Re: Drawing

James Cathcart January 06, 2025 3 2

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Acts 10: 44-48 (NRSVA)

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

The early believers had to redraw their boundaries and preconceptions of who was in and who was out. They had their pens at the ready and here comes Peter with a pencil and a glint in his eye.

The Holy Spirit has less in common with the fountain pen and ivory letter writing sheets and more in common with the stubby pencil tucked behind a craftsman’s ear and the back of a napkin. For the fountain pen only comes out on special occasions and is strictly circumscribed by the neat stationery. It is under the control of its custodian.

The pencil however is constantly working and roaming, indeed it is sometimes left behind and picked up by somebody else. A pencil is an adventurer. Rather than limiting the imagination by sticking to neat lines the pencil stretches the mind drawing us on and drawing us out…

Prayer:

Holy Spirit,

Help us to get better at using pencils

to get better at penciling in 

pockets for grace

to have a go at shading, 

and reworking.

sketching out,

experimenting with perspective

and always able to reset, go back to scratch.

Draw us to the margins

and have us scribble mercy and peace

where people think they don’t belong,

illustrate for us how things can be.

Help us always to draw and redraw

give us a new appreciation of shape and form

of character and expression.

Amen.