Passage to Ponder: Acts 8:1-5
“…Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.”
-Acts 8:3-4 (NLT)
This Sunday is going to be different for our church, that is for sure! In fact, it is not going to be just different; it is going to be weird for our church. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines weird as “of strange or extraordinary character, odd, fantastic.” It will be of strange character. It will be extraordinary, meaning out of the ordinary nature of how our church functions. We will be online in some format that I am still working on (watch for an announcement soon).
Have you entertained the possibility that being out of our ordinary character as a church can be, as one of the ways to define weird, FANTASTIC? In the early church, after Stephen had been martyred, Saul (Paul) began leading a crusade against the church to destroy it. Yet the Bible tells us in Acts 8 that as the church was forced out of their usual routine and safe havens, Believers shared the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. What the enemies of Christ meant to destroy the church only made it stronger. Could God be allowing this pandemic to make the church weird again?
I grew up reading the King James Version of the Bible. In it, 1 Peter 2:9 reads, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” I like that God says that His people were chosen to be like a holy nation of priests to show Him praise because He saved us from darkness and brought us into His light. God also said that Christians are to be peculiar. Sounds a lot like the word weird to me. God meant for His people to be out of the ordinary.
Have we quarantined ourselves so long inside the church walls that God has now quarantined us outside the church walls? Has God done this so that we can once again be weird, peculiar? What an opportunity show the difference Christ has made in our lives to our neighbors! Instead of going to church, BE THE CHURCH—His Body touching people with love and grace.
In the first devotional I shared with you I gave you a “to-do” list. On that list was an action item to contact your neighbors and those who are alone to see how they are doing? Have you done that? Do you know if they have everything they need to quarantine at home? They may need help now. If not now, the time will probably come in this pandemic when our neighbors may need help with supplies. We will all long for contact with the outside world. What an opportunity to make a difference by being a different Christian than normal! Let’s be weird and peculiar Believers!
Have you entertained the possibility that being out of our ordinary character as a church can be, as one of the ways to define weird, FANTASTIC? In the early church, after Stephen had been martyred, Saul (Paul) began leading a crusade against the church to destroy it. Yet the Bible tells us in Acts 8 that as the church was forced out of their usual routine and safe havens, Believers shared the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. What the enemies of Christ meant to destroy the church only made it stronger. Could God be allowing this pandemic to make the church weird again?
I grew up reading the King James Version of the Bible. In it, 1 Peter 2:9 reads, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” I like that God says that His people were chosen to be like a holy nation of priests to show Him praise because He saved us from darkness and brought us into His light. God also said that Christians are to be peculiar. Sounds a lot like the word weird to me. God meant for His people to be out of the ordinary.
Have we quarantined ourselves so long inside the church walls that God has now quarantined us outside the church walls? Has God done this so that we can once again be weird, peculiar? What an opportunity show the difference Christ has made in our lives to our neighbors! Instead of going to church, BE THE CHURCH—His Body touching people with love and grace.
In the first devotional I shared with you I gave you a “to-do” list. On that list was an action item to contact your neighbors and those who are alone to see how they are doing? Have you done that? Do you know if they have everything they need to quarantine at home? They may need help now. If not now, the time will probably come in this pandemic when our neighbors may need help with supplies. We will all long for contact with the outside world. What an opportunity to make a difference by being a different Christian than normal! Let’s be weird and peculiar Believers!
Love,
Pastor Larry
Pastor Larry
(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to
the coronavirus.)
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