Banishing the Poverty of Our Selfish Spirits

Devotional Reflection, Tuesday, May 6 2025

The week of the third Sunday of Easter

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s epistle reading:

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us.

You will find the full text of today’s epistle reading at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 960)

AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39

Daniel 4:28-37;  1 John 4:7-21;  Luke 4:31-37

Today we celebrate the Feast of George of Lydda. (See below.)

David's Reflections

F. T. Pulgrave wrote these lines that have been set to music as part of the hymn "O Thou not made with hands,"

Wherever the gentle heart finds courage from above,

  Wher'er the heart forsook warms with the breath of love;

Where faith bids fear depart.

  City of God thou art.

The poet caught the sense of this reading, especially verses 17-19 above.

I am struck in this reading by God’s desire to reassure us that we are beloved.  The word "boldness" could be rendered "confidence."  Imagine feeling confident about entering the final judgment or facing death and the nearer presence of God.   Can we become more certain of being beloved by an invisible, intangible God, love on which we are totally dependent for forgiveness and eternal life?  That is especially challenging when our daily responses to that love lack so much in terms of our faithfulness and devotion.

One of the most tangible evidences of God's ongoing love comes to us through the love of others.  That's especially true in the Christian community.  There are moments and days when I am not particularly lovable, and yet from within my faith community and inner circle of friends, people persist in loving and receiving me.  In their love, God's love is coming toward me.

That's one reason loving one another in community becomes so crucial.  If we consistently treat one another with disdain, apathy, neglect, or contempt, we infer that our own experience of God's love is lacking.  And that other person may lose confidence in the deepest places of God's love for them.

Something my late, dear friend, mentor, and doctoral advisor in seminary once wrote comes to mind. "It is easy to talk about love--or, for that matter, to write about it.  But it is awfully difficult to do love.  It is in the doing and not the talking that we show whether the richness of God's love has banished the poverty of our own selfish spirits.” +

+Malcolm O. Tolbert, Walking with the Lord:  The Relevance of First John to the Contemporary Christian Life, (Nashville:  Broadman, 1970), p. 78.

Collect of the Day, the third Sunday of Easter

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 224-225)

Collect for the Weekdays in Easter

Let your people, O Lord, rejoice for ever that they have been renewed in spirit; and let the joy of our adoption as your sons and daughters strengthen the hope of our glorious resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Weekday Eucharistic Propers, p. 60).

Today we celebrate the Feast of George of Lydda, soldier and martyr (died ca 304 CE). http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/george.htm

Collect of the Feast of George of Lydda

Almighty God, you commissioned your holy martyr George to bear before the rulers of this world the banner of the cross: Strengthen us in our battles against the great serpent of sin and evil, that we too may attain the crown of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (BCP, 99)

For the Departed

Almighty God, we remember before you today your faithful servant N.; and we pray that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, you will receive him more and more into your joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served you in the past, he may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (BCP, 253)

In the Evening

O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.   (BCP, 833)

A Collect for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer