Peripatetics: The Art of Walking
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
A New Testament passage that correlates to yesterday's insights from Psalm 122 (see entry below) comes from Acts, chapter 2. Take a few minutes and read Acts 2: 41--47 a couple of times. We'll be here for a couple of days.
Anyway, Davids was excited when he heard that he was going to Jerusalem for the festivals. And why not? His experience with his community enjoying life together with each other and with God was one he would always look forward to.
But we don't have the pillar of fire leading us by night and the cloud by day, do we? We don't have Moses coming down and giving us the Law, do we? We didn't have God provide for us every day during the 40 years in the wilderness, did we? Maybe there's some loose tie since we're the "seed of Abraham" but, what do we have to reflect on that gives us reason to look forward to church?
I mean, we work hard during the week. In some cases, the weekends are even busier. Why should there be excitement in waking up early, getting dressed, singing some songs, hearing 35 minutes of a sermon...and being late for the kickoff of the NFL games?
But there should be an excitement, and there are several reasons in Acts 2 that we'll be looking at over the next few days. The first is found in verse 41.
Keep in mind this is after a LONG sermon Peter gives in Acts 2...one that you may even want to read. He gives a background on prophecy and how it all pointed to Christ. The hearers were so enthralled that they literally asked Peter to lead them to salvation. 3,000 people took him up on the offer.
3,000 people. One sermon. Now into one family.
The historian Josephus refers to us as "the Tribe known as Christians." I like that. We become family. Our very own tribe, united by Christ and His work. We have our own history (much richer and storied than our American perspective, too), our own traditions (everything from creeds to our own day for worship to cathedrals to megachurch praise music), our own identity in the world.
And in many ways, we've lost the excitment of all that. That on Sundays, we get to come together and celebrate a life well-lived with our "tribe." And I think it's something we should strive to "get back."
Mind vitamin/journal prompt for today: What is your primary emotion and primary thoughts when you begin to think through your Sunday? Going to your small groups? What do you think causes your thoughts to go that particular way?
Brent 4:05 AM
Comments:
this is the first time i have ever been onthis..and yes i am in 4th period!!! thsi is a great nspiration and Brent, i want to thank you for listening and teaching this series...your doing a great jobn and the Holy Spirit seems to be calling on something in our minds to move and take action..this site is GREATNESS!
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