Reading
While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.
Acts 4:31 (The Message)
Reflection
Our youth are spending this week in Memphis, TN, working with our mission partner, Service Over Self (SOS). SOS glorifies God by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in underserved neighborhoods through home repair and leadership development. It’s hot, it’s messy, and it’s exceedingly good. The relationships formed on this trip will be foundational for their discipleship, and some of our youth will come home forever changed.
SOS has been a part of my life since 1998, when my own youth group served there the summer before my freshman year of high school. It’s where I came to faith. When I returned with Acts 2 youth a few summers ago, I even found one of the bunk beds our group had signed years before.
What happens in Memphis is a product of Courtney’s leadership, the SOS staff’s hospitality, and the willingness of adult volunteers to serve alongside our young people. It’s also the result of Acts 2’s investment in ministry experiences that open us up to the Spirit’s movement.
Of course, people encounter the Holy Spirit outside of Memphis too (though I bet there’s a dry rub rib joint or two which might testify otherwise). But when we step out of our comfort zones—when we labor for those who have less, and enter into community with people whose lives are different from ours—we’re invited to receive heaven’s gifts in new ways.
We come home with new words and stories that shape the new life we have in Christ. When we give voice to them, we help others find hope. The early church in Acts shared what they saw and heard: that Jesus was alive and still at work in the world.
When we tell of what God has done—whether in the quiet of our homes or in the swampy humidity of Memphis—we share hope in places we might not even see. The Spirit’s work in us is contagious; it turns our lives into a witness that spills over into the world.
As our youth return home, ask them what new words or stories they have to share. Ask them about the faces they saw, the people they met, and the new things they’ve experienced. You might come away feeling just a little more hopeful.
That’s how the Spirit works.
A Prayer from Psalm 40:3
God, you have put a new song in our mouths,
A song of praise to you.
Let our words and stories proclaim your goodness,
That many might see and put their trust in you.
Amen.
