March 29: The Comfort of the Holy Spirit
♫ Music:
Day 36 - Wednesday, March 29
Title: CHRIST’S FORETELLING OF THINGS TO COME
Scripture: John 16:1–16
“I am telling you this now so that your faith in me may not be shaken. They will excommunicate you from their synagogues. Yes, the time is coming when a man who kills you will think he is thereby serving God! They will act like this because they have never had any true knowledge of the Father or of me, but I have told you all this so that when the time comes for it to happen you may remember that I told you about it. I have not spoken like this to you before, because I have been with you; but now the time has come for me to go away to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ That is because you are so distressed at what I have told you. Yet I am telling you the simple truth when I assure you that it is a good thing for you that I should go away. For if I did not go away, the divine helper would not come to you. But if I go, then I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convince the world of the meaning of sin, of true goodness and of judgment. He will expose their sin because they do not believe in me; he will reveal true goodness for I am going away to the Father and you will see me no longer; and he will show them the meaning of judgment, for the spirit which rules this world will have been judged.
“I have much more to tell you but you cannot bear it now. Yet when that one I have spoken to you about comes—the Spirit of truth—he will guide you into everything that is true. For he will not be speaking of his own accord but exactly as he hears, and he will inform you about what is to come. He will bring glory to me for he will draw on my truth and reveal it to you. Whatever the Father possesses is also mine; that is why I tell you that he will draw on my truth and will show it to you.
“In a little while you will not see me any longer, and again, in a little while you will see me.”
Poetry & Poet:
“I Taught Myself to Live Simply”
by Anna Akhmatova
I taught myself to live simply and wisely,
to look at the sky and pray to God,
and to wander long before evening
to tire my superfluous worries.
When the burdocks rustle in the ravine
and the yellow-red rowanberry cluster droops
I compose happy verses
about life's decay, decay and beauty.
I come back. The fluffy cat
licks my palm, purrs so sweetly
and the fire flares bright
on the saw-mill turret by the lake.
Only the cry of a stork landing on the roof
occasionally breaks the silence.
If you knock on my door
I may not even hear.
THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 16:1-16 speaks to the comfort that Jesus offers to his disciples in the face of fear and uncertainty. As Jesus prepares to leave his disciples, he reassures them that they will not be alone. He promises to send the Holy Spirit to be with them and to guide them even long after he is gone. Understandably, the disciples are filled with fear and perhaps confusion as they hear Jesus tell them that he is leaving. They followed him for years, they relied on his guidance and support, and now they must continue without him. Yet, in the midst of this, Jesus offers comfort. He promises them that the Holy Spirit will be with them and guide them in the same way he had been with them throughout his ministry.
This passage is a reminder of the comfort that Jesus offers to us in our own lives. We will face challenges and difficulties. We will feel afraid and alone. But, like with the disciples, the Holy Spirit is with us and is a constant presence in our time of need. And not only is this comfort for our present struggle, but it is for our future trials as well. In John 16:33, Jesus says, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Jesus has already overcome the world, a reminder that no matter what the future may bring, Christ is in control. Christ is present. Christ cares.
This comfort and care that Jesus offers is not passive. It empowers us to courageously face our challenges each and every day. The Holy Spirit guides us, comforts us, and gives us the strength we need to face whatever may come our way. Whether we face personal struggles or societal challenges, Jesus is there to offer us comfort and hope. And, just like the disciples, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us in our most challenging moments. By understanding this, we understand the key to simple living. God does not promise us a perfect life but peace in the midst of a chaotic one. The Holy Spirit is a flame that leads and guides us when our path may not seem so clear. Just as a flame provides light and direction, the Holy Spirit illuminates a path to peace, comfort, and truth.
Prayer
O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.
Amen.
––From The Book of Common Prayer (1928)
Andrew Mauzey
Assistant Professor of English
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Translation of the Bible for the 2023 Lent Project:
J.B. Phillips New Testament Translation of the Bible
J.B. Phillips (1906-1982) was well-known within the Church of England for his commitment to making the message of truth relevant to today's world. Phillips' translation of the New Testament brings home the full force of the original message. The New Testament in Modern English was originally written for the benefit of Phillips' youth group; it was later published more widely in response to popular demand. The language is up-to-date and forceful, involving the reader in the dramatic events and powerful teaching of the New Testament. It brings home the message of Good News as it was first heard two thousand years ago.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
About the Artwork:
Fire
Teresita Fernández
2005
Silk yarn, steel armature, and epoxy
243.84 × 365.76 cm
Permanent Collection SFMOMA
San Francisco, California
Artist Teresita Fernández’ installation entitled Fire, part of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, is made up of hand-dyed silk threads that seem to flicker and dance like flames as the viewer walks around the artwork. Jesus never promised us a trouble-free life. To the contrary, he warned those who committed their lives to follow him that it wouldn’t be an easy road to travel—“So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7 ESV).
https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/10/05/teresita-fernandezs-ways-of-seeing
https://phxart.org/articles/teresita-fernandez/
About the Artist:
Teresita Fernández (b. 1968) is a New York–based visual artist best known for her public sculptures and unconventional use of materials. Her work is characterized by an interest in perception and the psychology of looking. Her experiential, large-scale works are often inspired by landscape and natural phenomena, as well as diverse historical and cultural references. Her sculptures present spectacular optical illusions and evoke natural phenomena, land formations, and water in its infinite forms. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (2003) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" (2005). She served as a presidential appointee to Barack Obama's U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, distinguishing her as the first Latina to serve in that role.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresita_Fern%C3%A1ndez
About the Music: “The Comforter Has Come” from the album City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia
Lyrics:
O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let ev'ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!
The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from Heav'n, the Father's promise giv'n;
O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found
The Comforter has come!
The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o'er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!
Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To ev'ry captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!
O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond'ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine??
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!
About the Composers: Charles Lowell, Dan Haseltine, Matt Odmark, Stephen Daniel, and Stephen Mason
Aboout the Lyricist:
Francis Bottome (1823-1894) was born in Derbyshire, England. In 1850, he moved to America where he became a minister of the Methodist Episcopalian Church. In 1872 he received the degree of S.T.D. from Dickinson's College, Carlisle, Penn. In addition to assisting in the compilation of B. P. Smith's Gospel Hymns, London, He wrote several hymns and songs.
https://hymnary.org/person/
About the Performers:
Jars of Clay is a Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The members met at Greenville College in Illinois. Jars of Clay consists of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars, and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars. Although the band has no permanent drummer or bass guitarist, Jeremy Lutito and Gabe Ruschival fill these roles for live concerts. Jars of Clay's style is a blend of alternative rock, folk, acoustic, and R & B. The band's name is derived from the New International Version's translation of 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” This verse is paraphrased in their song "Four Seven," which appears as a hidden track on the CD release of their self-titled album.
Daniel Paul Haseltine (b. 1973) is an American singer best known as lead vocalist for Jars of Clay. Haseltine has performed vocals, piano, accordion, percussion, and melodica while with Jars of Clay. He has had different artistic titles, including songwriter, producer, film composer, music supervisor, and art designer. Haseltine is also the founder of the nonprofit organization Blood:Water Mission, where he currently is one of the board of directors. He is a regular writer and speaker about worship music, HIV/AIDS in Africa, social justice, and church reform. Haseltine is also a regular columnist for Relevant Magazine, and has contributed articles to Moody, CCM Magazine, Christianity Today, World Vision, Campus Life, and Beliefnet.
Charles Daniel Lowell (b. 1973) is an American pianist best known for being the pianist and keyboardist for Jars of Clay. Lowell attended Greenville College as a musical studies major. While there, Lowell spotted another student wearing a T-shirt for the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. He introduced himself to this man, whose name was Dan Haseltine, also studying music at Greenville. The two began making music with guitarist Steve Mason and eventually formed the band Jars of Clay.
Stephen Daniel Mason (b. 1975) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for the Christian band Jars of Clay. Mason joined Jars of Clay as a founding member in 1993 with singer Dan Haseltine and pianist Charlie Lowell while studying at Greenville College. To get into college, Mason wrote an instrumental guitar piece entitled "Frail," which was later recorded and used as the namesake for the group's first demo, Frail. The song later had lyrics added by Jars of Clay's lead singer Dan Haseltine for the group's second album, Much Afraid.
Matthew Thomas Odmark (b. 1974) is an American musician best known for being a guitarist for Jars of Clay. Odmark studied English literature at the University of Rochester. As a youth he knew pianist Charlie Lowell. When guitarist Matt Bronleewe left Jars of Clay, Odmark took his place as guitarist and backing vocalist. In 2001, Jars of Clay was awarded honorary graduation certificates from Greenville College due to their demonstrated understanding of their craft. Despite never being an attendee of the school, Odmark was also granted this award.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jars_of_Clay
https://www.jarsofclay.com/
About the Poetry and Poet:
Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) was one of the most significant Russian poets of the twentieth century. Akhmatova's work ranges from short lyrical poems to intricately structured cycles, such as Requiem, her tragic masterpiece about the Stalinist Terror, a campaign of political repression in the Soviet Union, which occurred from 1936 to 1938. Primary sources of information about Akhmatova's life are relatively scarce since war, revolution, and a totalitarian regime destroyed most of the written records. For long periods she was in official disfavor and many of those who were close to her died in the aftermath of the revolution, including her first husband, Nikolay Gumilyov, her son, Lev Gumilyov, and her common-law husband, Nikolay Punin. Between 1935 and 1940, Akhmatova composed, worked, and reworked her long poem Requiem in secret. A lyrical cycle of lamentation and witness, the poem depicts the suffering of the common people under the Soviet Terror. Requiem finally appeared in book form in 1963, but the whole work was not published within the USSR until 1987. It consists of ten numbered poems that examine a series of emotional states by exploring suffering, despair, and devotion, rather than following one clear narrative. This long poem is often critically regarded as her best work, and also as one of the finest poems of the twentieth century.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/anna-akhmatova
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Akhmatova
About Devotion Author:
Andrew Mauzey
Assistant Professor of English
Associate Director of the English Writing Program
Biola University
Andrew Mauzey is the associate director of the English Writing Program with over eleven years of experience teaching in the Biola English Department. In addition to teaching at Biola, he serves as the music director at St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Orange, California.