Acts 2:46-47

“Day 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, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” vss. 46-47a

Luke notes that the church in Jerusalem had the good will of all the people and that really shouldn’t surprise us. The believers were engaging in unconditional love and sacrificial service and it’s under those conditions that humans flourish in every time and place. This was the way of Jesus, and his Spirit-filled followers had a strong desire to be his imitators. And through the centuries wherever the Body of Christ has behaved in such a fashion, wonderful things happen. People experience the Peaceable Kingdom, and the broken are healed and restored.

The problem is that, because the Church is made up of broken people, it’s been easy to get off track and adopt the ways of the world. Instead of practicing unconditional love and sacrificial service, religious leaders have adopted the language of power and domination. At times they’ve encouraged believers to take up arms against their supposed enemies and wipe them out in the name of Jesus.

The result of these behaviors has not been surprising. The Church’s reputation has suffered.

But there is hope! Because the Church is the workshop of the Holy Spirit, unconditional love and sacrificial service can still be found in our communities of faith. And where they are present, goodwill abounds!

Thought for the Day: What is my congregation’s reputation?

Acts 2:42-45

“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” vss. 44-45

The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection sparked a revival among the believers, and it touched every aspect of their lives. They not only devoted themselves to prayer and the teaching of the disciples, they were moved to share everything they owned with their community. There’s no other way to say it. The first Christians practiced communism–they believed all their possessions were to be held in common. 

In our time, after experiencing the brokenness of communism as an economic system, many reject any practice that puts the needs of the community before that of the individual. They’re suspicious of any welfare system and believe that “hard-working” people are entitled to everything they can get their hands on. They embrace the precepts of capitalism and fail to see that it too is a broken system, one that leads to exploitation of the poor and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few. 

Followers of Jesus, while not embracing any particular economic theory, will reject all tendencies toward individualism and will do all they can to meet the needs of the community. They remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,” and will steward their possessions accordingly.

Thought for the Day: What is my primary motivation for working?

Luke 24:28-34

“Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” vs. 35

What happened at the table in Emmaus is one of the most insightful stories in all of scripture. Just hearing Jesus interpret the scripture wasn’t enough to open the eyes of Cleopas and his wife! They’d learned a lot of stuff as they walked along the road with the stranger, but it wasn’t until the bread was broken that they actually knew they’d been walking with Jesus!

That’s why, from the very beginning Christian congregations haven’t just been organized bible study groups. Knowledge of scripture is important, and can give direction to our lives, but Holy Communion is where eyes are opened and hearts transformed. It’s here that we receive the assurance of forgiveness, and in the bread and wine, we actually taste the living presence of Jesus. It’s here that the Word becomes flesh and grace is poured into our lives.

There are some who think of Holy Communion as a wonderful metaphor and a moving memory of the Last Supper, but it is so much more than that. Not that it can be easily explained, it will always be a great mystery, but something really does happen in the eating and in the drinking. This is the most powerful Christ encounter that we can ever experience. While many times it seems routine, it’s at the Table where eyes can be opened and we can see Jesus!

Thought for the Day: What does the eating and drinking mean for me?

Luke 24:13-27

“Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” vs. 27

Even though the gospels indicate that Jesus spoke with his disciples about his death and resurrection during his ministry in Galilee, their reaction after his crucifixion indicates that they didn’t have a clue about what had been in store for him. Indeed, his death had devastated them and the resurrection only brought confusion.

But as reports continued to surface about Jesus’ resurrection, they started to put things together. Here Luke tells us that Jesus himself appeared to Cleopas and his wife on the road to Emmaus and, with an insightful interpretation of Moses and the prophets, explained the meaning of his suffering and death.

As the details of that interpretation began to spread within the early Church, the things that had been a mystery began to make sense. Many of the disciples, armed with a new understanding of Jesus’ life and mission, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, were moved to become apostles and to spread the gospel wherever they traveled. 

Those same scriptures, along with the gospels and the epistles written by the apostles, continue to be a powerful source of inspiration in our congregations and communities of faith. As we study them and hear them interpreted we too are moved to go with the gospel wherever the Spirit leads us. Solid scriptural study is still the best way to fully understand the mission of the Risen Christ.

Thought for the Day: How have the scriptures directed my life?

1 Peter 1:21-23

“Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.” vs. 22

When the Christian community was established in Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus they were known for the deep love that they had for one another. And when missionaries like Paul brought the good news of Jesus to distant lands, that same characteristic was observed. Peter refers to that observation in his letter to those who were exiled by the Dispersion, the scattering of Jews to the ends of the Empire in response to the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies. Allegiance to the gospel always results in mutual love among believers, and Peter encouraged them to keep on loving one another deeply from the heart.

We know what that looks like. Many of us came to faith in congregations that were exactly like this, and now seekers are looking for communities where they can experience that same love. Broken humans need one another, not for correction or admonition, but for deep and abiding love, and that’s the primary gift believers have to offer the lonely and alienated.

It’s wonderful for a congregation to have a mission plan, and marketing strategies can often be effective, but if we’re not loving one another from the heart, even clever slogans fall on deaf ears. Saying “All Are Welcome” on our signage means nothing if visitors can’t sense love in what we say and do!

Thought for the Day: How can congregations demonstrate deep mutual love?

1 Peter 1:17-20

“If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.” vs. 17

From Peter’s perspective the people to whom he was writing were like exiles, people living in a land that was not their own who had been united by their invocation of God as Father. Here he also implies that one day their God will judge all people impartially according to their deeds. Because they have such a God he implores them to live in reverent fear during the time of their exile.

For those who have come to trust in God’s compassion and mercy these words can spark a feeling of discomfort. The broken can even begin to wonder if there really is unconditional forgiveness for all of their sins–they wonder if grace is enough. That feeling is not uncommon among people of  faith and even long-time believers can  have a sense of foreboding about impending judgment.

Sadly there are pastors and religious leaders who take advantage of that uneasiness in their attempt to encourage morality within their assigned flock. They reason that a reverent fear will keep people on the straight and narrow path that will bring them to salvation. Now it’s certainly true that we are called to fear and love God above all else. That’s a given! But Peter never intended that fear to undermine our reliance on God’s unconditional love. He had learned from experience that even denying Jesus three times was covered by Amazing Grace.

Thought for the Day: When have I worried about judgment day?

Psalm 116:12-19

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” vss. 12-14

The psalmist knew that he had been blessed by his Loving Lord and felt that it was his duty and delight to respond with a thanksgiving offering. Many are doing that today in our country. We know that the continued prosperity of our land depends on our faithful payment of taxes, and most of us gladly send them in when they are due. It’s a fitting response to the benefits we have received, even if our checks are not offered in a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude.

But there are still opportunities for us to make significant offerings with thanksgiving and those who understand the extent of God’s blessings in their lives will do exactly that. It’s a part of the relationship we have with God in Christ Jesus. God’s love and gracious provision sparks a loving response, both in our regular offerings and our daily actions.

It’s good that our celebration of Easter extends into the month of May. Every Sunday offers an opportunity to sing praises and raise songs of joy for the magnificent gift of life that is ours in Christ. He is alive, and in him we are alive, now and forever. Thanks be to God.

Thought for the Day: Why do I make offerings?

Psalm 116:1-4

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” vss. 1-2

As was typical among the psalmists, we don’t know the particulars of this writer’s situation. He’d come close to death, cried out to the Lord, and had been restored. Understandably, he now loves the Lord and offers this prayer of thanksgiving and praise–and promises to keep on praying until the end of his life. It’s no wonder that this psalm was used regularly by the Jews as part of their Passover celebration. It was a powerful way to express their love and praise to the Lord for all that had been done for them.

It’s a reminder that the relationship we have with God is a two-way street. We readily speak of God’s love for the world, but it’s also perfectly appropriate for us to also express our love for the Lord. It could even be a good way to start our prayers, and maybe even a better way to start our days. “I love you, Lord, and I lift your name on high,” are words that could be said first thing every morning, maybe even before we lift our heads from the pillow.

These aren’t easy times for our world. But God has not stopped loving us! And our prayers are never in vain! 

Thought for the Day: How do I express my love for God?

Acts 2: 2a, 36-41

“Peter 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.’”

According to Luke Peter’s sermon had a profound effect on the Judean Jews who were in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost. They were convicted by his words and asked what they should do. What Peter suggests reminds us of the message John had for the people who came to him at the Jordan for baptism. If the Jews repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus, their sins would be forgiven. But Peter now adds one more thing. Not only would they be forgiven, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And it’s that promise that makes all the difference in the world. This would be a turbo-charged baptism. Not only would sins be washed away, people would receive the power of the living Christ, and their lives would be changed. They would actually be able to produce the fruits of the Spirit and their communities would be transformed. That promise is still a part of our baptismal ritual to this day. We’re not only cleansed by the water, we are transformed! Our brokenness is healed.

Luke says that 3000 people were baptized that day in Jerusalem. And even if we acknowledge a bit of hyperbole here, there is no doubt that this is where the whole Christian Church on earth began! It really was a good beginning!

Thought for the Day: How have I been transformed?

John 20:26-31

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’” vs. 29

Because Thomas has been known as the doubting disciple, he’s a favorite for those who struggle with doubts in their faith journey. In reality though, John tells us that Thomas became a believer because he saw the Risen Jesus face to face. In other words, he got lucky! For the rest of us, it’s not so easy. We are among the countless millions of people who have come to believe in spite of not having seen Jesus! We are the ones for whom John wrote his gospel. He crafted the whole book, from beginning to end, in order that we, like Thomas, might come to believe.

Why did he do that? Well, he explains it as best he can with the words, “that through believing, they may have life in his name.” John was convinced with all his heart that there were benefits in believing that Jesus is the Messiah, and those who have come to believe will most certainly agree. 

It isn’t that believing gives us a ticket on the Heavenly Express, that one day we will be rewarded for having come to faith! No, the blessings of believing are contained in the believing itself! Believing means being alive to the wonders of creation and the beauty of love. Believing is belonging, being a part of a faith community that will stand with us through suffering and joy for all of our days.

Thought for the Day: How has believing blessed me?