Dear Congregation,
Here’s how to create an uproar.
Sit near religious leaders in the New Testament days of Jerusalem as they hear how Peter, an up-and-coming follower of Jesus Christ, ate in houses with uncircumcised men and then (gasp!) baptized them.
There’s a silent moment just before an explosion, and then the explosion.
THIS was an explosion.
The religious leaders likely lashed into Peter. “You betray your identity as a Jew. You break our food laws. Without these laws, we don’t know how to be followers of our God in the world. And if this isn’t enough—and Peter, this is FAR more than enough—you baptize these people without first circumcising them! These time-tested, honorable, religious acts give us our identity as a people!”
What is our identity today? As a people of God, what makes us who we are? The religious leaders should not be penalized for their thoughts and reprimands unless everyone, including each of us today, should be penalized for keeping God only to ourselves, not others—ALL others.
A quote from Will Willimon, a retired Bishop in the United Methodist Church, begins our inclusive walk to Jesus this Sunday, May 5th. Willimon says, “Faith, when it comes down to it, is often our breathless attempt to keep up with the redemptive activity of God, to keep asking ourselves, ‘One, what is God doing, and two, where on earth is God going now?’
Read this text from the lectionary with the question Willimon raises. “What is God doing and where is God going now?”
Acts 10:44-48a, NLT
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers[c] who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues[d] and praising God.
Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Footnotes
10:45 Greek The faithful ones of the circumcision.
10:46 Or in other languages.
Dear Lord,
Perhaps we need a silent moment to ask how we are like the religious leaders who learn of Peter’s actions. In the days before worship this Sunday, help us see and name how we don’t always know where You are going now.
Help us follow where You are going. Help us also see that creating uproars in Your inclusive name isn't such a bad thing to do, after all.
Amen.