50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Vigor!

“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God...” (Acts 20: 28)

Easter Day #46: Vigor!

Vigor is the trigger that makes faith bigger!

A scriptural feature of this week before Pentecost has to be the Apostle Paul’s farewell. As we approach the end of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s “last mission chapter” is his defense of the faith before Rome and the powers that be. As he says his goodbyes to the people of Ephesus, or Corinth, or his friend Timothy; he does so with a sense of accomplishment and purpose, preparing himself for the VIGOR required to face the final trials of his ministry!

In the above passage, he challenges us to do what we’ve been asked to do, and to do it well, or the whole thing comes undone. Read more of the Acts and you’ll see a proud Apostle Paul reminding us too of all the work he has done, almost saying, “Don’t screw this up! I’ve worked too hard for this to end up a sad ending of a long movie. This is about more than us. It is about bringing the Church into the world!”

The word that best describes Paul here has to be VIGOR, and the goofy rhyme above was never more true than with him and his approach to sharing the faith... Vigor is the trigger that makes faith bigger!

Paul was never anything except unique. He was not very nice, and not very patient. Paul was not “touchy feely”, but he gave it all, and he gave it all for Christ; and frankly he didn’t care much for the excuses that came with the challenges placed before him and the people he served! This VIGOR makes for a HUGE example of faith.

Paul argued his case, and he lost his head! But the Body of Christ was so strong, because of his travels and his mission, that the Church was truly handed over to us as strong as ever, and it was ready to grow in the Holy Spirit! Paul still speaks to US today, and gives us a Church that needs to be cared for, and shared with all! Let there be no doubt, that the VIGOR of St. Paul must be alive and well in our hearts this day. Our VIGOR must be the trigger to make THE FAITH bigger!

I love that rhyme. I sound like “Mr. T”...
“I pity the fools who don’t play by Paul’s rules!”

50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Verve!

But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20: 22-24)

Easter Day #45: Verve!

VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action... Except it is a noun! Here’s the definition from dictionary.com:

verve [vurv] noun: enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve. Vivaciousness; liveliness; animation: I like a teacher with plenty of verve. Archaic: Talent.

May I make the case that a noun can sometimes be a verb? If VERVE is vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, and someone uses these words to describe YOU, then VERVE is an adjective, right? So, if YOU act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, then your action becomes “verb-like”, hence you act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent. Granted, I don’t know what I am talking about, and English teachers, and proper students everywhere are cringing right about now, but I think I am on to something here!

Sure, I can’t “write” VERVE as a verb (i.e. My faith VERVES for God.), but I can see that it is the VERVE that makes the faith grow into measurable progress and action. Without VERVE, the Apostle Paul gives up, and the early Church collapses! Without VERVE, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, doesn’t even enter the religious life, and millions die on the streets alone with no dignity and no knowledge of God’s love for them! Without VERVE, your faith is nothing but an opinion on what makes you feel good about yourself and the things you like to think about!

My “dumb” thought today is based in the truth of what a “verb” is supposed to be; an action word! And no matter what form of speech it is, VERVE is something that needs to be a part of all of our actions in this life. We need more vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and talents! We need the Holy Spirit to send us the strength to see our commitments through to the bitter end! Just like the Apostle Paul, we too need courage to finish the course and the ministry that we have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.

So I’ll say it again: VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action. May our faith VERVE with God’s many blessings and His Holy Spirit!