Monday, June 20, 2011

The Isolating Power of Fear

In this season after Pentecost, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles. Today, we hear about how powerful fear can be in people’s lives:

Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.’ When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, ‘We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.’ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. (Acts 5: 12-26).

The Holy Spirit is at work after Pentecost. People are being healing left and right; miracle after miracle is taking place. In the midst of healing, the "high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” Jealousy is a form of fear; it is fear of being displaced. It is amazing how much power fear can have in our lives. Fear closes us up; we focus totally on ourselves. Living life in fear destroys the joy of life. Fear, in many instances, is needless. The Evil One loves it when we live in fear because he has us right where he wants us—closed off from others, desperate to cling to what we perceived as being valuable, perceived power, perceived affection or perceived freedom.

Notice how God deals with fear—He banishes it. The Apostles are put in prison, but the fear of the high priest and the Sadducees cannot hold the Apostles in chains. God literally frees them from the prison.

In this season after Pentecost, be open to the Holy Spirit; be open to life and all that it has to offer. Do not let yourself live in fear, but pray for the grace of God to open your heart to receive the power of God’s liberating love.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you sent Your Son into the world so that we might have life; free us from the power of fear with the presence of Your Holy Spirit so that we might become more fully alive in You who are one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thank you to everyone who made Father’s Day special at St. Augustine. The food was great, and there were plenty of leftovers.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

26 June, the Second Sunday after Pentecost and traditional jazz by Chosen Vessels.

26 June 2011, Bishop’s Committee Meeting in Sutton Hall during the Fellowship hour.

8 July 2011 at St. Augustine’s Sutton Hall from noon to 3 p.m. S.A.S.S. will host “A 2011 Update: The Latest Info about HIV/AIDS” with Paul Simmons, RN, ACRN, the Executive Director of Center for AIDS Houston. Lunch will be provided free of cost, and the seminar is free of cost as well. Reserve your spot today at galvestonsass@gmail.com.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially Evelyn McNeil.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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