There are challenges and concerns which cause many to fear nearly everything. I would like to chuckle at the myriads of ways marketing folks embrace this so that the choice of toothpaste and car become transcendent choices to chase away life’s greatest trials. But I can’t quite laugh because it is so very sad.
This morning I encountered Acts 1:12-14. To set the stage, Jesus had completed his post-death/resurrection time and his family and friends watched as he left with a promise to send help.
The EASY translation records: “When the apostles arrived back in Jerusalem, they went to their room. The room where they were staying was upstairs. Those apostles were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; also James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James. All these apostles often met together to pray. Mary who was Jesus' mother, other women and Jesus' brothers also met with them.
This was extraordinary on so many levels: only 43 days earlier they had trembled in fear and confusion, disciples gathering, women seeking to serve, all with such painful lack of understanding. And 40 days after the resurrection they were on track to pray in anticipation of the help that would come more than five weeks later. Extraordinary…a miracle of amazing transformation and such a joy for all the world even two millennia later.
But here is what truly blows me away—that astonishing statement that the disciples met INCLUDING THE WOMEN!!! and Mary and her mortal sons. This was just not done…in fact there are still places in the Arabic world where it is STILL not done! From the first day of the new kingdom women were welcomed, valued, full participants in the kingdom work.
Needless to say, there was some serious backsliding through the following centuries, but the revolution was starting as it would continue, solidly founded on the rock of prayers of ALL BELIEVERS.
This is lived out in our age by faithful servants who walk with and work along side of people of all genders, colors, educational backgrounds, socio-economic status, folks with terrifying testimonies of redemption and healing from intergenerational wounds, new followers leaning into God in ways that show the “old dogs” the eternal truth that prayer avails much, and those whose years of faithful service bless us all.
Folks, the miracle is not huge churches or mega-congregations or small churches or bestselling authors or programing or building committees or mission trips. The miracle is that Christ built his Church without any of that…He founded and grew his church on individuals who treated other individuals as valuable, who held their assets (spiritual gifts, income/wealth, health) as humbly held trusts to be used to be a blessing and who embraced an outrageous trust in going where they were sent and teaching people that they are deeply loved, intrinsically valuable in God’s eyes and welcome and important to the followers of Christ. It was all completely insane in the times in which they were planted and utterly impossible for such a rag-tag group to be taken seriously in any sense.
YET, praise God, here we are.
Let us remember how essential is prayer for our own health, for the health of our family and church family, for our neighbors and all whose lives we touch. I love the idea of “Devine Appointments”, those times when a conversation with a stranger or a phone from a friend or an unexpected opportunity to lend a hand leads to a truly transcendental moment, no matter what toothpaste we chose or what car we drove.
And I suspect these are far more common than we recognize. Don’t be afraid to say something kind, offer a hand, write a note, look someone in the eye and say thank you for your help, or ask if you can pray for or with someone. It may be the best thing that happens today to you AND them.
PRAY REQUEST: Kairos Outside of Western Missouri has a weekend coming up and guests excited to be coming. BUT there is a great need for financial support and volunteers to serve on the team (minimum two months commitment including for training and follow-up support for the guests) or to be angels for a few hours on the weekend, financial support and MOST IMPORTANT PRAYERS! Kairos is an unapologetically Christ-centric event and we welcome followers of Jesus to learn more about volunteer opportunities by using the “contact” button at the top of the page. Check out https://kairosprisonministry.org/kairos-outside/ to learn more about their values and opportunities to support or to receive information on Kairos Outside services.
This morning I encountered Acts 1:12-14. To set the stage, Jesus had completed his post-death/resurrection time and his family and friends watched as he left with a promise to send help.
The EASY translation records: “When the apostles arrived back in Jerusalem, they went to their room. The room where they were staying was upstairs. Those apostles were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; also James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James. All these apostles often met together to pray. Mary who was Jesus' mother, other women and Jesus' brothers also met with them.
This was extraordinary on so many levels: only 43 days earlier they had trembled in fear and confusion, disciples gathering, women seeking to serve, all with such painful lack of understanding. And 40 days after the resurrection they were on track to pray in anticipation of the help that would come more than five weeks later. Extraordinary…a miracle of amazing transformation and such a joy for all the world even two millennia later.
But here is what truly blows me away—that astonishing statement that the disciples met INCLUDING THE WOMEN!!! and Mary and her mortal sons. This was just not done…in fact there are still places in the Arabic world where it is STILL not done! From the first day of the new kingdom women were welcomed, valued, full participants in the kingdom work.
Needless to say, there was some serious backsliding through the following centuries, but the revolution was starting as it would continue, solidly founded on the rock of prayers of ALL BELIEVERS.
This is lived out in our age by faithful servants who walk with and work along side of people of all genders, colors, educational backgrounds, socio-economic status, folks with terrifying testimonies of redemption and healing from intergenerational wounds, new followers leaning into God in ways that show the “old dogs” the eternal truth that prayer avails much, and those whose years of faithful service bless us all.
Folks, the miracle is not huge churches or mega-congregations or small churches or bestselling authors or programing or building committees or mission trips. The miracle is that Christ built his Church without any of that…He founded and grew his church on individuals who treated other individuals as valuable, who held their assets (spiritual gifts, income/wealth, health) as humbly held trusts to be used to be a blessing and who embraced an outrageous trust in going where they were sent and teaching people that they are deeply loved, intrinsically valuable in God’s eyes and welcome and important to the followers of Christ. It was all completely insane in the times in which they were planted and utterly impossible for such a rag-tag group to be taken seriously in any sense.
YET, praise God, here we are.
Let us remember how essential is prayer for our own health, for the health of our family and church family, for our neighbors and all whose lives we touch. I love the idea of “Devine Appointments”, those times when a conversation with a stranger or a phone from a friend or an unexpected opportunity to lend a hand leads to a truly transcendental moment, no matter what toothpaste we chose or what car we drove.
And I suspect these are far more common than we recognize. Don’t be afraid to say something kind, offer a hand, write a note, look someone in the eye and say thank you for your help, or ask if you can pray for or with someone. It may be the best thing that happens today to you AND them.
PRAY REQUEST: Kairos Outside of Western Missouri has a weekend coming up and guests excited to be coming. BUT there is a great need for financial support and volunteers to serve on the team (minimum two months commitment including for training and follow-up support for the guests) or to be angels for a few hours on the weekend, financial support and MOST IMPORTANT PRAYERS! Kairos is an unapologetically Christ-centric event and we welcome followers of Jesus to learn more about volunteer opportunities by using the “contact” button at the top of the page. Check out https://kairosprisonministry.org/kairos-outside/ to learn more about their values and opportunities to support or to receive information on Kairos Outside services.
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