Today's gospel: "He gives the Spirit without measure."
Today's gospel John 3:31-36
"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath."
Today's gospel is both reassuring and potentially unsettling. It is unsettling if we focus on the word "wrath" as used at the end of this gospel reading. Here the word "wrath" can be understood to mean not vengeful anger but the righteous decision and action of a just judge. Perhaps how we respond to this gospel depends largely on our relationship with our loving heavenly Father, and whether or not we believe that, as Jesus taught, God wants all his children to enjoy fullness of life (John 10:10). The good news that Jesus brought was that we can entrust ourselves fully to God and have confidence in God's love for us and for the world in all its brokenness. We are safe within God's loving and eternal care, in light of all that he has done for us in Jesus Christ - in coming to us in the Incarnation, in dying for us on the Cross, and in overcoming death in his Resurrection. We are in good and safe hands when we are in the hands of the Good Judge who through Christ ultimately delivers us and the world with all its suffering, from evil.
The good news on a personal level is that, in Christ and because of Christ, we are cleansed and forgiven, we are sanctified (= made holy and set apart for God), and we are justified (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). God, who is generous love, pours his love into our hearts and lives in us and with us by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we need to sit still and keep still long enough to ensure we can receive this outpouring of love! We can then pass it on to others.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Sacred Space
You can find a gentle prayer and reflection guide here:
https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-05-01/
Holy Spirit Church, Tallinn, Estonia
Taken during a Porvoo conference, 2018
"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath."
Today's gospel is both reassuring and potentially unsettling. It is unsettling if we focus on the word "wrath" as used at the end of this gospel reading. Here the word "wrath" can be understood to mean not vengeful anger but the righteous decision and action of a just judge. Perhaps how we respond to this gospel depends largely on our relationship with our loving heavenly Father, and whether or not we believe that, as Jesus taught, God wants all his children to enjoy fullness of life (John 10:10). The good news that Jesus brought was that we can entrust ourselves fully to God and have confidence in God's love for us and for the world in all its brokenness. We are safe within God's loving and eternal care, in light of all that he has done for us in Jesus Christ - in coming to us in the Incarnation, in dying for us on the Cross, and in overcoming death in his Resurrection. We are in good and safe hands when we are in the hands of the Good Judge who through Christ ultimately delivers us and the world with all its suffering, from evil.
The good news on a personal level is that, in Christ and because of Christ, we are cleansed and forgiven, we are sanctified (= made holy and set apart for God), and we are justified (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). God, who is generous love, pours his love into our hearts and lives in us and with us by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we need to sit still and keep still long enough to ensure we can receive this outpouring of love! We can then pass it on to others.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Sacred Space
You can find a gentle prayer and reflection guide here:
https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-05-01/
Holy Spirit Church, Tallinn, Estonia
Taken during a Porvoo conference, 2018
Christian Art
You can find a gentle reflection for the day here:
