Midweek Devotion 21 May 2025

Reading

Acts 16:13-15

On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.

Devotion

Marie Ellenrieder (1791-1863), a German artist, and one of the foremost female painters of her era, created this painting of the Baptism of Lydia in 1861.  It currently resides at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin.  Lydia is from Thyatira, a city not far from the coast of Asia Minor in the ancient province of Lydia and in present day Turkey.  St. Paul encounters her in Philippi.  Philippi was a major Greek city, largely abandoned in the 14th century.  The modern village of Filippoi rests near its ruins in the East Macedonia part of Greece in the city of Kavala.

The painting portrays the immediacy of Lydia's baptism.  Her heart was opened and she listened eagerly.  We see St. Paul baptizing her, by sprinkling water from a nearby water source, a tiny rivulet.  There is a relaxed, naturalism to the painting.  The pastoral background and meandering watercourse create a sense of peace.  The scarlet and gold of Lydia's clothing display wealth in contrast to the clothing of the Apostle and his companions.  The man on the left sees something we cannot see.  The man on the right is focused on the action of Paul.  The girl immediately behind Lydia looks directly at us, the viewer.

When I ponder the painting and Lydia, I see a person who was already a worshipper of God--God has been active in her life even before Paul, Silas and Timothy show up.  For one such as me who is so ardent in sharing the Good News, I think that's important to remember--God is active in people's lives all the time, even before I meet them!  Lydia is also a person of some personal power--she has a business and a household at a time when it may have been challenging for a woman.  Her response to hearing the Good News is radical and courageous hospitality, inviting three men, strangers, into her home.  What comes to mind for you, dear reader, as you ponder Lydia's story or Ellenrieder's painting?  Send me a note with your insight!

Prayer

Eternal God, who gives good gifts to all people, and who grants the spirit of generosity: Give us, we pray you, hearts that are always open to hear your word, that, following the example of your servant Lydia, we may show hospitality to all who are in any need or trouble, through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Lesser Feasts and Fasts)