Eastertide
March 29, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ –Acts 5:30-32

What acts of God have we each witnessed in our lives? While we can and certainly should carry on the stories of the acts of Jesus when he was on the earth and the acts of his first disciples following his resurrection, including that very resurrection, where is God acting in our world today? We take so much for granted, sometimes we do not stop and see God in the outcomes of our lives.

The blossoming of Oklahoma City after the bombing that shredded our peace of mind in 1995 has been amazing. Surely the Lord has been in this place. We are a kinder people. I sense the same reality for New York City after 9/11. The transformation of many oil-well scared properties across our state into fields of bountiful, primarily grain production and beauty reveals the influence of the earth’s creator. Thousands of children whose primary source of food is the school lunch program have sustenance over weekends through the backpacks of food sent home with them from school at the end of each week.

While our peace is still being shattered by terrorist and we still have much to do to care for the earth, while there are too many lives being wasted in prisons rather than restored to productive citizenship and too many hungry children and sick people with no means of obtaining care, we need to lift our eyes to the hills and see the hope in Jesus Christ as we continue to carry his way into the world.

Prayer: Lord, restore our hope remind us that your love is greater than any calamity we might face. Give us strength and courage for the journey. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.