Today is January 31stThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 16:1-7.“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going? ’6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."In this passage, Jesus is talking with his disciples. He is warning them of fearful things to come, and He is telling them that He will be going away… referring to his coming crucifixion. We know now that Jesus is referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, but the disciples were confused and afraid about what was happening. What would your reaction have been to hearing Jesus’ words of warning?Jesus says that it is for our good that He went away: that the Holy Spirit, our advocate, is God’s presence with us and in us. As you listen to the reading again, listen for the urgency and compassion in Jesus’ words?“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."God is Father, Son, and Spirit, three persons, one substance. And Jesus himself said that it is for our good that He returned to the Father, and that we have access to God through His Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we can know Jesus and the Father. We pray: “Come Holy Spirit” not because the Spirit is not here, but because we need to continually turn our attention back to Him, and we need to continually invite Him into our lives. Can you pause, take a deep breath, and pray “Come Holy Spirit” throughout your day? Ask the Spirit to grow in you a knowledge of God: Father, Son, and Spirit.Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Music Credit:As Children - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

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