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FOCUS VERSE: Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” — Acts 8:30 (CEB)

PRAYER OF PRESENCE:

Holy and abiding God,
In this sacred moment, we turn our attention to You.
Still the noise around us and within us,
That we might hear Your gentle whisper of grace.
Open our eyes to Your light,
Our hearts to Your love,
And our souls to the peace that only You can give.
Meet us here, O Lord, as we offer ourselves fully to Your presence,
Trusting in Your steadfast care and boundless mercy.
With gratitude and hope, we are here—present with You. Amen.

SCRIPTURE: Acts 8:26-40

HYMN FOR REFLECTION:
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPBKk562hIo

Forth In Thy Name, O Lord, I Go
Charles Wesley, 1707–1788

  1. Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go,
    my daily labor to pursue;
    thee, only thee, resolved to know
    in all I think or speak or do.
  2. The task thy wisdom hath assigned,
    O let me cheerfully fulfill;
    in all my works thy presence find,
    and prove thy good and perfect will.
  3. Thee may I set at my right hand,
    whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
    and labor on at thy command,
    and offer all my works to thee.
  4. For thee delightfully employ
    what e'er thy bounteous grace hath given;
    and run my course with even joy,
    and closely walk with thee to heaven.

REFLECTION:

Do you really understand what you are reading? This is a very important question for those who engage in the life of faith. While the reading of the Scriptures is vital for the life of faith, this encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunic highlights the need for faith companions who can help us better understand what God seeks to teach us.

The Book of Acts is one of my favorite books of the New Testament. This book holds a high place in my mind because it helps us see the reality of life for those who seek to follow Jesus. Acts open by offering a sort of recap on all that had happened following the resurrection and before the ascension of the Lord, but move forward to narrate the work of the Holy Spirit and the lives of the disciples. One couldn’t be faulted for assuming that relationship was always smooth, but the text tells us otherwise. Often times the work of the Spirit stretched the disciples, causing conflict and pushing them to understand that the boundaries of the Kingdom of God were much larger than they could ever imagine.

In our text today, we encounter Philip, one of the seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, who had been selected to help serve the community. After the murder of his fellow servant, Stephen, and the beginning of the Pauline persecution, the church was scattered. Philip went forward to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. After spending some time in Samariah, an angel of the Lord sends Philip to a deserted road, where he encounters an unlikely character. An Ethiopian eunuch who served the queen of the Ethiopians as treasurer. 

This was an unlikely encounter because the Ethiopian Eunuch was, by societal standards, an outsider on multiple levels. As an Ethiopian, he was a foreigner, likely considered “other” by many in Philip’s Jewish community. As a eunuch, he was excluded from full participation in temple worship according to Jewish law (Deuteronomy 23:1). Yet this man, despite the barriers of culture, geography, and status, demonstrated a profound hunger for God’s Word. He had traveled a great distance to worship in Jerusalem and was diligently studying the scroll of Isaiah on his journey home.

When Philip, prompted by the Spirit, approached the eunuch’s chariot, he found a man yearning for understanding but struggling to make sense of what he was reading. The eunuch’s question, “How can I [understand] unless someone guides me?” reveals a humility and openness that allowed for this transformative encounter. Philip, guided by the Spirit, explained how the passage in Isaiah pointed to Jesus as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

This moment reminds us of the beauty of faith companions—people God places in our lives to help us better understand His Word and His will. Faith is not meant to be a solitary journey. While personal devotion and study are vital, it is through relationships, discussions, and shared experiences that we often gain deeper insights into God’s truths. Like the eunuch, we may sometimes find ourselves asking, “Do I truly understand what I am reading?” And like Philip, we may be called to come alongside someone else, offering clarity and pointing them to Jesus.

The hymn Forth In Thy Name, O Lord, I Go beautifully reflects this dynamic of faith in action. It reminds us that every task, every encounter, and every moment is an opportunity to serve God and to walk closely with Him. Just as Philip faithfully pursued the Spirit’s call, we too are invited to offer all our works to God, trusting that He can use even the most unlikely situations for His glory.

This story also challenges us to expand our understanding of God’s Kingdom. The inclusion of the Ethiopian eunuch, someone on the margins of society, demonstrates that God’s love and salvation know no boundaries. The eunuch’s baptism symbolizes his full inclusion into the family of faith—a powerful reminder that the Gospel is for everyone, regardless of background, culture, or status.

So, as we reflect on this story, may we ask ourselves: Who are the unlikely people God might be calling us to engage with? How can we make ourselves available to the Spirit’s prompting? And are we, like the eunuch, open to learning and embracing the transformative love of God?

May we run our course with joy, offering all our works to God and walking closely with Him, knowing that every moment can be a sacred opportunity to share His love and grace.

CLOSING PRAYER:

O God the Father, origin of Divinity, good beyond all that is good, fair beyond all that is fair, in whom is calmness, peace, and concord; do Thou make up the dissensions which divide us from each other, and bring us back into a unity of love, which may bear some likeness to Thy divine nature. And as Thou art above all things, make us one by the unanimity of a good mind, that through the embrace of charity and the bonds of affection, we may be spiritually one, as well in ourselves as in each other; through that peace of Thine which maketh all things peaceful, and through the grace, mercy, and tenderness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

—Dionysius Telmaharensis (d. 845)

WEEKLY PRACTICE: Jan 12 - 17 (Sun - Sat)

Praise: Celebrations of God’s Presence in Prayer

What was begun anew at Christmas with the birth of Christ stays with us in this new year. With God’s presence and guidance we have much to celebrate and be thankful. So, take a moment to actively lift up in your prayers the God we love and adore just as we did when celebrating his birth at Christmas. In fact, consider the celebratory nature of the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the awe and wonder of God at work in creation. God truly provides all we need in body, heart, and mind with a greatness that far exceeds anything we can imagine. 

Glory to God in the highest! May we all see God’s handywork and lift words of praise. Amen.
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