“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father; the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
There are four plates in the attached photo and now imagine that after the children eat their lunch you tell them “ak ou tou pou temwen” which was what you just read in verse 27; “and you also must testify”. All of a sudden all of our preparation from Sunday school and years of sermon messages seem so far away when we are told that we must ‘testify’ because we have been with our Triune God from day one. What will I do and what could I possibly say to testify about my Savior? Enter the Holy Spirit that has been within us since Baptism. Thank you for helping to prepare these four Haitian children on this side of Heaven to ‘testify’ to their neighbors by helping by feeding them at this Lutheran school in Haiti; it only took a dollar from your pocket for their lunch on this day. I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Holy Spirit, God of Love’ that were written by Birgitte K. Boye in 1778.
“Holy Spirit, God of love, who our night dost brighten, shed on us from heaven above, now our faith enlighten. In Thy light we gather here; show us that Christ's promise clear is Amen forever. Jesus, our ascended Lord, oh, fulfil Thy gracious Word: bless us with Thy favor!”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay