Readings and Thoughts for Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Acts 9:19-22 Saul Preaches in Damascus
A few thoughts about the changes Saul must undergo in this conversion process. He begins, before his conversion, in a mood of power, control, and total self-assurance. He is a leader. He is on top of the world. Suddenly he is on the ground. He cannot see. He has to be lead by the hand. He is too weak to eat for three days. Ananias, a stranger, an enemy, has to come and help him to see again. Saul has gone from a man of complete independence to complete dependence. After the scales fall from his eyes, Saul is with the disciples in Damascus – the very people he had planned to imprison. He preaches and shares his story, but they are also teaching him, encouraging him, providing shelter for him.
In our time, we think of conversion as something very personal, very private. “It’s between me and God.” But this view is not Biblical. Biblically, you are not just converted to a belief, you are converted to a community. There is no baptism separate from membership in the church; one act implies and assumes the other. William Willimon notes that Saul could become a Christian with God’s help alone, but to remain a Christian he had to be part of a Community.
What do you need to sustain your faith? Who helps you? For whom do you have a role in sustaining their faith?
Acts 9:23-25 Saul Escapes from the Jews
Conversion does not just change Saul’s opinions or beliefs, it changes his entire station in life. The one who was persecuting is now being persecuted himself. We tend to think of Christian faith as a benefit, as something that will help us and ease us. It’s not always so. Sometimes faith makes life much more difficult.
A catholic missionary, Bob McCahill, describes his ministry among Muslims in Bangladesh in his autobiographical Dialogue of Life: A Christian Among Allah’s Poor. His purpose was to live as a Christian in impoverished city slums, providing whatever ease, comfort, or assistance he could provide and sharing his faith only through his actions. He wanted to develop true relationships with people and for them to know Christ through him. He had no intention of converting anyone, but only to be a witness to them. McCahill sought to be an alternative to the many evangelical organizations that would send in staff with a wide array of gifts and assistance, virtually buying conversions with their promises of clothing, food, medicine, and education.
Once a man came to him and asked “What will you give me if I become a Christian?” McCahill answered truthfully: “Suffering.” This is what Paul got for his conversion: his social status was greatly reduced, no one (Jew or Christian) wanted to believe him or trust his word; he became an object of persecution; he had to escape Damascus by going over the city wall in a basket.
What do you expect from life as a Christian disciple?
Acts 9:26-31 Saul in Jerusalem
Saul not only needed a community, he needed a mentor and an advocate. He found both in Barnabas. Later Paul and Barnabas will be in ministry together, and Paul will seem to be the main player, but that is not how the relationship began. Without Barnabas, Paul never could have developed his potential as a minister and evangelist.
Barnabas argued to the Jerusalem community that Paul was legitimate in his beliefs. The apostles, for their part, listened to Barnabas and then listened to Paul. They provide their seal, their blessing upon him and set the stage for his later ministry. It may seem strange that Paul needed to have his legitimacy tested or approved in this way, but the church still follows this pattern. An individual is called by God to ministry, but an individual is also called and confirmed by the church. Both internal and external calls have to exist together for a ministry to be considered authentic. This is why we commission our mission teams, our new staff members, our BeFrienders, and others in ministry roles: as a church we are providing an external and community affirmation to an internal and individual call.
Where/when have you been a leader for Christ’s church? Who mentored you? Who blessed you on your journey? How did they do it? Have you been a Barnabas to someone else?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Day 16
Readings and Thoughts for Monday, February 18, 2008
Acts 9:1-19 The Conversion of Saul
So Saul (who will soon be called Paul) is on the road to Damascus. Classical pictures of the scene always show him falling off a horse (very dramatic) though Luke tells us nothing of that. He is breathing “threats and murder” (nice guy, huh?) and plans to arrest both men and women who follow Jesus. It isn’t good enough to persecute “the Way” in Jerusalem, he’s going to spread the torment to Damascus as well. Notice that Saul is the one taking the initiative, seeking the letters of introduction and warrants for arrest. The Jerusalem temple leadership (“the Jews”) are not the instigators of the pogrom. Saul is on a very personal vendetta. His people are being corrupted and he is going to “purify” them.
Anytime you hear any person, any politician or religious leader, describing the need to cleanse, clean out, or purify a community you can be virtually assured that evil is at work. These are the thoughts of Saul, the persecutor. These were the thoughts of Hitler against Jews, Gays, Gypsies, the mentally and physically disabled. These were the thoughts of community leaders in Yugoslavia and Rwanda as the genocide began amidst civil war. This was Saddam Hussein’s plan for the Kurds. The scary thing is, we hear this kind of language all the time – usually more pretty, more subtle than this, but just as dangerous. “First we have to get all the illegal aliens out of this country, and then….”
And we hear this kind of “purifying” talk in the church. Once it was African Americans who were unwelcome at the altar and in our pulpits. Historically Black Methodist Episcopal churches were segregated into a separate “Central Jurisdiction” in the United Methodist Church until 1968. “United” Methodists have merged with many related groups, but have never seriously considered merging with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – the three historically African American denominations of the Methodist movement. Now Fred Phelps and his “God hates fags” campaign is played out more prettily in “friendly” churches every day.
Purity is never the watchword of the church. Inclusivity is. Find me a time when Jesus shut someone out because they were the wrong “type” – he tried just once with a Syrophoenician woman (a bad day?); she argued, he agreed with her and healed her daughter (Mark 7:24-30). In Acts we are seeing a series of conversions in which the church becomes progressively broader and more inclusive. The first converts are Jerusalem Jews, then on to neighboring Samaria, then we meet an African man who represents “the ends of the earth,” and now Saul, the church’s greatest enemy is converted, and soon Cornelius, a gentile and a Roman soldier (representing the persecuting empire).
At a lecture I saw last year, Edward Albee described his play The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia? as an exploration of tolerance (read at your own risk). By portraying a man in love with a goat, Albee pushes way past what most of us could accept or tolerate and he uses that framework to get us to consider other aspects of who or what we can or cannot accept, and why. In contrast, Ryan Dobson (son of Jim Dobson) has published a book titled Be Intolerant on the premise that the very nature of faithfulness to Christ is intolerance to sin. (I do not recommend this book.) Inclusivity and tolerance can be difficult issues for Christians. We are called to stand apart from the rest of the world in our identity and values (in terms of devotion to Christ and avoidance of sin), and at the same time we are called to include and show grace to everyone.
One of the places I have to decide whom to include and whom to exclude is on those occasions when people come to the chruch looking for financial assistance. It is part of my ministry to make an evaluation of the individual’s situation, need, and resources. I am the one who decides whether this person leaves with a gas voucher, a check for utilities, or whatever else has been asked for. I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve gotten more comfortable with the task as I’ve gained experience. Still, sometimes you just don’t know. Sometimes a story seems to check out, but it just doesn’t feel right. Other times the details don’t make sense, but for some unclear reason you still want to provide the help. I made up my mind quite a while ago that whenever I am in an unclear situation, I am going to err on the side of providing help, knowing that I might be getting taken. Sometimes I just ask myself "How much am I willing to get taken for today?" Once in a while you find out later that you were taken advantage of, and then you learn from that experience for next time. The deal is that I imagine myself after I die, at the gates of heaven, getting my once-over from St. Peter (or whoever it is). And I don’t think I’m going to be judged too badly for times that I was too giving. I doubt very much I'll get kicked out of heaven for excessive generosity, or even foolishness. But I hate to think of the faces I might see there of people I could have and should have helped, but chose not to. I hate the thought of trying to explain my actions when I did nothing to help or comfort. (Okay, it’s an image; I do actually believe we are saved by grace – but you get my point.)
I feel the same way about welcoming people into Christian fellowship and accepting them as they are. If ever I am faced with a lack of clarity between whom I should include and what I can tolerate, I err on the side of inclusivity. I realize that I do have my own limits on tolerance; there are things I can never accept, but I don't come up against that limit very often in the church. Maybe some day the things that I know I cannot tolerate will be in the forefront of social discussion, and it will be more difficult for me. Still, my position is: when in doubt, welcome. Jesus sat at the table with all kinds of people who offended the religious leaders of his day. How upset can he get if I do the same thing?
When have you met someone in church that made you uncomfortable? Why? What did you do or say about it?
Acts 9:1-19 The Conversion of Saul
So Saul (who will soon be called Paul) is on the road to Damascus. Classical pictures of the scene always show him falling off a horse (very dramatic) though Luke tells us nothing of that. He is breathing “threats and murder” (nice guy, huh?) and plans to arrest both men and women who follow Jesus. It isn’t good enough to persecute “the Way” in Jerusalem, he’s going to spread the torment to Damascus as well. Notice that Saul is the one taking the initiative, seeking the letters of introduction and warrants for arrest. The Jerusalem temple leadership (“the Jews”) are not the instigators of the pogrom. Saul is on a very personal vendetta. His people are being corrupted and he is going to “purify” them.
Anytime you hear any person, any politician or religious leader, describing the need to cleanse, clean out, or purify a community you can be virtually assured that evil is at work. These are the thoughts of Saul, the persecutor. These were the thoughts of Hitler against Jews, Gays, Gypsies, the mentally and physically disabled. These were the thoughts of community leaders in Yugoslavia and Rwanda as the genocide began amidst civil war. This was Saddam Hussein’s plan for the Kurds. The scary thing is, we hear this kind of language all the time – usually more pretty, more subtle than this, but just as dangerous. “First we have to get all the illegal aliens out of this country, and then….”
And we hear this kind of “purifying” talk in the church. Once it was African Americans who were unwelcome at the altar and in our pulpits. Historically Black Methodist Episcopal churches were segregated into a separate “Central Jurisdiction” in the United Methodist Church until 1968. “United” Methodists have merged with many related groups, but have never seriously considered merging with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – the three historically African American denominations of the Methodist movement. Now Fred Phelps and his “God hates fags” campaign is played out more prettily in “friendly” churches every day.
Purity is never the watchword of the church. Inclusivity is. Find me a time when Jesus shut someone out because they were the wrong “type” – he tried just once with a Syrophoenician woman (a bad day?); she argued, he agreed with her and healed her daughter (Mark 7:24-30). In Acts we are seeing a series of conversions in which the church becomes progressively broader and more inclusive. The first converts are Jerusalem Jews, then on to neighboring Samaria, then we meet an African man who represents “the ends of the earth,” and now Saul, the church’s greatest enemy is converted, and soon Cornelius, a gentile and a Roman soldier (representing the persecuting empire).
At a lecture I saw last year, Edward Albee described his play The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia? as an exploration of tolerance (read at your own risk). By portraying a man in love with a goat, Albee pushes way past what most of us could accept or tolerate and he uses that framework to get us to consider other aspects of who or what we can or cannot accept, and why. In contrast, Ryan Dobson (son of Jim Dobson) has published a book titled Be Intolerant on the premise that the very nature of faithfulness to Christ is intolerance to sin. (I do not recommend this book.) Inclusivity and tolerance can be difficult issues for Christians. We are called to stand apart from the rest of the world in our identity and values (in terms of devotion to Christ and avoidance of sin), and at the same time we are called to include and show grace to everyone.
One of the places I have to decide whom to include and whom to exclude is on those occasions when people come to the chruch looking for financial assistance. It is part of my ministry to make an evaluation of the individual’s situation, need, and resources. I am the one who decides whether this person leaves with a gas voucher, a check for utilities, or whatever else has been asked for. I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve gotten more comfortable with the task as I’ve gained experience. Still, sometimes you just don’t know. Sometimes a story seems to check out, but it just doesn’t feel right. Other times the details don’t make sense, but for some unclear reason you still want to provide the help. I made up my mind quite a while ago that whenever I am in an unclear situation, I am going to err on the side of providing help, knowing that I might be getting taken. Sometimes I just ask myself "How much am I willing to get taken for today?" Once in a while you find out later that you were taken advantage of, and then you learn from that experience for next time. The deal is that I imagine myself after I die, at the gates of heaven, getting my once-over from St. Peter (or whoever it is). And I don’t think I’m going to be judged too badly for times that I was too giving. I doubt very much I'll get kicked out of heaven for excessive generosity, or even foolishness. But I hate to think of the faces I might see there of people I could have and should have helped, but chose not to. I hate the thought of trying to explain my actions when I did nothing to help or comfort. (Okay, it’s an image; I do actually believe we are saved by grace – but you get my point.)
I feel the same way about welcoming people into Christian fellowship and accepting them as they are. If ever I am faced with a lack of clarity between whom I should include and what I can tolerate, I err on the side of inclusivity. I realize that I do have my own limits on tolerance; there are things I can never accept, but I don't come up against that limit very often in the church. Maybe some day the things that I know I cannot tolerate will be in the forefront of social discussion, and it will be more difficult for me. Still, my position is: when in doubt, welcome. Jesus sat at the table with all kinds of people who offended the religious leaders of his day. How upset can he get if I do the same thing?
When have you met someone in church that made you uncomfortable? Why? What did you do or say about it?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Day 15
Readings and Thoughts for Sunday, February 17, 2008
Acts 8:26-40 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
When the angel of the Lord appears or speaks in Acts, people listen, even when the angel demands that you go out to a deserted road in the middle of the day, when nobody should be around. Philip obeys. When the angel says “Go over to that chariot” (Acts 8:29), Philip obeys again.
Philip encounters a eunuch from Ethiopia, a court official of their queen. In several popular Bible studies in recent years, much has been made of the man’s inferior status as a castrated male. It has been argued that he could not have entered the temple in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 23:1) and could never have been fully part of the Jewish community, despite his obvious interest in their religion (as proved by his study of the Hebrew scriptures). Notice, however, that the man is a court official, that he is reading (he can read!) in his chariot (he’s not walking!). He is, perhaps, not so much a person of lowly status deserving of pity as someone of power and rank representing “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). First the gospel has spread to the Samaritans, now it is reaching even further out into the world. Ancient historian Eusebius tells us that the Ethiopian returned home and further spread the gospel into Africa. Soon (in chapter 9), the gospel will reach the heart of the greatest enemy of the church, Saul.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Philip has no trouble interpreting the Hebrew scriptures to the man from Ethiopia and explaining the good news of Jesus Christ to him. Coming to belief, the man asks to be baptized (water is miraculously found in the desert wilderness for this) and Philip is then teleported to Azotus (beam me up!), where he continues his preaching uninterrupted. Amazingly, neither the Ethiopian nor Philip seem alarmed, confused, or upset by this sudden departure.
Have you ever been asked a spiritual or Biblical question by a non-believer? Were you able to give a good answer, or did you feel stumped? What would you have to do to feel prepared for the next time someone asks you about what you believe?
Day 14
Readings and Thoughts for Saturday, February 16, 2008
Acts 8:1b-3 Saul Persecutes the Church
“And the witnesses [to the stoning of Stephen] laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (Luke 7:58).” “And Saul approved of their killing him (Luke 8:1a).”
We know nothing yet about this young man, Saul. We do not know the source of his hatred for the church. We do not know what kind of righteousness compels him to “drag off both men and women, committing them to prison (Luke 8:3).” And while Saul is first mentioned here, we won’t learn any more about who he is or why he is important until chapter 9.
Did you notice the language of this passage and the language I used in the previous paragraph? “That day a severe persecution began against the church.” This is the first time Luke has ever used this word to describe the followers of Jesus. Until now they have mostly referred to themselves as “the way.” Right at the moment persecution begins in earnest; just as the first follower of Jesus has died in much the same manner as Jesus himself (forgiving his enemies), the community earns its own name.
Saul began as the church’s most feared enemy, but within a few chapters we will learn that he has been specially chosen by God to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles (non-Jews).
Have you ever had your opinion of someone completely reversed, for good or bad? Was the adjustment hard to make?
Acts 8:4-25 Philip Preaches in Samaria
The disciples have been scattered “throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria (Luke 8:1)” after the stoning of Stephen. We should not really be surprised, for Jesus himself said “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Luke 1:8).” The disciples are going just exactly where Jesus had said they would go, but who would have expected that it would be fear and persecution that would further their ministry? This is another occasion in which God’s apparent non-intervention to help or protect the disciples actually works to spread his word further into the world.
As you know from the parable of “the good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37) and from the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), Jews and Samaritans are not generally on good terms. Actually they are closely related, and this is the source of much of their conflict. Like Jews, Samaritans worship the God of Israel, understand themselves to be descended from Abraham, follow the laws of Moses, and are waiting for a Messiah. But they are not fully part of the covenant community of Israel; they were considered by many Jews to be racially impure and religiously inferior. They are neither fish nor fowl - not quite Jews, not quite gentile, either. For Philip to be spreading the Gospel in Samaria is not only a geographical change, then, but a theological one. For the first time, the message of Jesus is being spread intentionally beyond the community of Jews.
Philip demonstrates the power of the apostles as he preaches, heals, and works wonders. He is so successful that he attracts the attention of Simon, a magician. To us, a magician is an entertainer who practices the art of illusion, but to ancients, a magician was more akin to a physician - someone to whom people might appeal for help or healing. Magicians were thought to have the ability to manipulate spiritual power at will. Simon was both powerful and respected, and he liked it that way. Seeing the miracles that Philip has accomplished and witnessing his great public support, Simon himself becomes convinced that Philip does indeed have amazing power (as well as the charisma to draw people to himself and to his message). Perhaps wanting part of the action for himself, Simon agrees to be baptized. When Peter and John follow Philip to Samaria and lay hands on the newly baptized (to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit), Simon offers them money to have this same power. Peter sharply chastises him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! (Acts 8:20)”
Wherever there is power, people seek ways to own and control that power. Simon is not unusual in this respect. But the passage reminds us that God’s activities in the world to save and heal are free gifts, not to be controlled or owned by anyone.
Have you ever bargained with God? What was your side of the bargain? Have you ever been tempted to make a charitable gift in order to win God’s favor or help?
Day 13
Readings and Thoughts for Friday, February 15, 2008
Acts 7:1-51 Stephen’s Speech to the Council
Stephen defends himself against the council. Or does he? It seems to me his speech could be used as a model of “How to get yourself killed by an angry mob.”
Stephen’s speech is the longest one in Acts (among several that are of significant length). The main thing to notice is the way Stephen (together with the church) claims to be the true descendent of Moses and follower of God. He points out that just as the followers of Jesus are rejected by most Jews, in the past other prophets, even Moses, were not understood or respected in their own time even though they spoke God’s truth. He also makes an argument that the Jerusalem temple, built by Solomon (and destroyed in 70 a.d. – before Luke got around to writing the gospel or Acts) was never God’s true home. “The Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands (Luke 7:48).” In other words, loyalty to the temple and to the temple’s officials does not, and never did, constitute loyalty to the living God.
It’s tempting to say that Stephen urges the Jews in his audience to accept Jesus as Messiah and savior, but he really doesn’t. He chastises them severely and accuses them: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Luke 7:51); “You have become his betrayers and murderers” (Luke 7:52). This is another place in Acts where we see the very painful rift between Jews who become followers of Jesus and those who do not. (And where we must not adopt the anti-Jewish language as our own.) As the church today we need to remember that now we are the religious authorities; we are the establishment; we are the ones whose traditions might be threatened by a new movement of the Spirit.
What changes have you seen in the church during your lifetime? Which ones have you welcomed? Which ones have you struggled with?
Acts 7:54 – 8:1a The Stoning of Stephen
Stephen’s death is no organized matter settled legally in court. In fact, the council did not actually have the power of execution under Roman rule (as we recall from the story of Jesus’ arrest and subsequent Roman trial). There is no calm, rational Rabbi Gamaliel here, either. There is no voice of restraint or reason. This is pure mob violence – an angry crowd lashing out at a charismatic young man who has enraged them with his confident and confrontational proclamation.
I have always had this story in my mind in a certain way, that Stephen looked up while he was being stoned, and it was then, just as he was dying that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I thought the vision was a sort of reassurance to him that he was not dying in vain. But this isn’t quite accurate. It is as he finishes his “defense” and before the crowd has turned violent that Stephen has his vision of Jesus reigning with God. The vision does not so much comfort him (he does not seem to require any comfort) as compel him to make the ultimate claim that with his own eyes he can see Jesus is resurrected and reigning in heaven with God. To the Jews who do not follow Jesus, this is the ultimate blasphemy. To Luke, this is the ultimate choice. When Stephen speaks of this vision to the crowd, these words completely enflame them; they drag him from the city (you cannot execute someone in God’s holy city) and stone him to death.
Like Stephen, have you ever defended your faith or made other comments that weren’t strictly in your best interest? Have you ever had a vision or other reassurance from God at a critical moment?
Acts 7:1-51 Stephen’s Speech to the Council
Stephen defends himself against the council. Or does he? It seems to me his speech could be used as a model of “How to get yourself killed by an angry mob.”
Stephen’s speech is the longest one in Acts (among several that are of significant length). The main thing to notice is the way Stephen (together with the church) claims to be the true descendent of Moses and follower of God. He points out that just as the followers of Jesus are rejected by most Jews, in the past other prophets, even Moses, were not understood or respected in their own time even though they spoke God’s truth. He also makes an argument that the Jerusalem temple, built by Solomon (and destroyed in 70 a.d. – before Luke got around to writing the gospel or Acts) was never God’s true home. “The Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands (Luke 7:48).” In other words, loyalty to the temple and to the temple’s officials does not, and never did, constitute loyalty to the living God.
It’s tempting to say that Stephen urges the Jews in his audience to accept Jesus as Messiah and savior, but he really doesn’t. He chastises them severely and accuses them: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Luke 7:51); “You have become his betrayers and murderers” (Luke 7:52). This is another place in Acts where we see the very painful rift between Jews who become followers of Jesus and those who do not. (And where we must not adopt the anti-Jewish language as our own.) As the church today we need to remember that now we are the religious authorities; we are the establishment; we are the ones whose traditions might be threatened by a new movement of the Spirit.
What changes have you seen in the church during your lifetime? Which ones have you welcomed? Which ones have you struggled with?
Acts 7:54 – 8:1a The Stoning of Stephen
Stephen’s death is no organized matter settled legally in court. In fact, the council did not actually have the power of execution under Roman rule (as we recall from the story of Jesus’ arrest and subsequent Roman trial). There is no calm, rational Rabbi Gamaliel here, either. There is no voice of restraint or reason. This is pure mob violence – an angry crowd lashing out at a charismatic young man who has enraged them with his confident and confrontational proclamation.
I have always had this story in my mind in a certain way, that Stephen looked up while he was being stoned, and it was then, just as he was dying that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I thought the vision was a sort of reassurance to him that he was not dying in vain. But this isn’t quite accurate. It is as he finishes his “defense” and before the crowd has turned violent that Stephen has his vision of Jesus reigning with God. The vision does not so much comfort him (he does not seem to require any comfort) as compel him to make the ultimate claim that with his own eyes he can see Jesus is resurrected and reigning in heaven with God. To the Jews who do not follow Jesus, this is the ultimate blasphemy. To Luke, this is the ultimate choice. When Stephen speaks of this vision to the crowd, these words completely enflame them; they drag him from the city (you cannot execute someone in God’s holy city) and stone him to death.
Like Stephen, have you ever defended your faith or made other comments that weren’t strictly in your best interest? Have you ever had a vision or other reassurance from God at a critical moment?
Day 12
Readings and Thoughts for Thursday, February 14, 2008
Acts 6:1-7 Seven Chosen to Serve
Those annoying Hellenists!
A Hellenist is a Greek speaker. Because of persecution and economic pressures, Jews have settled all across the known world in a process known as “the diaspora.” Just as new immigrants to the United States tend to accept local language and culture in time, the same happened to these diaspora Jews as they spread into the world of the Greek (later Roman) empire. They remained committed to their Jewish faith, but they became Greek speakers and were accustomed to worship and pray in Greek. The Jerusalem church has both "Hellenist" (Greek speaking) and "Hebrew" (Hebrew or Aramaic speaking) members.
While there has been great unity and sharing in the early church, we find a first conflict here: food is given out daily to widows and others who have no means of support. The Hellenists feel that their widows are treated less generously than the Hebrew widows. Out of this conflict and need in the church, a new order of ministry is developed. Later called “deacons,” seven were set aside to care for the mission work of the community and the daily distribution of support to all in need. Five of the seven are themselves Hellenist (they have Greek names), which ensures that those who felt marginalized will now be assured of care.
Over the centuries, many different orders of clergy have developed differently in many different denominations. In The United Methodist Church, an ordained elder typically has a Master of Divinity degree and serves as a local church pastor. For a Baptist or a Presbyterian, however, elders are lay people who form the core leadership of the church. In decades past, United Methodist elders were first ordained deacons as a probationary step along the way toward “full” ordination as an elder. Since 1996, however, deacons have been a separate order of ordained ministry in The United Methodist church, ordained to a ministry of teaching and mission, usually with an area specialization such as music or Christian education.
Contrast all of this to a century or more ago when most Methodist preaching and week-to-week church administration was entirely lay lead – if you were lucky the ordained elder showed up once a quarter to offer you Communion.
My point is that leadership roles and expectations in the church change over time. Even in the earliest church, roles changed as new needs emerged. Jesus did not sit down with the disciples one day by the lakeshore and give detailed definitions of elders, deacons, presbyters, bishops and the like. During his earthly ministry, Jesus never provided for the administration or organization of the church except to select 12 that he especially mentored for future leadership. In other words, there is nothing sacred or holy about the orders of ministry that currently support the ministries of the church – they are roles suited to particular needs, and that is all they are. When the needs of the community change, the ministry roles should also change.
One change we know we can expect over the next few decades is a decrease in clergy in ratio to church members. Like a century ago, laity will again become more active in caring for daily and weekly ministries in the church. As you think of what your pastor does each week (preaching, teaching, counseling, visiting, administrating, planning) – what parts of that role do you think you might be gifted or qualified to handle as times change?
Acts 6:8-15 The Arrest of Stephen
Having asked you to consider yourself in lay-ministry, I now have to follow up with the story of how one of those first laity called to serve in the church came to be arrested for his ministry (how encouraging for all of you!)
Right off, we see that those who are called to ministry in the church are empowered by God to accomplish that ministry. No mere server of tables, Stephen teaches and works miracles in the name of Jesus. He is enough in the forefront to become the center of a controversy in which he is (falsely) accused of blasphemy and of speaking against the teachings of Moses. Like Peter and the other apostles, he is arrested. Unlike their first couple of persecuting encounters, however, God does not intervene to save Stephen. Yet clearly God empowered him and approved of him, for “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke” (Luke 6:10) and “his face was like the face of an angel (Luke 6:15).”
When have you found yourself in a role (religious or otherwise) that was new to you, or a role that you thought you perhaps could not handle? What happened? Have you ever experienced God empowering you to say or do something you otherwise wouldn’t have been able or willing to say or do?
Acts 6:1-7 Seven Chosen to Serve
Those annoying Hellenists!
A Hellenist is a Greek speaker. Because of persecution and economic pressures, Jews have settled all across the known world in a process known as “the diaspora.” Just as new immigrants to the United States tend to accept local language and culture in time, the same happened to these diaspora Jews as they spread into the world of the Greek (later Roman) empire. They remained committed to their Jewish faith, but they became Greek speakers and were accustomed to worship and pray in Greek. The Jerusalem church has both "Hellenist" (Greek speaking) and "Hebrew" (Hebrew or Aramaic speaking) members.
While there has been great unity and sharing in the early church, we find a first conflict here: food is given out daily to widows and others who have no means of support. The Hellenists feel that their widows are treated less generously than the Hebrew widows. Out of this conflict and need in the church, a new order of ministry is developed. Later called “deacons,” seven were set aside to care for the mission work of the community and the daily distribution of support to all in need. Five of the seven are themselves Hellenist (they have Greek names), which ensures that those who felt marginalized will now be assured of care.
Over the centuries, many different orders of clergy have developed differently in many different denominations. In The United Methodist Church, an ordained elder typically has a Master of Divinity degree and serves as a local church pastor. For a Baptist or a Presbyterian, however, elders are lay people who form the core leadership of the church. In decades past, United Methodist elders were first ordained deacons as a probationary step along the way toward “full” ordination as an elder. Since 1996, however, deacons have been a separate order of ordained ministry in The United Methodist church, ordained to a ministry of teaching and mission, usually with an area specialization such as music or Christian education.
Contrast all of this to a century or more ago when most Methodist preaching and week-to-week church administration was entirely lay lead – if you were lucky the ordained elder showed up once a quarter to offer you Communion.
My point is that leadership roles and expectations in the church change over time. Even in the earliest church, roles changed as new needs emerged. Jesus did not sit down with the disciples one day by the lakeshore and give detailed definitions of elders, deacons, presbyters, bishops and the like. During his earthly ministry, Jesus never provided for the administration or organization of the church except to select 12 that he especially mentored for future leadership. In other words, there is nothing sacred or holy about the orders of ministry that currently support the ministries of the church – they are roles suited to particular needs, and that is all they are. When the needs of the community change, the ministry roles should also change.
One change we know we can expect over the next few decades is a decrease in clergy in ratio to church members. Like a century ago, laity will again become more active in caring for daily and weekly ministries in the church. As you think of what your pastor does each week (preaching, teaching, counseling, visiting, administrating, planning) – what parts of that role do you think you might be gifted or qualified to handle as times change?
Acts 6:8-15 The Arrest of Stephen
Having asked you to consider yourself in lay-ministry, I now have to follow up with the story of how one of those first laity called to serve in the church came to be arrested for his ministry (how encouraging for all of you!)
Right off, we see that those who are called to ministry in the church are empowered by God to accomplish that ministry. No mere server of tables, Stephen teaches and works miracles in the name of Jesus. He is enough in the forefront to become the center of a controversy in which he is (falsely) accused of blasphemy and of speaking against the teachings of Moses. Like Peter and the other apostles, he is arrested. Unlike their first couple of persecuting encounters, however, God does not intervene to save Stephen. Yet clearly God empowered him and approved of him, for “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke” (Luke 6:10) and “his face was like the face of an angel (Luke 6:15).”
When have you found yourself in a role (religious or otherwise) that was new to you, or a role that you thought you perhaps could not handle? What happened? Have you ever experienced God empowering you to say or do something you otherwise wouldn’t have been able or willing to say or do?
Day 11
Readings and Thoughts for Wednesday, February 13, 2008 (or so...)
Acts 5:12-16 The Apostles Heal Many
From time to time, Luke makes a summary statement that brings the story together. These verses comprise such a statement. (He has also done this in 2:42-47 and again in 4:32-35.) In each summary Luke tells us of the strength and unity of the community of believers. In his commentary on Acts, William Willimon notes that the early church community itself is the biggest argument for the truth of the resurrection story. We know that the story of Jesus is real because we see such obvious evidence of power and of people’s radically different lives as a result of this story. People are praying with power! They are sharing all of their property and money! They are building relationships across great social divides! There is a great deal of positive evidence that the Christian life is truly empowered by God, for how else could these remarkable things be happening? If we find, in our day, that people are not believing in Christian faith, we need to look carefully at how we live as Christians and examine whether our individual and shared lives paint a picture that conveys the power of God at work in us. Willimon challenges, “Why don’t you people look more resurrected?”
How is your household a witness for the gospel? Is there anything about you that stands out among neighbors, co-workers or friends that suggests the power of God is alive in your life?
Remember the woman that wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak so that she could be healed of her flow of blood? Now folks want to be placed where Peter’s shadow will fall on them when he walks by. “And they were all cured (Luke 5:16).” Luke’s account in Acts and Paul’s letters will give us quite different pictures of what it means to be an apostle. Paul speaks out against “super-apostles” who seem to have magical gifts (2 Corinthians 12:11) and he claims “power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and “for whenever I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).” Luke paints a more heroic picture of Peter and other leaders of the church, including Paul himself. In our days of corrupt televangelists, I tend to be a little more skeptical, more with Paul in his view of the situation. I am suspicious of anyone who appears too good, too slick, or too powerful. Luke does not have these kinds of worries. Luke wants to be clear that the good news of Jesus Christ is just that – truly good news that changes the wretched conditions in which people live.
Who represents a “powerful” follower of Jesus in your own experience? Is it someone you know personally, or someone you’ve read about or seen in the media?
Acts 5:17-42 The Apostles Are Persecuted
Surely you’ve seen one of those silly cartoons where a character goes in one doorway and then pops out again in some completely unexpected location, foiling the person giving chase. This passage gives us a picture much like that. The apostles are put in prison, but before the lock has finished turning tightly against them, an angel shows up and teleports them back to the temple (well, we don’t know that – but they do get out of prison without any doors or windows being broken and without the guards having any idea how any of it happened or even that they had escaped.) The temple police go to collect the apostles for questioning before the council, and they are nowhere to be found. Wait! Someone else shows up announcing that the apostles are preaching again at the temple. How could this be? The religious authorities must feel foolish and certainly embarrassed by these events. Have they no control over anything anymore? Are prisons and police useless now?
Ordered not to preach the name of Jesus anymore, Peter and the apostles argue that they must obey God and not any human authority. In saying this, they have the audacity to suggest that the religious leaders who represent the temple are not in league with God, but instead are working against God’s purposes in Jesus Christ. The crowed is enraged at this, but the scene has not yet become completely out of control (we’ll wait until chapter 7 for that). The voice of reason is Rabbi Gamaliel, one of the most famous, respected and important teachers of his time. He tells of other uprisings in the past and how they came to nothing. He suggests that the Jesus movement, too, will come to nothing if it is only running on human power. “But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them – in that case you may even be found fighting against God! (Luke 5:39)”
Like Jesus before his crucifixion, the apostles are flogged. It was not unusual for 39 lashes with a whip to kill a man, but even after such severe treatment they return rejoicing. They feel honored to share in the same sufferings as Jesus experienced, and of course they do not stop their teaching, both publicly and privately.
Are there causes for justice, political movements or other events in history that you think were empowered by God and not just by human will? Which events were they? What evidence would you give to support your thinking?
Acts 5:12-16 The Apostles Heal Many
From time to time, Luke makes a summary statement that brings the story together. These verses comprise such a statement. (He has also done this in 2:42-47 and again in 4:32-35.) In each summary Luke tells us of the strength and unity of the community of believers. In his commentary on Acts, William Willimon notes that the early church community itself is the biggest argument for the truth of the resurrection story. We know that the story of Jesus is real because we see such obvious evidence of power and of people’s radically different lives as a result of this story. People are praying with power! They are sharing all of their property and money! They are building relationships across great social divides! There is a great deal of positive evidence that the Christian life is truly empowered by God, for how else could these remarkable things be happening? If we find, in our day, that people are not believing in Christian faith, we need to look carefully at how we live as Christians and examine whether our individual and shared lives paint a picture that conveys the power of God at work in us. Willimon challenges, “Why don’t you people look more resurrected?”
How is your household a witness for the gospel? Is there anything about you that stands out among neighbors, co-workers or friends that suggests the power of God is alive in your life?
Remember the woman that wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak so that she could be healed of her flow of blood? Now folks want to be placed where Peter’s shadow will fall on them when he walks by. “And they were all cured (Luke 5:16).” Luke’s account in Acts and Paul’s letters will give us quite different pictures of what it means to be an apostle. Paul speaks out against “super-apostles” who seem to have magical gifts (2 Corinthians 12:11) and he claims “power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and “for whenever I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).” Luke paints a more heroic picture of Peter and other leaders of the church, including Paul himself. In our days of corrupt televangelists, I tend to be a little more skeptical, more with Paul in his view of the situation. I am suspicious of anyone who appears too good, too slick, or too powerful. Luke does not have these kinds of worries. Luke wants to be clear that the good news of Jesus Christ is just that – truly good news that changes the wretched conditions in which people live.
Who represents a “powerful” follower of Jesus in your own experience? Is it someone you know personally, or someone you’ve read about or seen in the media?
Acts 5:17-42 The Apostles Are Persecuted
Surely you’ve seen one of those silly cartoons where a character goes in one doorway and then pops out again in some completely unexpected location, foiling the person giving chase. This passage gives us a picture much like that. The apostles are put in prison, but before the lock has finished turning tightly against them, an angel shows up and teleports them back to the temple (well, we don’t know that – but they do get out of prison without any doors or windows being broken and without the guards having any idea how any of it happened or even that they had escaped.) The temple police go to collect the apostles for questioning before the council, and they are nowhere to be found. Wait! Someone else shows up announcing that the apostles are preaching again at the temple. How could this be? The religious authorities must feel foolish and certainly embarrassed by these events. Have they no control over anything anymore? Are prisons and police useless now?
Ordered not to preach the name of Jesus anymore, Peter and the apostles argue that they must obey God and not any human authority. In saying this, they have the audacity to suggest that the religious leaders who represent the temple are not in league with God, but instead are working against God’s purposes in Jesus Christ. The crowed is enraged at this, but the scene has not yet become completely out of control (we’ll wait until chapter 7 for that). The voice of reason is Rabbi Gamaliel, one of the most famous, respected and important teachers of his time. He tells of other uprisings in the past and how they came to nothing. He suggests that the Jesus movement, too, will come to nothing if it is only running on human power. “But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them – in that case you may even be found fighting against God! (Luke 5:39)”
Like Jesus before his crucifixion, the apostles are flogged. It was not unusual for 39 lashes with a whip to kill a man, but even after such severe treatment they return rejoicing. They feel honored to share in the same sufferings as Jesus experienced, and of course they do not stop their teaching, both publicly and privately.
Are there causes for justice, political movements or other events in history that you think were empowered by God and not just by human will? Which events were they? What evidence would you give to support your thinking?
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Extra
This is the portion of the lecture from Wednesday, February 13 that we did not have time to complete:
The Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the church is not just a general excitement or enthusiasm. The Holy Spirit provides very specific guidance and direction to the community:
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Acts 10:19-20 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men are searching for you. 20 Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them."
Acts 8:29 To Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it."
In Acts, the Holy Spirit
· Takes the place of the physical presence of Jesus
· Communicates through words, visions, prophecies
· Provides direct guidance to individuals and to the church community
· Selects and empowers leaders for the church
· Gives special abilities, courage, inspiration
· Confirms the reality of the Gospel through experience
From time to time in history there have been church groups or movements that have claimed a particular relationship with the Holy Spirit that is exclusive to them. These groups then argue that they are the only “real” or “authentic” Christians. The evidence of the Holy Spirit for a community might relate to belief in a charismatic leader (e.g. David Koresh of Waco, TX or Jim Jones of Guyana). Or the evidence of the Holy Spirit for a community might relate to special gifts (speaking in tongues is common, but there are also snake handlers and others).
There is a helpful test of the genuineness of a claim for the Holy Spirit: Is this a unifying power or a dividing one? The Holy Spirit unifies (e.g. Paul and the church; gentiles and Jews as followers of Jesus). The Holy Spirit does not divide or separate people apart from others (Branch Davidians).
Also, the Holy Spirit always works to extend the power of God into a wider community of people (e.g. the growth of the early church). The Holy Spirit does not create exclusive communities with limited membership or litmus tests for admittance (e.g. if you don’t speak in tongues, you can’t be one of us).
The Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the church is not just a general excitement or enthusiasm. The Holy Spirit provides very specific guidance and direction to the community:
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Acts 10:19-20 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men are searching for you. 20 Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them."
Acts 8:29 To Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it."
In Acts, the Holy Spirit
· Takes the place of the physical presence of Jesus
· Communicates through words, visions, prophecies
· Provides direct guidance to individuals and to the church community
· Selects and empowers leaders for the church
· Gives special abilities, courage, inspiration
· Confirms the reality of the Gospel through experience
From time to time in history there have been church groups or movements that have claimed a particular relationship with the Holy Spirit that is exclusive to them. These groups then argue that they are the only “real” or “authentic” Christians. The evidence of the Holy Spirit for a community might relate to belief in a charismatic leader (e.g. David Koresh of Waco, TX or Jim Jones of Guyana). Or the evidence of the Holy Spirit for a community might relate to special gifts (speaking in tongues is common, but there are also snake handlers and others).
There is a helpful test of the genuineness of a claim for the Holy Spirit: Is this a unifying power or a dividing one? The Holy Spirit unifies (e.g. Paul and the church; gentiles and Jews as followers of Jesus). The Holy Spirit does not divide or separate people apart from others (Branch Davidians).
Also, the Holy Spirit always works to extend the power of God into a wider community of people (e.g. the growth of the early church). The Holy Spirit does not create exclusive communities with limited membership or litmus tests for admittance (e.g. if you don’t speak in tongues, you can’t be one of us).
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Day 10
Readings and Thoughts for Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Acts 4:32-37 The Believers Share Their Possessions
This passage should be compared to Acts 2:43-47 (Day 5). Both are summary statements, of a sort, describing life in the community. This passage is more focused, dealing primarily with the financial relationships of the early church. “No one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common (Acts 4:32).”
Pause.
Gulp.
And you thought my sermons on tithing (giving 10% or your earnings) were hard to swallow! And just in case you wondered if there were consequences for not living up to this standard – read on a little further!
Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira have property are members of the new church community. They hold some property, which they decide to sell. They aren’t convinced, however, that the whole of their proceeds should go to the church and they decide to hold back some of the money for themselves. Peter either has super-natural knowledge or some really good informants, for when the husband comes forward to bring his gift of money, he is immediately accused of lying to the Holy Spirit. It is clear from what Peter says to him and from the later conversation with Sapphira that the issue is not even so much that they wanted to keep some of the money, but that they lied about it. Ananias acted like he was bringing the full value of his property to share with the others, when in fact he was only bringing part of it. He wanted to appear better than he was.
Ananias drops dead!
Soon after, his wife shows up playing the same game. She also drops dead.
The moral to this story is? Pay your church pledge in full, or else! (Ha Ha Ha!)
But seriously, people were upset by these deaths: “And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things (Acts 5:11).” What were the followers of Jesus to think, having seen the sudden destruction of two people who dared to lie to the church and to God? If you were there with them, wouldn’t you be frightened that your own choices might not measure up?
Remember that this was a time in the church where God was dramatically present and great deeds of power were happening every day. Like a good power line system, as long as all that spiritual power was channeled appropriately, all was well and remarkable things could happen. By lying to the church, however, Ananias and Sapphira interfered with the integrity and trust of the whole community. They did the spiritual equivalent of tearing down a live wire, and the power they have so inappropriately handled zaps them with deadly consequences.
I don’t quite know what to make of this story, myself. (Perversely, I’ve always sort of liked it.) It certainly is a very sudden and severe kind of punishment that they experience. Are we supposed to be frightened into behaving better than they did? I guess the point I take from it is that God is powerful and worthy of our respect, and yes, even our fear. I don’t fear God as a mean-spirited disciplinarian, but I fear God like I fear a power line or a grizzly bear – God is a force either that is utterly beyond my direction or control. Ananias and Sapphira learned, the hard way, that integrity in big and small things matters to God.
When was your integrity challenged? If you had it to do over again, would you make a different choice? Why?
Acts 4:32-37 The Believers Share Their Possessions
This passage should be compared to Acts 2:43-47 (Day 5). Both are summary statements, of a sort, describing life in the community. This passage is more focused, dealing primarily with the financial relationships of the early church. “No one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common (Acts 4:32).”
Pause.
Gulp.
And you thought my sermons on tithing (giving 10% or your earnings) were hard to swallow! And just in case you wondered if there were consequences for not living up to this standard – read on a little further!
Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira have property are members of the new church community. They hold some property, which they decide to sell. They aren’t convinced, however, that the whole of their proceeds should go to the church and they decide to hold back some of the money for themselves. Peter either has super-natural knowledge or some really good informants, for when the husband comes forward to bring his gift of money, he is immediately accused of lying to the Holy Spirit. It is clear from what Peter says to him and from the later conversation with Sapphira that the issue is not even so much that they wanted to keep some of the money, but that they lied about it. Ananias acted like he was bringing the full value of his property to share with the others, when in fact he was only bringing part of it. He wanted to appear better than he was.
Ananias drops dead!
Soon after, his wife shows up playing the same game. She also drops dead.
The moral to this story is? Pay your church pledge in full, or else! (Ha Ha Ha!)
But seriously, people were upset by these deaths: “And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things (Acts 5:11).” What were the followers of Jesus to think, having seen the sudden destruction of two people who dared to lie to the church and to God? If you were there with them, wouldn’t you be frightened that your own choices might not measure up?
Remember that this was a time in the church where God was dramatically present and great deeds of power were happening every day. Like a good power line system, as long as all that spiritual power was channeled appropriately, all was well and remarkable things could happen. By lying to the church, however, Ananias and Sapphira interfered with the integrity and trust of the whole community. They did the spiritual equivalent of tearing down a live wire, and the power they have so inappropriately handled zaps them with deadly consequences.
I don’t quite know what to make of this story, myself. (Perversely, I’ve always sort of liked it.) It certainly is a very sudden and severe kind of punishment that they experience. Are we supposed to be frightened into behaving better than they did? I guess the point I take from it is that God is powerful and worthy of our respect, and yes, even our fear. I don’t fear God as a mean-spirited disciplinarian, but I fear God like I fear a power line or a grizzly bear – God is a force either that is utterly beyond my direction or control. Ananias and Sapphira learned, the hard way, that integrity in big and small things matters to God.
When was your integrity challenged? If you had it to do over again, would you make a different choice? Why?
Day 9
Readings and Thoughts for Monday, February 11, 2008
Acts 4:23-31 The Believers Pray for Boldness
This is the preaching text for Sunday, February 17 at Buffalo UMC.
Perhaps the apostles were used to living with controversy, since they had experienced a fair bit of resistance during their time in ministry with Jesus. Now they are in the middle of controversy again, and that controversy is going to continue to develop and challenge them until it comes to a crisis point in chapters 7 and 8. The scene we have today involves Peter and John returning to the rest of the disciples after they have been accused before the Jewish council. The council would have loved to have sanctioned them in some way, but they could not find a means of doing so without angering the crowds who were thrilled with the miracle Peter had performed.
I mentioned way back in the introduction that there are many parallels in Luke and Acts. Things that Jesus did or experienced in Luke, the apostles do or experience in Acts. Just as Jesus was often the center of controversy for miracles of healing (if they occurred on the Sabbath, for example, or if he told someone “your sins are forgiven”), the apostles now are having the same kind of experience. What they accomplish for the kingdom of God brings about both positive and negative reactions.
I can imagine what a Leadership Team meeting might look like at Buffalo UMC if our two lay leaders had just been brought before a judge on legal charges related to one of our ministries. Wouldn’t we want to lay low for a while? Worry about our public image? Try not to draw any more attention to ourselves? But the early church does not react this way at all. Instead, their prayer remembers how Jesus was persecuted and takes heart that they are experiencing the same kinds of things their Lord experienced. Then they say, “Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness…. (Acts 4:29).” They are already in trouble, and they pray to be even more courageous in sharing the Gospel of Jesus!
God’s response to this prayer is dramatic: “When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” In other words, they prayed for courageous empowerment to speak and act and they were granted that very courageous empowerment. You know the phrase – “Be careful what you pray for, you might get it.” Normally we say this in reference to things we think we really want, perhaps not understanding the implication or cost of having them. But this is different – the followers of Jesus, having been frightened by the threats against them from the council, pray to God to be relieved of their fear, but not through withdrawal, but through greater boldness and courage. It took courage just to offer this prayer; the prayer showed the depth of their trust in God to provide for them and to ministry through them. It is no small thing to pray to God, asking to be used in service to him. Your prayer will be answered.
Have you ever offered your life or some part of your life (your time, your energy, your money) to God? How did God take you up on your offer? Did you experience empowerment from the Holy Spirit related to your offering?
Acts 4:23-31 The Believers Pray for Boldness
This is the preaching text for Sunday, February 17 at Buffalo UMC.
Perhaps the apostles were used to living with controversy, since they had experienced a fair bit of resistance during their time in ministry with Jesus. Now they are in the middle of controversy again, and that controversy is going to continue to develop and challenge them until it comes to a crisis point in chapters 7 and 8. The scene we have today involves Peter and John returning to the rest of the disciples after they have been accused before the Jewish council. The council would have loved to have sanctioned them in some way, but they could not find a means of doing so without angering the crowds who were thrilled with the miracle Peter had performed.
I mentioned way back in the introduction that there are many parallels in Luke and Acts. Things that Jesus did or experienced in Luke, the apostles do or experience in Acts. Just as Jesus was often the center of controversy for miracles of healing (if they occurred on the Sabbath, for example, or if he told someone “your sins are forgiven”), the apostles now are having the same kind of experience. What they accomplish for the kingdom of God brings about both positive and negative reactions.
I can imagine what a Leadership Team meeting might look like at Buffalo UMC if our two lay leaders had just been brought before a judge on legal charges related to one of our ministries. Wouldn’t we want to lay low for a while? Worry about our public image? Try not to draw any more attention to ourselves? But the early church does not react this way at all. Instead, their prayer remembers how Jesus was persecuted and takes heart that they are experiencing the same kinds of things their Lord experienced. Then they say, “Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness…. (Acts 4:29).” They are already in trouble, and they pray to be even more courageous in sharing the Gospel of Jesus!
God’s response to this prayer is dramatic: “When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” In other words, they prayed for courageous empowerment to speak and act and they were granted that very courageous empowerment. You know the phrase – “Be careful what you pray for, you might get it.” Normally we say this in reference to things we think we really want, perhaps not understanding the implication or cost of having them. But this is different – the followers of Jesus, having been frightened by the threats against them from the council, pray to God to be relieved of their fear, but not through withdrawal, but through greater boldness and courage. It took courage just to offer this prayer; the prayer showed the depth of their trust in God to provide for them and to ministry through them. It is no small thing to pray to God, asking to be used in service to him. Your prayer will be answered.
Have you ever offered your life or some part of your life (your time, your energy, your money) to God? How did God take you up on your offer? Did you experience empowerment from the Holy Spirit related to your offering?
Day 8
Readings and Thoughts for Sunday, February 10, 2008
Acts 4:1-22 Peter and John before the Council
This passage begins with “While Peter and John were speaking to the people…” so maybe John wasn’t entirely passive before the crowds at the temple, after all (see Day 7's post). Is it any wonder, given Peter’s tone, that the Jewish leaders aren’t thrilled with him and want to quiet him down as soon as possible? There are several problems here. First, Peter is stirring up the crowd and causing an excited frenzy. Mob excitement is always a threat to those in leadership. Second, Peter is making very accusing statements against Jews. His rhetorical technique is especially interesting given that Peter is a practicing Jew himself – the Christian church was not yet separate from the Jewish temple; followers of Jesus were initially a group within Judaism. With the tone of his speech, is it any wonder they would split under great strain within a few years?
In many places throughout the Gospels and Acts we see evidence of the strain between traditional Jews and Jews who become followers of Jesus. (Only later will the followers of Jesus begin to share their message with non-Jews from other parts of the world.) Matthew refers often to Jesus’ arguments with the Pharisees, for example. And John frequently refers to “the Jews” and their plots against Jesus, when in reality only a small minority of Jewish leaders sought to curtail Jesus’ ministry.
Here in Acts, Peter worries only about making the point of his argument and not at all about maintaining civil relationships with others who disagree with him. It is important to realize that there are no arguments that are more difficult or painful than those we have with our family members, and the same is true within religious groups. Because of our closeness, because of our shared history, our disagreements rub more painfully. By the time the various texts of the New Testament begin to come together, Jews and Christians alike are recovering from a bitter divide that ended with Christians leaving (being thrown out of) the synagogues and forming their own, separate faith. Contemporary Christians need to remember the context of deep pain and controversy that accompanied the writing of these documents in ancient times, and not adopt their anti-Jewish language as appropriate for our time.
Have you ever been asked to do a task for which you felt inadequately prepared or trained? Did you do it? What happened?
Acts 4:1-22 Peter and John before the Council
This passage begins with “While Peter and John were speaking to the people…” so maybe John wasn’t entirely passive before the crowds at the temple, after all (see Day 7's post). Is it any wonder, given Peter’s tone, that the Jewish leaders aren’t thrilled with him and want to quiet him down as soon as possible? There are several problems here. First, Peter is stirring up the crowd and causing an excited frenzy. Mob excitement is always a threat to those in leadership. Second, Peter is making very accusing statements against Jews. His rhetorical technique is especially interesting given that Peter is a practicing Jew himself – the Christian church was not yet separate from the Jewish temple; followers of Jesus were initially a group within Judaism. With the tone of his speech, is it any wonder they would split under great strain within a few years?
In many places throughout the Gospels and Acts we see evidence of the strain between traditional Jews and Jews who become followers of Jesus. (Only later will the followers of Jesus begin to share their message with non-Jews from other parts of the world.) Matthew refers often to Jesus’ arguments with the Pharisees, for example. And John frequently refers to “the Jews” and their plots against Jesus, when in reality only a small minority of Jewish leaders sought to curtail Jesus’ ministry.
Here in Acts, Peter worries only about making the point of his argument and not at all about maintaining civil relationships with others who disagree with him. It is important to realize that there are no arguments that are more difficult or painful than those we have with our family members, and the same is true within religious groups. Because of our closeness, because of our shared history, our disagreements rub more painfully. By the time the various texts of the New Testament begin to come together, Jews and Christians alike are recovering from a bitter divide that ended with Christians leaving (being thrown out of) the synagogues and forming their own, separate faith. Contemporary Christians need to remember the context of deep pain and controversy that accompanied the writing of these documents in ancient times, and not adopt their anti-Jewish language as appropriate for our time.
A third reason the authorities are so upset with Peter’s speech is his argument that Jesus has been resurrected from the dead. Within Judaism at this time there was a great deal of disagreement about resurrection, with some sects believing it was possible and others, including the Sadducees, denying it. While the resurrection language that Peter uses seems completely normal and uncontroversial to us, it was a hot-button issue at that time.
On a different topic, Luke reminds us again in 4:13 that the leadership of the church is lay leadership empowered by the Holy Spirit: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men….” Our new staff member, Terri, said to me the other day “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.” That’s how the church still works today.Have you ever been asked to do a task for which you felt inadequately prepared or trained? Did you do it? What happened?
Day 7
Readings and Thoughts for Saturday, February 9, 2008
Acts 3:11-26 Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico
So Peter is speaking in a portico. That’s great! Just what is a portico?
It’s an entrance to a building, a walkway or porch with a roof supported by columns. There were several porticos in the ancient temple in Jerusalem. Solomon’s portico was probably on the east side of the building. Copy and paste this link into your browser to see pictures and satisfy your architectural curiosity about porticos - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portico. I think looking at a few pictures helps you to envision the scene, which is an important part of understanding or getting a feel for the story.
What is Peter speaking about in the portico? Actually, this is his second sermon in the book of Acts. Having just healed a lame man, Peter is trying to explain to the amazed crowds how this miracle took place and how they should respond to it spiritually. Not unlike the brazen Peter we remember from the Gospels, here he is strident and confrontational in his tone. “You Israelites!” he begins, and then he goes on to accuse them of responsibility for the death of Jesus, as if these particular people were themselves present in the crowd at Jesus’ trial. “You killed the author of life (Acts 3:15).” What tough words!
Having accused them, Peter then forgives them: “And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance… (Acts 3:17).” Still, there is only one appropriate response to both the miracle and the message, and that is to “Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out… (Acts 3:19).”
I wonder what John is doing throughout this scene? We know he is there with Peter. Did he play a role in the healing? The text does not tell us. Does he speak to anyone himself? Luke does not quote him at all. Is he supportive of Peter? Horrified at his tone? Does he worry about the controversy that might be caused by the inflammatory words? John has good reason to be worried – in the very next scene he and Peter are hauled before the council to defend the healing and Peter’s speech.
In a dramatic moment, are you more Peter or John? Are you at the forefront naming the issues (Peter), or are you on the sidelines diplomatically avoiding trouble (John)? Is one of these styles better for sharing the Gospel than the other? Have you ever had an encounter with a “Peter” that you found uncomfortable? Have you ever acted like John and later thought you should have been a little more Peter?
Acts 3:11-26 Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico
So Peter is speaking in a portico. That’s great! Just what is a portico?
It’s an entrance to a building, a walkway or porch with a roof supported by columns. There were several porticos in the ancient temple in Jerusalem. Solomon’s portico was probably on the east side of the building. Copy and paste this link into your browser to see pictures and satisfy your architectural curiosity about porticos - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portico. I think looking at a few pictures helps you to envision the scene, which is an important part of understanding or getting a feel for the story.
What is Peter speaking about in the portico? Actually, this is his second sermon in the book of Acts. Having just healed a lame man, Peter is trying to explain to the amazed crowds how this miracle took place and how they should respond to it spiritually. Not unlike the brazen Peter we remember from the Gospels, here he is strident and confrontational in his tone. “You Israelites!” he begins, and then he goes on to accuse them of responsibility for the death of Jesus, as if these particular people were themselves present in the crowd at Jesus’ trial. “You killed the author of life (Acts 3:15).” What tough words!
Having accused them, Peter then forgives them: “And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance… (Acts 3:17).” Still, there is only one appropriate response to both the miracle and the message, and that is to “Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out… (Acts 3:19).”
I wonder what John is doing throughout this scene? We know he is there with Peter. Did he play a role in the healing? The text does not tell us. Does he speak to anyone himself? Luke does not quote him at all. Is he supportive of Peter? Horrified at his tone? Does he worry about the controversy that might be caused by the inflammatory words? John has good reason to be worried – in the very next scene he and Peter are hauled before the council to defend the healing and Peter’s speech.
In a dramatic moment, are you more Peter or John? Are you at the forefront naming the issues (Peter), or are you on the sidelines diplomatically avoiding trouble (John)? Is one of these styles better for sharing the Gospel than the other? Have you ever had an encounter with a “Peter” that you found uncomfortable? Have you ever acted like John and later thought you should have been a little more Peter?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Day 6
Readings and Thoughts for Friday, February 8, 2008
Acts 3:1-10 Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar
“The path toward significant prayer is a way that goes straight through, not around, human misery.” - William Willimon
Peter and John and members of the community are on their way into the temple, which is crowded with people. Probably they walk right past the seated man on their way to the entrance, but the beggar calls out to them. Then they stop and look – they really look; they look “intently.” How often do we walk past the disabled and not really see them? I’ve always wondered about this scene. Were John and Peter conversing on their way into worship? Were they trying to solve some problem in the community? Why did they miss paying attention to this man until after they are nearly past him, until after he has called to them for alms? We don’t really know, of course, but I think it’s a helpful reminder that even the best of us, when doing the best of things, can sometimes overlook something or someone that is important to God.
The healing the man receives from the apostles is “in the name of Jesus.” The power does not come from them, but only through them. You do not have to be an apostle to serve as a vessel for this power. Jesus commissioned the twelve, giving them “power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1-6).” But he also extended his power further, sending out 70 to be in ministry (Luke 10:1-16). When they returned, they told him, “Even the demons are subject to us in your name!” The name of Jesus is not a magic incantation, but the power to heal really does come from Jesus through the Holy Spirit. It is his power; it is in his name. And this power is not vested in just a special few, but you too can be an instrument of it. This is one purpose of your daily prayer life - becoming a better vessel for the power of the Holy Spirit to work through you.
The life of prayer does not just draw you inside, closer to God in your heart. Prayer also draws you out of yourself and into the world – a world in which God may empower you to bring healing to others.
When have you experienced giving or receiving healing prayer?
Acts 3:1-10 Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar
“The path toward significant prayer is a way that goes straight through, not around, human misery.” - William Willimon
Peter and John and members of the community are on their way into the temple, which is crowded with people. Probably they walk right past the seated man on their way to the entrance, but the beggar calls out to them. Then they stop and look – they really look; they look “intently.” How often do we walk past the disabled and not really see them? I’ve always wondered about this scene. Were John and Peter conversing on their way into worship? Were they trying to solve some problem in the community? Why did they miss paying attention to this man until after they are nearly past him, until after he has called to them for alms? We don’t really know, of course, but I think it’s a helpful reminder that even the best of us, when doing the best of things, can sometimes overlook something or someone that is important to God.
The healing the man receives from the apostles is “in the name of Jesus.” The power does not come from them, but only through them. You do not have to be an apostle to serve as a vessel for this power. Jesus commissioned the twelve, giving them “power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1-6).” But he also extended his power further, sending out 70 to be in ministry (Luke 10:1-16). When they returned, they told him, “Even the demons are subject to us in your name!” The name of Jesus is not a magic incantation, but the power to heal really does come from Jesus through the Holy Spirit. It is his power; it is in his name. And this power is not vested in just a special few, but you too can be an instrument of it. This is one purpose of your daily prayer life - becoming a better vessel for the power of the Holy Spirit to work through you.
The life of prayer does not just draw you inside, closer to God in your heart. Prayer also draws you out of yourself and into the world – a world in which God may empower you to bring healing to others.
When have you experienced giving or receiving healing prayer?
Day 5
Readings and Thoughts for Thursday, February 7, 2008
Acts 2:37-42 The First Converts
This passage represents every preacher’s dream. You stand up, say a few words, and people are “cut to the heart” and immediately commit their lives to Christ. One sermon – 3,000 converts! For some reason, I haven’t found my own preaching to be quite so effective as that. Of course, the real preacher here isn’t Peter, it’s the Holy Spirit. God is working and speaking through Peter. The Holy Spirit informs his mind and mouth.
The challenge of preaching is the strange combination of discipline (preparation, study of scripture, prayerful reflection, consultation with others) and inspiration (trusting the Holy Spirit to inform what you say). Peter has both spiritual preparation and inspiration. Most preachers tend to veer off toward one extreme or the other – trusting the validity of their own scholarship and preparation or trusting God to save the day when they are unprepared. Most of you, I realize, aren’t regularly preaching, but this balance exists in other contexts as well. To be effective in the world as a servant of Jesus, a Christian disciple must be both prepared (through prayer and study) and inspired (empowered by God beyond your own abilities). It’s true that you can accomplish very little when you only rely on your own abilities, but if you do not train and utilize the natural abilities God has provided to you, you are not nearly so good a vessel for God’s inspiration.
When have you felt inspired or empowered by God? When did someone else’s words inspire or encourage you?
Acts 2:43-47 Life Among the Believers
This passage summarizes the remarkable community life of the believers immediately after they receive the Holy Spirit. Notice that it is not one person or another who is being described, but everyone together; the church is one body in Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the heroic actor of the story more than any human agent is (even Peter).
The believers are enthusiastic in the true sense of the word. En (in) + theos (God) – the believers are living in God. In our time, enthusiasm is often a short-lived thing, a high of the moment, but Luke is anxious to let us know that what happens in the early church is not a mere burst of happy feelings. There is real action that follows the arrival of the Holy Spirit. People make faith commitments and then they begin to live new lives according to that commitment.
The early church is marked by four behaviors – behaviors that continue to be our best model for the church and the best measuring stick for evaluating our own spiritual life together.
1) They are dedicated to the apostles’ teaching. Peter gives one kind of message to those who are outsiders or not-yet believers in the faith, as we see in his Pentecost sermon, but there is another level of depth for those who have already made a faith commitment. The faithful need to be educated, to be challenged, and to learn the full story of Christ.
2) They are in fellowship. Keep in mind that this is an international community, a community of two genders, a community that spans in influence from slaves to the powerful. Not only is there a social fellowship between these disparate people, but a deep sustaining fellowship. They share their food; they sell their possessions and provide for one another. The depth of community that they experience together is a miracle in itself, showing “the ability of resurrection faith to overturn all material and social arrangements.”
3) They break bread together. Remember how often, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is at table with others. He was criticized for eating with those who were unsuitable, “This man receives sinners and eats with them (Luke 15:2)” Likewise, the table of the early church combines an unexpected range of people and demonstrates their deep unity, solidarity, and friendship. Luke is not entirely clear whether this “breaking of the bread” is meant to describe regular meals or the Lord’s Supper – most likely it was both. In Jewish tradition, blessings and rituals are usually offered in the home as part of a full meal experience. As far as we know, there was no separation between the sacrament of Communion and the potluck dinner in Acts.
4. They pray together. In Jewish tradition, like in the Christian monastic tradition, there were particular hours that were designated for prayer. The new church community does not deviate from this pattern, but continues to keep up with the religious traditions they have already known as Jews and to attend temple with the rest of the Jewish community. Only later will Christians, both by choice and by force, be excluded from the temple and synagogues. This life of prayer was the source of their good mood, their “glad and generous hearts.”
In your own experience of the church today, how is it most like the first Christian community? How is it different from those first Christians?
Acts 2:37-42 The First Converts
This passage represents every preacher’s dream. You stand up, say a few words, and people are “cut to the heart” and immediately commit their lives to Christ. One sermon – 3,000 converts! For some reason, I haven’t found my own preaching to be quite so effective as that. Of course, the real preacher here isn’t Peter, it’s the Holy Spirit. God is working and speaking through Peter. The Holy Spirit informs his mind and mouth.
The challenge of preaching is the strange combination of discipline (preparation, study of scripture, prayerful reflection, consultation with others) and inspiration (trusting the Holy Spirit to inform what you say). Peter has both spiritual preparation and inspiration. Most preachers tend to veer off toward one extreme or the other – trusting the validity of their own scholarship and preparation or trusting God to save the day when they are unprepared. Most of you, I realize, aren’t regularly preaching, but this balance exists in other contexts as well. To be effective in the world as a servant of Jesus, a Christian disciple must be both prepared (through prayer and study) and inspired (empowered by God beyond your own abilities). It’s true that you can accomplish very little when you only rely on your own abilities, but if you do not train and utilize the natural abilities God has provided to you, you are not nearly so good a vessel for God’s inspiration.
When have you felt inspired or empowered by God? When did someone else’s words inspire or encourage you?
Acts 2:43-47 Life Among the Believers
This passage summarizes the remarkable community life of the believers immediately after they receive the Holy Spirit. Notice that it is not one person or another who is being described, but everyone together; the church is one body in Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the heroic actor of the story more than any human agent is (even Peter).
The believers are enthusiastic in the true sense of the word. En (in) + theos (God) – the believers are living in God. In our time, enthusiasm is often a short-lived thing, a high of the moment, but Luke is anxious to let us know that what happens in the early church is not a mere burst of happy feelings. There is real action that follows the arrival of the Holy Spirit. People make faith commitments and then they begin to live new lives according to that commitment.
The early church is marked by four behaviors – behaviors that continue to be our best model for the church and the best measuring stick for evaluating our own spiritual life together.
1) They are dedicated to the apostles’ teaching. Peter gives one kind of message to those who are outsiders or not-yet believers in the faith, as we see in his Pentecost sermon, but there is another level of depth for those who have already made a faith commitment. The faithful need to be educated, to be challenged, and to learn the full story of Christ.
2) They are in fellowship. Keep in mind that this is an international community, a community of two genders, a community that spans in influence from slaves to the powerful. Not only is there a social fellowship between these disparate people, but a deep sustaining fellowship. They share their food; they sell their possessions and provide for one another. The depth of community that they experience together is a miracle in itself, showing “the ability of resurrection faith to overturn all material and social arrangements.”
3) They break bread together. Remember how often, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is at table with others. He was criticized for eating with those who were unsuitable, “This man receives sinners and eats with them (Luke 15:2)” Likewise, the table of the early church combines an unexpected range of people and demonstrates their deep unity, solidarity, and friendship. Luke is not entirely clear whether this “breaking of the bread” is meant to describe regular meals or the Lord’s Supper – most likely it was both. In Jewish tradition, blessings and rituals are usually offered in the home as part of a full meal experience. As far as we know, there was no separation between the sacrament of Communion and the potluck dinner in Acts.
4. They pray together. In Jewish tradition, like in the Christian monastic tradition, there were particular hours that were designated for prayer. The new church community does not deviate from this pattern, but continues to keep up with the religious traditions they have already known as Jews and to attend temple with the rest of the Jewish community. Only later will Christians, both by choice and by force, be excluded from the temple and synagogues. This life of prayer was the source of their good mood, their “glad and generous hearts.”
In your own experience of the church today, how is it most like the first Christian community? How is it different from those first Christians?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Day 4
Readings and Thoughts for Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Acts 2:14-36 Peter Addresses the Crowd
“I have a dream…”
“Four score and seven years ago…”
“Ask not what you can do for your country…”
We travel through the experiences of life, some remarkable, some mundane, and we may or may not make sense of all we are experiencing as it rushes past us. But occasionally, someone will stand up and make a speech that seems to capture a moment in time or a movement in history. We remember these speeches for generations. They become icons for us – verbal images that define our time or our identity. Sometimes we remember the words exactly as they were used in that moment; other times it is the image, the truth, that remains and the precise words of the speaker become fuzzy over time.
On the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit gave the miraculous gift of speech, Peter stood up and made such a statement. We don’t know, we will never know, how accurately Luke recalled his exact words, but we know that the picture Luke paints for us of this moment in history is an accurate one. Peter’s speech addresses us as much as it addresses the crowd on that day.
The first miracle of this speech? That Peter is the one giving it! Peter is not literate, he is a Galilean fisherman. And just forty days ago Peter couldn’t be made to profess his faith in Jesus even to a single serving girl near a charcoal fire – and yet here he is, addressing a vast international throng and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such powerful terms that thousands will become Christians that very day. Truly this is God’s work, because Peter never could have accomplished this on his own.
Notice how Peter uses scripture to tell the story of Jesus. He tells of the Holy Spirit as it was described by the prophet Joel. He describes the Lordship of Jesus Christ as prophesied by King David. But Peter didn’t have time to run do a little Bible study before he began speaking, did he? He could use scripture so effectively because the words of scripture were already inside him – he had learned and memorized these words long before the day of Pentecost. Whenever the faithful make the effort to learn the scriptures, even if they don’t seem relevant at the time we study them, God finds opportunities to draw those holy words back out into the world through our mouths. We cannot proclaim what we have not ingested. God cannot draw upon what was never there in the first place.
Maybe, like Peter, you are an unlikely speech maker. Probably you will never be asked to actually give a speech about Jesus. But every Christian is called to witness; called to be available to share the story of Jesus Christ. Our willingness to soak up God’s word privately will have everything to do with how the Holy Spirit can inspire us to reach others publicly.
How much scripture have you memorized? Have you ever had a time when a memorized word (scripture or otherwise) came back at an unexpected moment to help or inspire you?
Acts 2:14-36 Peter Addresses the Crowd
“I have a dream…”
“Four score and seven years ago…”
“Ask not what you can do for your country…”
We travel through the experiences of life, some remarkable, some mundane, and we may or may not make sense of all we are experiencing as it rushes past us. But occasionally, someone will stand up and make a speech that seems to capture a moment in time or a movement in history. We remember these speeches for generations. They become icons for us – verbal images that define our time or our identity. Sometimes we remember the words exactly as they were used in that moment; other times it is the image, the truth, that remains and the precise words of the speaker become fuzzy over time.
On the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit gave the miraculous gift of speech, Peter stood up and made such a statement. We don’t know, we will never know, how accurately Luke recalled his exact words, but we know that the picture Luke paints for us of this moment in history is an accurate one. Peter’s speech addresses us as much as it addresses the crowd on that day.
The first miracle of this speech? That Peter is the one giving it! Peter is not literate, he is a Galilean fisherman. And just forty days ago Peter couldn’t be made to profess his faith in Jesus even to a single serving girl near a charcoal fire – and yet here he is, addressing a vast international throng and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such powerful terms that thousands will become Christians that very day. Truly this is God’s work, because Peter never could have accomplished this on his own.
Notice how Peter uses scripture to tell the story of Jesus. He tells of the Holy Spirit as it was described by the prophet Joel. He describes the Lordship of Jesus Christ as prophesied by King David. But Peter didn’t have time to run do a little Bible study before he began speaking, did he? He could use scripture so effectively because the words of scripture were already inside him – he had learned and memorized these words long before the day of Pentecost. Whenever the faithful make the effort to learn the scriptures, even if they don’t seem relevant at the time we study them, God finds opportunities to draw those holy words back out into the world through our mouths. We cannot proclaim what we have not ingested. God cannot draw upon what was never there in the first place.
Maybe, like Peter, you are an unlikely speech maker. Probably you will never be asked to actually give a speech about Jesus. But every Christian is called to witness; called to be available to share the story of Jesus Christ. Our willingness to soak up God’s word privately will have everything to do with how the Holy Spirit can inspire us to reach others publicly.
How much scripture have you memorized? Have you ever had a time when a memorized word (scripture or otherwise) came back at an unexpected moment to help or inspire you?
Day 3
Readings and Thoughts for Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Acts 2:1-13 The Coming of the Holy Spirit
This is perhaps the most exciting moment in all of Acts, and possibly in the entire scripture. Jesus has ascended and the disciples are waiting for the power he has promised will come to them. It is the day of Pentecost (“pente” = 5, so “pentecost” = 50 days after the Jewish Passover, a date which coincides with the Jewish “Feast of Weeks.”). The festival means that “devout Jews of every nation under heaven” are in Jerusalem for religious ceremonies and celebrations. Suddenly there is a sound “like the rush of a violent wind” and “divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” The Holy Spirit had arrived! Miraculously, the Galilean disciples, all speakers of Aramaic, have the ability to communicate in many different languages, speaking to all those who have gathered in their own native speech. All are amazed. Well, mostly all; a few scoffers assume the followers of Jesus are just drunk.
Just as Luke told us many of the details of Jesus’ birth so that we would understand his significance and purpose from the beginning, Luke now includes many details of the birth of the church, and these details also tell us its significance and purpose. First, the power of the church is the power of the risen Christ sent from God; it is the Holy Spirit’s power. The tongues of fire remind us of the fire Moses saw at the burning bush. The disciples (apostles) do nothing on their own but wait and pray for God’s action, in which they take part. Second, the church is universal from its very inception. Barriers are broken down between women and men (as we have already seen) and between people of every nation. Jesus’ earthly ministry may have been local, but his ministry after ascension will be “to the ends of the earth.” The very first thing that God ever accomplishes through the church is to empower the followers of Jesus to tell others about Jesus in a way that they can all understand. Some will accept the message, and some will reject it, but our purpose is to carry it to everyone. This message-carrying is still the primary purpose of the church, and still the work that God empowers us to do.
Where do you see the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? With whom is the Spirit inviting you to share the story of Jesus as it has been revealed in your life?
Acts 2:1-13 The Coming of the Holy Spirit
This is perhaps the most exciting moment in all of Acts, and possibly in the entire scripture. Jesus has ascended and the disciples are waiting for the power he has promised will come to them. It is the day of Pentecost (“pente” = 5, so “pentecost” = 50 days after the Jewish Passover, a date which coincides with the Jewish “Feast of Weeks.”). The festival means that “devout Jews of every nation under heaven” are in Jerusalem for religious ceremonies and celebrations. Suddenly there is a sound “like the rush of a violent wind” and “divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” The Holy Spirit had arrived! Miraculously, the Galilean disciples, all speakers of Aramaic, have the ability to communicate in many different languages, speaking to all those who have gathered in their own native speech. All are amazed. Well, mostly all; a few scoffers assume the followers of Jesus are just drunk.
Just as Luke told us many of the details of Jesus’ birth so that we would understand his significance and purpose from the beginning, Luke now includes many details of the birth of the church, and these details also tell us its significance and purpose. First, the power of the church is the power of the risen Christ sent from God; it is the Holy Spirit’s power. The tongues of fire remind us of the fire Moses saw at the burning bush. The disciples (apostles) do nothing on their own but wait and pray for God’s action, in which they take part. Second, the church is universal from its very inception. Barriers are broken down between women and men (as we have already seen) and between people of every nation. Jesus’ earthly ministry may have been local, but his ministry after ascension will be “to the ends of the earth.” The very first thing that God ever accomplishes through the church is to empower the followers of Jesus to tell others about Jesus in a way that they can all understand. Some will accept the message, and some will reject it, but our purpose is to carry it to everyone. This message-carrying is still the primary purpose of the church, and still the work that God empowers us to do.
Where do you see the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? With whom is the Spirit inviting you to share the story of Jesus as it has been revealed in your life?
Day 2
Readings and Thoughts for Monday, February 4, 2008
Acts 1:12-26 Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
The disciples, having seen Jesus raised up into heaven, return to Jerusalem as he has directed them to do. And who do we find in this group? It is not just the eleven remaining disciples, but also some women who had followed Jesus from the beginning. Mary, the mother of Jesus was there, as were his brothers. It is no accident that Luke includes these others in the gathering: their presence reminds us that the followers of Jesus form a motley, unexpected group and that women were prominent in the ministry of the Gospel from the very beginning of the church.
Peter is the first of the group to stand and speak, describing the betrayal of Judas. Luke then tells us his gruesome fate. Isn’t it interesting that Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, is telling the story of Judas, the betrayer? The church has not yet even begun, and already it has been broken by controversy from within. This reminds us that there never was any perfect Christian community, no perfect church. Whenever we are disappointed in our own church or in other Christians, it is good to remember this: the church is a body of broken people, redeemed and claimed by Christ. No one, and no church, is perfect or perfectly unified.
In Luke 22:28-30 Jesus promised the twelve: “I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Peter sees it as necessary for the eleven remaining apostles to choose a twelfth, one to replace Judas and make their number once again complete. The one chosen must be “an eye witness.” There is opportunity for people to make suggestions as to the replacement, but then they also put the matter before God through the casting of lots. Thus, the decision to appoint Matthias is both human and divine. Although we no longer cast lots for leadership, the church today continues to seek both human and divine input into choosing leaders for ministry.
In the choosing of Matthias, Luke has an opportunity to define for us exactly what he considers an “apostle.” For Luke, any followers of Jesus may be called a “disciple,” but the “apostles” are strictly those chosen for leadership (the twelve) who have been eyewitnesses from the time of Jesus’ baptism by John to the day of his ascension. Though Paul will refer to himself as “an apostle” in his letters, Luke would not consider him one because he did not accompany Jesus in his earthly ministry, but “only” encountered him after the ascension. Paul’s qualifications for ministry will be an issue at several points in his relationship to the twelve, as he describes in his letters and as we will see later in Acts.
What qualities do you look for in a political leader (say, a presidential candidate)? What qualities do you look for in a religious leader (say, a pastor)? What role does prayer play in your leadership decisions in the secular world (say, at work)?
Acts 1:12-26 Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
The disciples, having seen Jesus raised up into heaven, return to Jerusalem as he has directed them to do. And who do we find in this group? It is not just the eleven remaining disciples, but also some women who had followed Jesus from the beginning. Mary, the mother of Jesus was there, as were his brothers. It is no accident that Luke includes these others in the gathering: their presence reminds us that the followers of Jesus form a motley, unexpected group and that women were prominent in the ministry of the Gospel from the very beginning of the church.
Peter is the first of the group to stand and speak, describing the betrayal of Judas. Luke then tells us his gruesome fate. Isn’t it interesting that Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, is telling the story of Judas, the betrayer? The church has not yet even begun, and already it has been broken by controversy from within. This reminds us that there never was any perfect Christian community, no perfect church. Whenever we are disappointed in our own church or in other Christians, it is good to remember this: the church is a body of broken people, redeemed and claimed by Christ. No one, and no church, is perfect or perfectly unified.
In Luke 22:28-30 Jesus promised the twelve: “I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Peter sees it as necessary for the eleven remaining apostles to choose a twelfth, one to replace Judas and make their number once again complete. The one chosen must be “an eye witness.” There is opportunity for people to make suggestions as to the replacement, but then they also put the matter before God through the casting of lots. Thus, the decision to appoint Matthias is both human and divine. Although we no longer cast lots for leadership, the church today continues to seek both human and divine input into choosing leaders for ministry.
In the choosing of Matthias, Luke has an opportunity to define for us exactly what he considers an “apostle.” For Luke, any followers of Jesus may be called a “disciple,” but the “apostles” are strictly those chosen for leadership (the twelve) who have been eyewitnesses from the time of Jesus’ baptism by John to the day of his ascension. Though Paul will refer to himself as “an apostle” in his letters, Luke would not consider him one because he did not accompany Jesus in his earthly ministry, but “only” encountered him after the ascension. Paul’s qualifications for ministry will be an issue at several points in his relationship to the twelve, as he describes in his letters and as we will see later in Acts.
What qualities do you look for in a political leader (say, a presidential candidate)? What qualities do you look for in a religious leader (say, a pastor)? What role does prayer play in your leadership decisions in the secular world (say, at work)?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Day 1
Readings and Thoughts for Sunday, February 3, 2008
Acts 1:1-5 The Promise of the Holy Spirit
It is interesting to compare the first words of Acts with the first words of the Gospel of Luke, which was written by the same person. Both books are addressed to “Theophilus,” which could be a real and specific person by that name or may be meant to signify any number of those who are “God-lovers” as the name means (theo = God + philus = lover). Perhaps this book is addressed to you!
In Luke, the author promises “an orderly account” based on eye-witness descriptions of the ministry of Jesus. The author himself (we’ll call him Luke) does not claim to be an eye-witness to the life of Jesus, but rather to have completed a thorough investigation into it, “from the very beginning.” The purpose of his effort? “So that you will know the truth.” The first verse of Acts tells us that this book is a continuation of Luke, so we should expect another “orderly account” that has been carefully researched, if not directly observed by the author. (In later chapters, the author is, apparently, an eyewitness to the ministries and travels of Paul, but we’ll get to that in a few weeks.) The Gospel of Luke tells us the story of Jesus’ life through his ascension; Acts will tell us the story of all that happens to Jesus’ followers after he ascends into heaven. If we read Acts with a view back toward Luke, we will see many parallels between the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel and the ministry of the Apostles in Acts – what Jesus has taught during his lifetime, his followers are now to do in his name.
Twice in these first few verses, Luke mentions the Holy Spirit. First, he says that Jesus gave instructions to the apostles “through the Holy Spirit.” Then he quotes Jesus as telling them “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” In the Gospel of Luke there are 15 references to the Holy Spirit, more than in the other three gospels combined. In Acts the Holy Spirit is mentioned 42 times! One result we can expect from the study of this book is a better understanding of God’s presence and work in the Holy Spirit.
What image or story best describes how you understand the Holy Spirit?
Acts 1:6-11 The Ascension of Jesus
The Gospel of Luke ends and The Acts of the Apostles begins with the very same scene – Jesus ascending into heaven. In Luke, the ascension seems to take place at the end of Easter day, the very same day Jesus’ rose from the dead (Luke 24). In Acts, however, we learn that Jesus continued to appear to believers during forty days (Acts 1:3). The forty days reminds us, of course, of the forty days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan and the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
The last words of Jesus are not recorded precisely the same way in Luke and Acts, either. In both, however, Jesus tells his followers to wait. “Stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Jesus does not leave them without providing a clear assurance of his continuing presence in a new form, which is the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel of John also tells of this presence of the Holy Spirit, to be expected by the disciples only after Jesus’ departure from earth: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
Do you recall a time when an important leader or mentor left your life and you had to carry on without him or her?
Introduction to the Book of Acts
What is Acts About?
“The Acts of the Apostles” is the story of what happened to the disciples from the time Jesus ascended into heaven and through the establishment of the early church. “Acts” simply means “deeds.” Acts is also very much the story of the Holy Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit that empowers the disciples (followers) of Jesus to become apostles (ones sent out) for Jesus. Peter and Paul are the main characters of this book, although there are several others with interesting stories. About 10 chapters of the 28 in Acts focus on Peter, and 17 or so focus on the ministry of Paul.
Who Wrote Acts?
Acts is an anonymous book – the work itself does not tell us who wrote it. Luke and Acts, however, were written by the same person. We know this because the language and style of the books are so similar. We also know this because the books themselves tell us so. Both are addressed to “Theophilus,” which means “God lover” and the introduction to Acts (1.1-2) refers back to the author’s previously written book about the life and ministry of Jesus.
Just because Luke’s name is now on the gospel doesn’t mean that Luke was the author of Luke-Acts. In fact all of the gospels are given their names by tradition, and not by evidence in the text itself. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 2nd century that church leaders began attributing the Gospel and Acts to Luke, a character mentioned three times in the New Testament as a companion of Paul and as a physician (Philemon 24; Colossians 4:14, and 2 Timothy 4:11).
Whether or not the author was named Luke or was a companion of Paul, there are several things that are evident about him from the Biblical text. For one thing, the beautifully written Greek tells us the author was well-educated and perhaps a native Greek speaker. We know from the relatively accurate details he provides about numerous places in Palestine and the Roman Empire that he was well-traveled. The author writes with enough detail on physical and medical issues that he may have been a physician, but didn’t write so much about them that it is obvious that he was. Likewise, from details included in his writing the author is clearly very well-versed in Jewish tradition, and yet he makes a few critical errors about that tradition that suggest he was not raised in it. Some scholars have interpreted this to mean that the author was probably a Greek convert to Judaism before he became a Christian.
For the convenient purpose of this study, I will refer to the author of Luke-Acts as Luke.
Why Read Acts?
¨ Because it is full of interesting and exciting stories about daring deeds.
¨ To know what happened to the disciples after Jesus ascended.
¨ To know what the church was like in its earliest days.
¨ For background information on Paul, who wrote so much of the New Testament.
¨ To understand the Holy Spirit.
¨ To see how powerfully God works through ordinary people.
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