Monday 6 May 2024

Today is Monday 6 May, in the 6th week of Eastertide.

The Porter’s Gate sings ‘You Are My Sanctuary’. How is God a sanctuary for you today?

(Lyrics currently unavailable)

Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.

In this passage, Paul and his companions are following the Lord’s call to mission. Imagine yourself with Paul and his companions as they arrive in a new city. Philippi was a Roman colony full of new imagery, culture and language. Reflect on this pause in their journey, the sights, and sounds along the way. How do you feel as you approach this new environment?

Purple dye was expensive, a colour only available to the rich. It seems that Lydia is a merchant of some standing. Reflect on Paul's encounter with Lydia; see how she sets aside her worldly concern to be open to God's message. Recall times when you have felt a similar openness or perhaps resistance to God's word in your own life. An interruption to the everyday, or an invitation to something more?

As you listen to the passage again, see how Lydia's immediate response is an expression of welcoming and hospitality. Consider how God is inviting you to understand or embrace something new.

‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’

As we end this contemplation, in trust and prayer, take a moment to share with the Lord any thoughts or feelings that arise from Lydia’s story. Invite the Lord to be a loving presence in your life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.