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The Holy Spirit
Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002. The Holy Spirit, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59262 [retrieved May 12, 2023]. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, http://www.frankwesleyart.com/main_page.htm.
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Victorious Over Death
Let the links of my shackles snap at every step
of thy dance,
o Lord of Dancing,
And let my heart wake in the freedom of the eternal voice.
Let it feel the touch of that foot that ever sets
singing the lotus-seat of the muse,
and with its perfume maddens the air
through ages.
Rebellious atoms are subdued into forms
at thy dance time,
the suns and planets-anklets of light-twirl round
thy moving feet.
and, age after age, things struggle to wake from
dark slumber, through pain of life
into consciousness,
and the ocean of thy bliss breaks out into tumults
of suffering and joy.
Rabindranath Tagore
Let the links of my shackles snap at every step
of thy dance,
o Lord of Dancing,
And let my heart wake in the freedom of the eternal voice.
Let it feel the touch of that foot that ever sets
singing the lotus-seat of the muse,
and with its perfume maddens the air
through ages.
Rebellious atoms are subdued into forms
at thy dance time,
the suns and planets-anklets of light-twirl round
thy moving feet.
and, age after age, things struggle to wake from
dark slumber, through pain of life
into consciousness,
and the ocean of thy bliss breaks out into tumults
of suffering and joy.
Rabindranath Tagore
Imaging the Word An Arts and Lectionary Resource, Volume 2
Exploring the Text: Never abandoned
The night before his betrayal, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus tells his disciples that he will not leave them as orphans but that he will come to them. Within just a few hours, Jesus will be betrayed and within twenty-four, he will be crucified. Yet despite this, his thoughts are for his disciples. He knows that the next seventy-two hours will probably be the among the worst of their lives, so he leaves them with this promise, that he will never abandon them, even if it feels like it.
Jesus makes the same promise to us. He does not leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion, guide, helper, and comforter. Jesus did not abandon his disciples during his greatest trial. He did not abandon them during their greatest trials. He will not abandon us during ours. We are never abandoned, we are never orphaned, he is always with us.
David Dalton
The night before his betrayal, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus tells his disciples that he will not leave them as orphans but that he will come to them. Within just a few hours, Jesus will be betrayed and within twenty-four, he will be crucified. Yet despite this, his thoughts are for his disciples. He knows that the next seventy-two hours will probably be the among the worst of their lives, so he leaves them with this promise, that he will never abandon them, even if it feels like it.
Jesus makes the same promise to us. He does not leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion, guide, helper, and comforter. Jesus did not abandon his disciples during his greatest trial. He did not abandon them during their greatest trials. He will not abandon us during ours. We are never abandoned, we are never orphaned, he is always with us.
David Dalton
Exploring the Text: Love and obedience
Twice in this passage, Jesus connects the ideas of love and obedience. In verse fifteen he says that if we love him we will keep his commandments. In verse twenty one he says that has his commandments and keeps them is the one that loves him. Our love is not demonstrated by how much we study or know, by how fervently we worship, or how much affection we feel. It is determined by how much we obey. Love is not a feeling, it is a choice and it is an action. We choose to obey and we follow through on that choice. That is how we demonstrate our love for him.
Jesus goes on to say when we obey him, he will manifest himself, or make himself known, to us. The more we obey Jesus, the more he reveals himself to us. Truth obeyed results in more truth revealed. If we want to know him more, if we want to love him more, we do it by obeying him more.
David Dalton
Twice in this passage, Jesus connects the ideas of love and obedience. In verse fifteen he says that if we love him we will keep his commandments. In verse twenty one he says that has his commandments and keeps them is the one that loves him. Our love is not demonstrated by how much we study or know, by how fervently we worship, or how much affection we feel. It is determined by how much we obey. Love is not a feeling, it is a choice and it is an action. We choose to obey and we follow through on that choice. That is how we demonstrate our love for him.
Jesus goes on to say when we obey him, he will manifest himself, or make himself known, to us. The more we obey Jesus, the more he reveals himself to us. Truth obeyed results in more truth revealed. If we want to know him more, if we want to love him more, we do it by obeying him more.
David Dalton