a decision and a letter

Good morning all,
Today we bring the council in Jerusalem to a close with a letter to the gentile believers summarizing what was decided. By doing this the leaders of the church chose to welcome gentiles fully into the faith without setting up rules that made evangelism more difficult. The church made this decision on the basis of testimony from Peter, Paul and Barnabas about the work God was doing in their ministry to the gentiles. It was to the clear to the council that God was leading the church in a new and inclusive direction.

Today it's hard to imagine the church telling people what to eat or do. Our society is so used to total independence where we are only responsible for ourselves and are free to do exactly what we want. Our faith teaches something different: we are responsible to and for each other. There is meant to be diversity and variation in our church, but we are also meant to make decisions together and to think about others even when we make choices our culture thinks of as "personal."

One quick note: tonight in Supper and Scripture we'll be starting the New Testament Letter of James. It's a short letter and one many Protestants aren't very familiar with, but it is really a gem. Come share a tasty meal and some great discussion starting at 5:30 in Christler Hall.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 15: 22-29
22Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, 23with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, 25we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”