Today's Scripture Reflection
The Rev. BJ Buracker
Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

As a kid, one of my favorite cartoons was He-Man. It was about the timid Prince Adam of Eternia who could transform into the mighty He-Man by holding aloft his sword and proclaiming his catchphrase, “By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!” He would then be able to beat up the bad guys and restore peace to his kingdom... at least until the next day’s episode when he had to do it all over again.

Jesus didn’t give His disciples the power of Grayskull. He gave them the Holy Spirit! Before He ascended into Heaven, He promised that the Holy Spirit would fill them with power far greater, better, and more beautiful than anything ever seen in a cartoon. 

Indeed, after the Holy Spirit came upon these disciples, they were transformed from ignorant, stubborn knuckleheads into bold, mighty, and faithful servants of their King, Jesus. Read the book of Acts sometime and see how truly amazing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit really is!

This weekend, a group of young men and women will be Confirmed at our 10:30 service. They will renew their faith in and commitment to God, taking full ownership of the promises and vows made on their behalf at their baptisms. It will be a beautiful blessing for these reasons alone.

But wait, there’s more! During the ceremony, Bishop Ed Little will lay his hands upon each candidate and pray these words:

Strengthen, O Lord, your servants with your Holy Spirit;
empower them for your service;
and sustain them all the days of his life.
Amen.

In short, he will be praying that each young person will receive the Holy Spirit and His power, so that they, like the Apostles, will be transformed into bold, mighty, and faithful servants of King Jesus who rest on Him and do His will for the rest of their lives. 

The Holy Spirit is able and willing to do it because our God is an awesome and loving God. So join us this Sunday as we support these candidates and pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon them in power. May that same Holy Spirit continue transforming each of us into bold, mighty, and faithful servants of our King.

God bless you!
Fr. BJ
An Image to Inspire
Let Us Pray
Prayer for Confirmation, Book of Common Prayer
Almighty God, we thank you that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have overcome sin and brought us to yourself, and that by the sealing of your Holy Spirit you have bound us to your service. Renew in these your servants, who will be Confirmed this Sunday, the covenant you made with them at their Baptism. Send them forth in the power of the Spirit to perform the service you set before them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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