Eastertide
April 11, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. –Acts 9:36-39

We shared the concerns of the day in Sunday school class. One member was back after having had surgery; another member had been transferred to rehab from the hospital to recover from a broken bone. At times it seems we spend almost as much time preparing our list for prayers as we do on the lesson. Today one said, “I sometimes don’t thing we really understand how important it is to have support systems.” We took just a moment to acknowledge the truth of what she had said.

Tabitha had just such a support system. People who loved her and cared for her and knew her so well they could describe the clothing she made for those in need. As we watch the church begin in Acts, we watch the spreading of the Body of Christ’s network from those ancient Jerusalem doorsteps to the ends of the earth. My Sunday school class is a manifestation of that reality.

While the world is about the same size geographically since the inception of the church, the number of people on it has increased markedly. More importantly with advancements in technology and telecommunications, we have immediate access to our neighbors throughout the world. We are enriched by their diverse cultures and grow in the understanding of how every person on this earth was created to make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of the earth and all that are on it. It is a truly amazing thought. One that rises to the level of a God who is love and longs for all God’s people to bask in that love.

Prayer: Lord, help us to never forget how very important our support systems are whether near or far. 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.