pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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The Church As Love

Reading: Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:44 – “All the believers were united and shared everything.”

In today’s passage, Luke describes the early community of faith. The community acts this way because of and through God’s presence with them. Verse 42 lists four practices of the early church. They were devoted to learning about Jesus. They were committed to one another. The community shared meals together. And they prayed together. The level of connection to and care for one another, both empowered by God’s Spirit, brought a “sense of awe” to this community of believers.

God’s power was also evident in other ways. The apostles “performed many wonders and signs,” doing as Jesus had taught them to do. In verse 44 we read, “All the believers were united and shared everything.” There was a deep feeling of connection, rooted in love. This led to compassion and generosity being evident in the community. Those in the community were willing to sell their things to have the means to provide for other’s needs. All of this was guided by their faith in Jesus.

Daily worship reinforced and strengthened their connection to the Lord. Daily meals did the same for their connections to one another. Outside of the community, the believers “demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone.” Outside the “walls,” the church was Jesus’ hands and feet and heart.

Because of their faith and the ways they lived together and out in the world, “the Lord added daily” to their community. People were coming to a saving faith in Jesus each day. The love of God was transforming lives. May this be the kind of faith that we live out and practice daily.

Prayer: Lord God, what a beautiful picture of what it means to be the community of faith. As we live out our faith daily, O God, empower us to witness to the world this kind of love. Inside and outside the church, may we be living witnesses to your love for all of humanity. Amen.


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Sing a New Song

Reading: Psalm 149

Verse 1: “Sing to the Lord a new song.”

God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are the same then, now, and forever. The scriptures have existed in their present format for almost 2,000 years. When we read today, “Sing to the Lord a new song,” is the psalmist still speaking to us today?

Music has always been a part of the worship of God. Even before the Psalms were written and sung, God’s people were expressing their faith through music and song. The Psalms run the gamut of expression – from the laments to heartfelt prayers to the celebration of God’s presence and activity among the people of God. The tradition of proclaiming our faith has continued throughout the history of the church. Music – be they hymns or gospels or contemporary praise songs – it all teaches theology and offers shared experiences of our encounters with God through sung expression. When each of these works were written and shared, they were a “new song” to the Lord.

These new songs run the gamut of the Psalms. Many address what we Methodists call “social justice” and “social holiness.” Music centered on love and peace, hope and justice calls us and society to a better world, to a holier way of living and of treating one another. Some of the voices come from the edges, adding to this rich mix of music, expressing the pain of being ignored or shunned or marginalized, sharing the hope of truly being a part of the family of God. Through these new songs we can become more aware of and engaged with the needs of our day. These new songs are evidence of God’s Spirit at work. They are invitations to be a part of God’s growing kingdom here on earth. As people of God and as people of love, peace, hope, and justice, may we too sing these songs.

Prayer: Lord God, continue to bring to our ears the cries for justice and equality and fairness. Guide this music and these cries to trickle down to our hearts, moving us to be people who invite all into the circle of your family. Lead us to speak out and even to fight when it is needed to welcome others into the family of God. You created us all. You love us all. Amen.


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Drawn by Love

Reading: Acts 4: 32-35

Verse 33: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”.

In yesterday’s Psalm we were reminded how “good and pleasant” it was and is when the faithful live in unity. In today’s passage from Acts 4, we see this ideal lived out. This passage focuses on the church in Jerusalem. In other passages we see similar circumstances as well as churches in one community supporting a church in another community. As Christians living our faith today, many of us support our local churches as well as organizations that serve others on a daily basis or in times of great need. The twin spirits of generosity and of caring for the other have been hallmarks of Christianity ever since Jesus set these examples.

Our passage today opens with “all the believers were one in heart and mind”. This manifest itself in three ways: they shared everything, no one was in need, and individuals sold land and homes to support one another. All three were great examples of love being lived out. All three witnessed to Jesus’ calls to love other more than self and to love as he first loved us. The world around the church noticed. The early church was living out its faith in real and practical ways. Love attracts, love draws others in. In verse 33 we read, “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”. People were drawn towards Jesus by the love being lived out. The apostles’ words revealed Jesus resurrected, the source of this love and its power. May our actions and words do the same.

Prayer: Lord God, may all see and hear your love in me. Each day may I love others as Jesus would love them. And if any ask, may the Holy Spirit give me the words of life, bringing others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.