power from heaven

Good morning friends,
Today's reading starts the story of Pentecost, and is many ways the birth of the church. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from heaven. In today's passage that power comes, and the disciples (including women) begin their ministry.


God bless,
Sam


Acts 2: 1-13

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.


5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Luke's Gospel, part 2

Good evening friends,
Acts begins where Luke's Gospel left off, since it is a sequel, with the disciples watching Jesus ascend into heaven. Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem until they receive "power from on high." In the power of that Holy Spirit, they will be witnesses to God's love in Jesus to the whole world starting from Jerusalem. We continue the calling to use the gifts God gives us for ministry to witness to God's love with our words and actions.


God bless,
Sam


Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”


6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.


10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

connected to Christ

Good evening friends,

Today's reading stresses the connection of Christians to Jesus. All that we are comes from him, and cut off from him we can do nothing. This very much goes against the grain of our culture's focus on self-reliance, so spend a few minutes with the challenge that presents to you. 

God bless,
Sam

John 15:1-9

”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 

⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

why?

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading shows us Jesus' disciples asking an honest question. Who sinned, the man or his parents that he was born blind. We think that success and failure, illness and health are all connected to whether we're doing things right. The truth is sometimes we do everything wrong and things go well or we do everything right and things go badly. And when things go wrong, it's a great opportunity for us to help others. That's what we'll be digging into tomorrow in worship.
God bless,
Sam

John 9:1-7

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.

⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

Come and see

Good evening sisters and brothers,
It was a blessing to serve with our friends at People's Ministry in Christ today giving away clothes and food to folks in the neighborhood. While some from Laurelton were serving there others were serving at Cafe, where we had 49 guests for breakfast. At the same time members of our congregation are getting ready to go to New Jersey to help folks rebuild from Super Storm Sandy. God is at work through our congregation, and that's an exciting thing.

As we think and pray about the mission God gives us, we also turn to scripture. Our story today is about John the Baptist introducing two of his disciples to Jesus and then those folks invite others. The invitation isn't pushy, it's just welcoming people to "come and see." We can invite people to come and see what it means to follow Jesus too. We don't have to have the answers, just welcome people to the surprising journey of grace which is discipleship.

God bless,
Sam

John 1:35-50

³⁵The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). ⁴²He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”

The Maltese Viper

Good evening friends,
Yesterday we read how the shipwrecked crew and passengers got safely to land. Here we see that even on an island after a shipwreck, Paul is still doing ministry. In every situation we can be ministers of God's love.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 28:1-10

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. ²The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us round it. ³Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’ ⁵He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. ⁸It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. ⁹After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. ¹⁰They bestowed many honours on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.

widespread connections

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Today's reading is not very interesting on the surface, since it is mostly a list of names. The cool thing about it is that it emphasizes the personal networks that tie together the church. At the end of this letter, to a church Paul had never been to he sends personal greetings to particular people in the community that he does know. Even though he has never been to Rome, Paul has important connections to many Christians there through letters and travel and networks of friendship. What a powerful testimony to the fact that we are one community in Christ no matter how far apart or how different we may be.
May it be so for you and for me,
Sam

Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, ²so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. ³Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, ⁴and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. ⁵Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.

⁶Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. ⁷Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. ⁸Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹²Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa.

Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also. ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. ¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

paying for leadership

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
In today's reading Paul talks about the ways the church supports leaders. In those days it seems some traveling teachers received financial support from the church so they could devote themselves to teaching and evangelism. Paul reminds the Corinthian congregation of that "right" to support that apostles have. We'll see that he goes on from there to talk about why he doesn't used that right. Supporting professional leadership in the church is going to take some creativity in the next twenty years. In some ways Laurelton is ahead of the curve on that; we'll talk more tomorrow.
God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 9:1-12

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ²If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defence to those who would examine me. ⁴Do we not have the right to our food and drink? ⁵Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? ⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? ⁷Who at any time pays the expenses for doing military service? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not get any of its milk?

8 Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law also say the same? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰Or does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was indeed written for our sake, for whoever ploughs should plough in hope and whoever threshes should thresh in hope of a share in the crop. ¹¹If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? ¹²If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?

to Corinth

Good evening friends,
Today's reading brings us back to Acts and to the story of Paul's ministry in Corinth. Paul traveled a ton, so it's remarkable that he stayed in Corinth so long. That accounts for the emotional intensity of his letters to the church there, since he knew the community so well. We also see Paul leave the synagogue in frustration as the people there oppose him. What's fascinating is that after he leaves, the synagogue officials becomes a believer. Sometimes we get our message across much better by not trying to force it.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 18:1-11

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ²There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. ⁴Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. ⁶When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’

⁷Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. ⁹One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; ¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’ ¹¹He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

ministry in jail

Good morning friends,
In today's reading we see some of the church's early prison ministry, in this case, ministry as prisoners. One thing I love about this passage is that Paul insists on his rights as a citizen. It's interesting to watch the different ways Paul uses his citizenship in ministry. The gospel is disruptive because it breaks into the world and calls us to a new way of life based on love. That interruption is not always welcome. May the faithfulness of the apostles inspire us to be faithful today, however we have opportunities to minister.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 16:25-40

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ ²⁹The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ ³¹They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ ³²They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. ³⁴He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

35 When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ ³⁶And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.’ ³⁷But Paul replied, ‘They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.’ ³⁸The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; ³⁹so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.

moving on

Good morning friends,
Today I'm working on the Habitat house that UPT (Urban Presbyterians Together) is building together. There are still about 17 days left for you to get in on the building, so if you'd like to volunteer check out this link for more information. Today's reading tells us what happened next for Paul. He meets Timothy, who Paul mentors. Their relationship is an important one. It's surprising that Paul has Timothy circumcised, having just finished advocating that such things aren't necessary. At the same time, maybe Paul wanted to avoid conflict over something he knew wasn't important.

Blessings on your day,
Sam

Acts 16:1-5

Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. ²He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. ³Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

conflict and separation

Good afternoon friends,
Today's passage will also be a focus for us on Sunday. We've seen Paul and Barnabas working together for years. In this passage they have a conflict about who to take with them in ministry. The conflict is such an issue that they decide to go their separate ways. I think that must have been hard for both of them, but they both felt strongly about what they were doing so they had to follow their conviction. Conflict is an inevitable part of relationship; the question is how we address it.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 15:30-41

30 So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. ³²Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them. ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ ³⁷Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. ³⁸But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. ³⁹The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. ⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

persecution and release

Good morning friends,
I hope you have some time today to enjoy 
friends and family. It's a great day to remember the blessings of 
freedom we have in our country and the sacrifice of those who have 
guaranteed them, both people in uniform and people organizing and 
protesting for civil rights. Please also pray for our nation, that we 
would continue the difficult and sacred pursuit of freedom for the 
common good.

Our reading today continues the story of an episode 
of persecution. King Herod killed James (son of Zebadee and brother of 
John, not the brother of Jesus) and put Peter in prison. God executes a 
jailbreak for Peter that is funny in its execution. The passage after 
that, which we'll skip, tells the story of Herod's death and summarizes a
 period of growth for the church. One of the great strengths of our 
faith is that we are strongest when we are weak. Even the power of royal
 persecution, when we respond in faith and openness with love, makes us 
stronger. That's also the brilliance of non-violent protest, as with 
think about civil rights struggles in the context of our nation's 
history.

God bless,
Sam
 

Acts 12:6-24

6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. ⁷Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. ⁸The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’

 ⁹Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. ¹¹Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. ¹³When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵They said to her, ‘You are out of your mind!’ But she insisted that it was so. They said, ‘It is his angel.’ ¹⁶Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, ‘Tell this to James and to the believers.’ Then he left and went to another place.

18 When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. ¹⁹When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

telling the story

Good evening friends,
I hope you're doing well. I apologize for the gap in readings. We've been following the story of Pentecost, when God sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen the disciples for their ministry of witness to the world. When the Spirit first came it gave the disciples the ability to speak in other languages. When they started praising God, a crowd gathered because they heard the good news in their own language. Some mocked, but Peter told the story of Jesus and his death and resurrection. It's a simple sermon, but as we see in today's reading, it is effective. How can we tell the story today?

God bless,
Sam

Acts 2:37-47

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” ³⁸Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” ⁴⁰And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

a life worthy of our calling

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
This passage from Ephesians will be our main reading on Sunday, so you can think about this as a warm up. Paul spent the first three chapters of the letter setting a theological foundation. Now he moves into discussing what that faith we share means in our life. He talks about our life in terms of a calling from God, a calling to discipleship, to love and to unity. Within that calling we also have opportunities to use our unique gifts to serve others and proclaim the good news. We'll talk more about that on Sunday.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift… ¹¹The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

¹⁴We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

opening the scriptures

Good afternoon friends,
First, please keep the people of Boston and all those affected by the terrorist attack in Boston in your prayers. Our reading for today shows us the risen Jesus meeting his disciples. Notice that his first concern is convincing them that he is really risen. From there he moves to getting them ready for their mission. Their mission is to bear witness to Jesus and to proclaim forgiveness in his name. An important part of getting the disciples ready for that mission is helping them understand the scripture. Scripture is still important as we prepare for our mission now.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24: 36-49

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

more training

Good afternoon friends,
I hope you're having a good and relaxing weekend. In today's reading, Paul reminds Timothy that part of his calling as a leader in the church is to correct those who are going astray, but he needs to do that gently. Gentleness and love is as important as truth when it comes to helping others see where they need to change. Humility is a big part of that as well, since we are not meant to judge others, and we all have room to grow.
 

Also in this passage are two of the most famous verses about scripture: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work." Inspired can also be translated as "God breathed," because the scripture is God's word, even though it was written by people. When we spend time regularly with the Bible, we will grow in faith and in spiritual power. Notice that Paul again uses the image of training in godliness; we need to be intentional about our faith development. That's one thing we'll be talking about after worship tomorrow: how can we do more to help our youngest members develop in their faith. I hope you'll be part of that conversation.

God bless,
Sam

2 Timothy 3:10-17

¹⁰Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹my persecutions and suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹²Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ¹³But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 

¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

in life and in death

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,

In our passage for today Paul reflects on his own life and death in the light of facing persecution and the possibility of death. He knows that he can glorify Christ as he lives and as he dies. Part of him wants to die so he can be with Christ; the other part of him wants to stay to continue serving the churches in ministry. The truth is that in every moment of our life, God is with us. We are never alone and we can trust God's love.

Blessings,
Sam

Philippians 1:20-24

²⁰It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.

²¹For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. ²³I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; ²⁴but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.

"May God grant your petition"

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
We continue the story of Hannah today. We read yesterday how Hannah was upset because she wasn't able to have children and because her husband's other wife mocked her about that. In today's reading she goes to the temple to pray. Her prayer is so passionate that Eli, the priest there, thinks she is drunk. I love Hannah's passion in prayer. As a pastor I also appreciate that Eli makes a mistake, but that even then, God can bring ministry out of that conversation. May your prayer life be strong today.
God bless,
Sam


1 Samuel 1:9-18
⁹After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. ¹¹She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”


¹²As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” ¹⁵But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” ¹⁷Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” ¹⁸And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

gifts for service

Good afternoon friends,
First thing, tonight we'll be back at the Boulevard to talk about big questions of life and faith. All questions are welcome and the only rule is respect for all. We start at 8:30 and go to about 10. On Sunday after worship we'll host a potluck lunch to sustain us as we decorate the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas. We'll also touch base on where we are with our mission redefinition as a part of New Beginnings as well as an update on where other congregations are.


Today's reading is short and sweet. Paul reminds his readers that different people have different gifts. A big part of our job as Christians is to prayerfully figure out what gifts God has given us and how we can use those gifts to serve God and help others. As Paul lifts up some specific gifts, he'll continue tomorrow with the most important gift God gives all of us.

Blessings,
Sam

 

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.