Based on Acts 16:9-15
Making Space to Be With God
Wherever you are, pause.
Take a deep breath in… and out.
Notice that you are alive. You are here. You are held in God’s loving presence.
No need to do anything. Just be.
Be with the One who is already with you.
Hearing the Word for the First Time
Listen or read Acts 16:9-15 slowly.
“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the
gospel to them.
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis.
From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia.
And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.
We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth.
She was a worshiper of God.
The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home.
‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’
And she persuaded us.”
What word, phrase, or image stirs something in you?
Hold it lightly.
Just be with it for a moment.
Stepping Into the Story – Being With Christ
Hear the passage again or let it play in your mind.
Imagine yourself in the story.
You might be walking with Paul, sitting by the river, or standing near Lydia.
What do you see?
What do you hear—the sound of the water, the murmur of voices?
Who are you drawn to?
What are you feeling as you watch this moment of welcome and openness unfold?
Let yourself be with Christ in this scene.
Simply stay there for a moment.
Listening for What This Means for You, Here and Now
Let the story come close to your life today.
Where have you heard a “Come over and help us” invitation in your own life—maybe from someone in need, from
your community, or from within yourself?
Where are your “riverside” places—quiet edges where people gather, often overlooked?
Who are the Lydias in your life—those who seem open, ready to respond, and willing to welcome?
What invitation is God offering you today—to listen, to welcome, to cross a boundary, or to make space in your heart?
Having a Conversation with Christ – Heart-to-Heart
In your own words, speak to Christ about what’s on your heart.
Share your questions, your hopes, your hesitations.
Tell him where you feel open—and where you feel closed.
Pause…
Can you imagine how Christ looks at you now?
What might he say?
Or perhaps it’s enough to simply sit with him in the quiet.
Ask for the grace to live today with a heart that is open—to God, to yourself, and to others.
Hearing the Word One More Time
For the World and Your Community
Hear the passage once more—perhaps just the key moment:
“The Lord opened her heart to respond… and she invited them into her home.”
Listen for what this might mean for your community.
Where are the “riversides” in your community —places on the edges, where people quietly gather?
Who are the people on the margins—those whose welcome could change everything?
What might love in action look like—not fixing or solving, but being with?
Finishing with a Thankful Heart
Holding the Moment
Take a deep breath.
Offer thanks to God for this time, for this story, for whatever you have noticed or felt.
As you go into the rest of your day, carry with you the invitation to live with an open heart, ready to listen, welcome,
and be present.
Being with God, being with others, being with yourself.
image : Marie Ellenrieder, Baptism of Lydia 1861
