024
Jesus, the Bread of Life
An excerpt from John 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
Reflection from Kristin Saylor, St. ...
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Thursday, April 11, 2024
The human authorities
An excerpt from Acts 5:29-31 Peter and the apostles answered the high priest, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree...
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Take refuge in God
An excerpt from Psalm 34:7-8 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.
Reflection from Alex Thomas, St. ...
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Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Reborn from above
An excerpt from 1 John 3:5-6,8 Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spiri...
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Monday, April 8, 2024
Born of the Spirit
An excerpt from John 3:8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Reflection from Erin...
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First Week after Easter
Friday, April 5, 2024
Salvation in Christ
An excerpt from Acts 4:11-12
This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given am...
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Thursday, April 4, 2024
Terror and peace
An excerpt from Luke 24:36b-39a Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frighte...
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Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Seeing our neighbors
An excerpt from Acts 3:3-4 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”
Reflection from Bryan Cones, Trinity...
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Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Sharing the good news
An excerpt from John 20:17-2 Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, t...
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Monday, April 1, 2024
Journeying with Jesus
An excerpt from Matthew 28:9-19 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers...
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