Daily Liturgy and Scripture

As the gospel came into conflict with the old system of Law, Stephen becomes the person who works out the differences in public. God was doing a new thing, a continuation of the work that had been going on since creation, and Stephen opens with showing how many twists and turns had happened in that story up to now, when the twist of Jesus came into reality.

The measure of success in the early church was measured by Gamaliel, one of the most revered teachers of the day: "If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." A good reminder that the establishment of the church was. not only a place for people to learn b...

Sharing of possessions was necessary in the early church for both practical and spiritual reasons. As people came into this new community of Christ, many were poor, and the gospel was one of loving others. Working that out in life, meeting needs was also living up to promise of the gospel message.

This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Church. Peter and John and standing before the very people who were instrumental in Jesus's death, and they are standing beside a man who has been given back his life. The unveiling of what God is doing could not be more perfectly illustrated than that.

It's a fun comparison between these Old and New Testament passages. Ecclesiastes talks about making investments, and it seems that Peter makes a New Testament-style one: investing in the lame man, giving him back a life. That investment is what Jesus also made in us, giving us the ability to be whole and at one with God.

In the second section of the sermon from Peter, it's an interesting exercise to remember that this is the same man who denied Jesus three times. When he talks about the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the need for repentance, this isn't just a story. This is what brought him to this sermon.

Pentecost Sunday is just behind us, but we find ourselves back here in the regular flow of the reading plan! Perhaps this quick reminder is a good one: the Gospel has been brought to all people, not to just a select few. God is the God of all, and the Son died for all.

Interesting that even the actions of Judas are tied to the work of God. This moment in the history of Jesus's kingdom could have been devastating, he has left the work to a group of men who almost universally deserted him. Luckily, God allows comebacks.

It's interesting that, even at Jesus's ascension, the apostles still don't understand what power really is. They are looking for a restoration of their nation, but Jesus is offering them a new Kingdom. Perhaps discipleship is a journey that never ends until we live in that newly established Kingdom.

Theology, humility, and hospitality are all hallmarks of the body of Christ, and especially for us to show to one another. In this little pastoral letter, a selfish person who denies fellow believers, choosing instead to promote himself. This should not be our way.

The spreading of the Gospel is the work of God, and Pentecost is one of the events that sound the great work of God. The message is God's, and we are carriers. The future we have in Jesus is indeed good news, and it was very much worth getting to everyone.

This is a pretty important foundation, though in current times it is less disputed: Jesus is God, and our life is grounded in him. In the first century, when the reality of Jesus coming, dying, and rising from the dead was a little more debated, this would have been critical for the young church to know. It remains as important to our reality today.

Love and fear cannot coexist. Loving others means we do not fear them, and we have no reason to. God has sealed us eternally as his own, so we are free to love as only Jesus could.

The trademarks of love and of the Spirit are shared with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. This is both because we should share that love with our spiritual family, but also because that shared loves gives our family the kind of attraction that makes others want to be part of it.

The children of God, living in the Kingdom of Jesus, look different than those around them. The undercurrent of love and the work of the Spirit holds us together, but our lives also show the important of things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The way we treat one another, and the attention we give to following Jesus ourselves, is impor...

Loving like Jesus is hard to do, but it is one of the most important things that sets apart followers of Jesus. We need our spiritual families to learn it better, and those families need to listen to one another, listen to the Spirit, to learn how to do it better. This is discipleship.

What brings us together in the community of Christ is not our own perfection, but our following of Jesus. Of course, we are not Jesus, so we are not without mistakes. When we fail, it is the redemption of Jesus that also binds us together.

Condemnation is plentiful for religious leaders who use their position to exploit others. In the early church, while the full reality of Jesus was still being realized, this would have been an easy for smooth-talking charlatans capable of swaying others. Perhaps that is why mercy is emphasized for the doubters: in this landscape, it can sometimes be difficult to know who to follow.

Wholeness is God's design; following Jesus produces this. God is planning a new Heaven and a new earth in our future, the redemption of creation is his to produce. In the meantime, we are living in a preview of that Kingdom, bringing about the rule of Jesus in our present world.

God has judgement for those who claim his name but use that name for their own gain. These false teachers will be subject to the same fierce judgement that was recorded in the Old Testament for those who weren't believers, because of course, this is itself unbelief.

"He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." This is part of the Creed we recite, and today we commemorate that portion. Jesus ascended into Heaven, not to escape us, but to become our High Priest at the right hand of the Father, the position of favor. He remains our advocate and the member of the Trinity who knows our experience directly.

Humility is a characteristic of Christ himself, and Christian leaders must be careful that it is one of their own chief qualities. Using our own power is our first response when we're stressed, but Peter recommends instead that we also remember that God is our help, and turning to him in times of trouble is our best option.

The bit of Job today that says, "If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, and your righteousness only other people." This is an interesting idea to bridge both our Old and New Testament readings today, because indeed our goodness is not to flatter God, but to obey God and bring goodness to th...

Discipleship is an upside down world. We do not repay evil with evil, but we seek good as Jesus did, forgiving even those who crucified him. His model of suffering though innocent is a tough road to follow, but it it the thing that makes the path narrow.

The voluntary humility Christ showed is an important characteristic in followers of Christ. Peter uses it as a way that a believer married to an unbeliever might help them understand the way Jesus taught, in lessons that speak louder than words.