Hello! Today is a WILD ride in just two short chapters. You're going to experience Saul's conversion to Paul, his acceptance into the apostles church and movement, and Peter's radical vision from God and the acceptance of the first gentiles into the church. Yes, all of this in just 2 chapters! Sometimes God moves slowly and silently and other times God moves like a tornado...this is one of those days. I invite you to read and reflect for you personally what this means to you and your faith.
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God?
What is the theme of today's reading?
What about this is significant to me? What is challenging?
- Commentary -
The theme of today's service is inclusion and forgiveness. This begins with Saul's conversion to Paul, continues with the apostles ability to forgive Paul and include him, then with Peter's revelation that nothing should be considered unclean to God and immediately followed up with Peter being confronted to baptize a roman officer who might have been directly involved in Jesus' death. The inclusion of the gentiles is a recovery of a wound that has lasted thousands of years. If you remember from the Old Testament the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam the kingdom of Israel was divided into north and south. All these years later the kingdom is united once more with no more division between Jews and Samaritans, the Holy Spirit is for all and no one is unclean. I find that message to be very healing for a polarizing time such as this.
Prayer
Our prayer for today is from page 283 in our hymnal regarding Holy Thursday. As you pray this consider what it means for you to follow Jesus mandate of "love and serve one another" and what communion means to you.
Gracious God, your Anointed One, on the night before he suffered, instituted teh sacrament of his body and blood. Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life. Amen.
“Do not call unclean what I have made clean,” is a favorite verse of mine. Great way to cut through division and focus on acceptance.