Monday, September 24, 2012

Word for Today


From Numbers chapter 11
Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!"

From Mark, chapter 9:
Whoever is not against us is for us.  41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

Nikola Tesla was a pioneer in the field of electricity and radio. He worked for Thomas Edison for a time and then struck out on his own. I have been interested in Tesla's story ever since I heard that he was developing a method of electricity conduction that would not rely on wires for transfer. Imagine that! Wireless electricity. Electric cars could simply receive an electric signal and never need fuel. Computers would not need batteries... so many possibilities if only the "access" question were solved.

There is an  "access" question in today's scripture. First, Moses has brought leaders from the Israelite community together to receive a portion of the spirit that had been resting on him. But something remarkable happened. A few leaders who were registered were not in the tent when the spirit was distributed, yet, they began to speak like prophets. When questioned why the spirit had leaked into these other men, why the spirit had jumped wirelessly to them, Moses said "I wish that happened to everyone."

When it's reported to Jesus that his name was being used by unauthorized persons, his simple reply was "Let them do their thing." His priorities are very different from those of us who need to get it right with the right people all of the time. He was comfortable knowing his name was arcing in a rather haphazard, or Spirit-directed way.

Worrying about access is like trying to rely on a system of wires and powerhouses to conduct a power that was never meant to be tied down in such a way. I don't think I mentioned that Nikola Tesla was the son of a Serbian Orthodox priest. Could it be that Tesla worked so passionately on electromagnetic fields because he recognized something that reminded him of the Spirit of God? When it comes to God, who we know in Jesus Christ, you and I have unlimited access. The ultimate joy is when you hear about how your joy has arced into the life of another.






Pastor James Aalgaard
St. Paul Lutheran Church


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