Lent
April 10, 2017
Scripture Reading: Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. –Acts 10:34-36
The above scripture makes a remarkable statement. It was astounding in the first century and remands so today. We humans have great difficulty accepting it and more trouble living it even though it is built into the very fiber of our creation stories. Its truth was initiated when the Creator breathed into us the breath of life after shaping us in God’s own image.
We begin the journey through Holy Week being challenged with this great broadening of our worldview. Acts is the story of the beginning of the church as we know it today. With the gathering at Pentecost and the disciples speaking in such a way that all could understand them in their own language, the gates of God’s people were thrown open for all to enter. It is Jesus Christ who determines who is worthy to cross the threshold, not me and not you.
As we stumble through the Last Supper, the Garden prayer, the arrest of Jesus, the Crucifixion, and the burial, let us keep our vision firmly fixed on what is next for followers of Jesus that is the message of Acts. Holy week was not an end, it was a beginning.
Prayer: Lord, guide us through this week opening our hearts and minds to your vision showing us our mission. Amen.