Being Drawn to Where We Can Never Return
- davidwperk
- Jun 16
- 7 min read
Devotional Reflection, Monday, June 16, 2025
Proper 6, The week of the Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrase for reflection from today’s reading:
4While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
(You will find the full text of today’s Acts reading at the end of this reflection.)
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 970)
AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]
1 Samuel 1:1-20; Acts 1:1-14; Luke 20:9-19
Today we celebrate the Feast of Joseph Butler and George Berkeley. (See below.)
David's Reflections
Annie Dillard in her collection of essays Teaching a Stone to Talk writes about her experience attending a service of Holy Communion, weaving in her reflections in response to each movement of the service with reflections about the first explorers of the North Pole. In that essay, she speaks of the unpredictability of a God too often tamed by our desiccated expectations. She writes:
Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping God may wake someday and take offense, or the waking God may draw us to where we can never return. *
The last line connects for me with a line from today’s reading in Acts. In verse 4, Luke says, “While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem,.” This translation, in my judgment, is unsatisfactory. The word rendered “while staying with” literally means “while sharing salt with.” It is an idiom for sharing a meal. The New International Translation is one of the few that renders the verse accurately, “On one occasion, while he was eating with them. . . .
Acts 10:41 refers to Jesus eating and drinking with the disciples after the resurrection. Luke 24 records one of those post-resurrection meal scenes as does John 21. This general statement in today’s reading probably refers both to evening meals and to eucharistic meals, celebrations of the saving significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In those meal settings, Jesus drew them to where they could never return.
We receive Holy Communion every Sunday. It should not be lost on us that Jesus gave his disciples their marching orders for world mission at table after the resurrection. He also promised the gift of the Holy Spirit at table. Could it be that the God we envision at that table has suffered shrinkage in our vision? Could it be that we have tamed our expectations of what that God might call us to be and do at that Table? Would we dare go through a service of Holy Communion saying, “Whatever you ask, we shall do? Whatever you desire, we shall be?” In Annie Dillard’s words, “the waking God may draw us to where we can never return.”
One of my initial experiences of Holy Communion came in 1995 when I was struggling with the decision to leave the Baptist communion. I was sitting in a service of Holy Communion at St. Thomas on the Bayou Episcopal Church in Monroe, Louisiana. This early service followed Rite 1 with no music and was sparsely attended, with fewer than 20 communicants participating. During that service, one word kept coming to mind, “Stay.” It kept resounding in my mind and heart.
That word I took to be the call of the Spirit to leave my lifetime affiliation with Baptists and, in doing so, to end my ordained ministry. It was to be another two years before the call came to move toward priesthood. Again, that call came in the context of Holy Communion. Jesus drew me to where I could never return.
“While at table with them, Jesus commanded them.” That would be my rendering of verse 4. Jesus will be at table with us this week. Perhaps we indeed should wear crash helmets. Certainly, we should unchain our expectations and refuse to take counsel with our fears of what a loving God might ask if we invited that asking, even though "the waking God may draw us to where we never can return."
* Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk (New York: HarperCollins, 1982), p. 52.
Collect of the Day, Proper 6
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 230)
Today we celebrate the Feasts of Joseph Butler and George Berkeley, bishops and theologians (died 16 June 1752 CE and 14 Jan 1753 CE respectively).
Collect of the Feast of Joseph Butler
O God, who raises up scholars for your church in every generation; we praise you for the wisdom and insight granted to your bishop and theologian Joseph Butler, and pray that your church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Collect of the Feast of George Berkeley O God, by your Holy Spirit you give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of faith: We praise your Name for the gifts of grace manifested in your servants George Berkeley and Joseph Butler, and we pray that your Church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
Of the Holy Angels
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 251)
A Prayer for Light
Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)
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. (BCP, 100)
The Epistle Reading, Acts 1:1-14
1:1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This,’ he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
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
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