As a reminder we are continuing to look at the book of Acts, specifically the speech Peter gives in chapter two. Jesus had ascended to heaven but had promised the Spirit would help with the multicultural mission of spreading the good news about God's plans for the world to all people. During the Festival of Pentecost, the Spirit enters the 120 or so followers of Jesus gathered together and they begin speaking in all the languages represented by the thousands of pilgrims who were coming into Jerusalem for the Festival. This got a lot of attention and so Peter, along with the eleven other disciples stands up to explain everything.

Last week we talked about how Peter referred to the Hebrew prophet Joel, suggesting that the prophecy had come true. He then goes on to tell the people about Jesus. He says that God had done miracles, signs and wonders among them through Jesus and that even though they knew Jesus was from God, they killed him. And in Acts 2:24 Peter says, “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Peter then refers to Psalm 16 which is attributed to King Davd. Like with his reference to Joel, Peter uses Hebrew prophecy to point to Jesus. In fact, Peter starts his quotation of the Psalm by saying, “David said about him,” suggesting that David himself knew, as Joel knew, that a messiah would come that could not only withstand the corruption of death but experience renewal beyond death.  As one commenter puts it, “Jesus’ resurrection without corruption fulfills the psalm’s highest aspiration.”

Tomorrow we’ll look at the next section of the speech, verses 29-36, but I thought we could end today with Psalm 16 in its entirety. In the Psalm, David suggests that by being faithful to God alone and recognizing that God is only good, death is overcome with life. Peter says that David is speaking about Jesus. By faith in Jesus, and by the indwelling of the Spirit, we too can sing this song. It is a song that represents the good news of Jesus.

Psalm 16 from the New International Version:

A miktam of David.

1 Keep me safe, my God,

for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing.”

3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,

“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods 

or take up their names on my lips.

5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;

you make my lot secure.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

11 You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

A Blue Ridge sunset

After the Spirit descended on those 120 or so followers of Jesus, they couldn’t hide in an upper room anymore. Everyone noticed because of the power that had come on them to speak in languages Jewish pilgrims from all over the Meditteranean were able to understand. Some of those observers were truly amazed, but others mocked them and suggested they were drunk. This is the impetus for Peter to stand up along with the other eleven disciples and give a speech.

Before we get into the first section, there are some things to know about it. It is very well structured with a clear beginning, emphasis in the middle and end that re-emphasizes the beginning. Here’s the first part, Acts 2:14-21 read from the New International Version:

“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Acts 2:17    “ ‘In the last days, God says,

                           I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

            Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

                           your young men will see visions,

                           your old men will dream dreams.

18        Even on my servants, both men and women,

                           I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

                           and they will prophesy.

19        I will show wonders in the heavens above

                           and signs on the earth below,

                           blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20        The sun will be turned to darkness

                           and the moon to blood

                           before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21        And everyone who calls

                           on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Since Peter was speaking to his fellow Jews, it makes perfect sense to use a prophet from the Hebrew Bible first. This gives some grounding and credibility to his argument. He also uses Joel to add credibility to the event itself that had just occurred. It was a fulfillment of Joel, who was writing about a plague of locusts that had befallen Israel and about the future mercies of God, revealed in a kind of judgement. And so Peter is connecting the dots between Joel’s prophetic words about God’s future movement with the event that had just occurred.

I can’t help but think about this pandemic when I think about why Joel wrote what he did. He was dealing with a crisis that affected everyone and everything. His reality had been completely disrupted. Some of you may have seen the news about the massive swarm of locusts that recently devastated parts of East Africa and the Middle East last month about this time. And this in the middle of a pandemic. I can’t imagine the feelings of those poor rural farmers as they see their crops destroyed by locusts and a looming virus forcing a change in behaviors all at the same time. Here is more information about the locust swarm. It seems kind of absurd and even patronizing to preach some kind of future hope in the midst of this present reality. But I think that is the main takeaway for us today.

Peter referencing this passage in Joel should light a fire under those of us who know that we are called by Christ and empowered by the Spirit to promote well-being for all creation. If we have the hope of Christ, how are we sharing it not just in word but also in deed? What can you do in your everyday social distancing present existence to care about Kenyan farmers whose sorghum crops have been destroyed? Maybe at the very least it’s a shift in thinking. To recognize that there still incredibly high multi-cultural barriers that humans have put up against hope and that we as Christians need to accept the call of power in the Spirit to break down those barriers. Maybe it’s at the very least recognizing that those afflicted in Yemen should have the same access to resources as we do. Or maybe it’s, at the very least, recognizing that there really is racial disparity in healthcare access in this country, and that the church should be about the business of breaking down that cultural barrier.

Sometimes we need to be convinced of the things we already say we believe. But belief isn’t stagnant - it gives space to the Spirit, which calls us by Christ into action. “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” But we each have to respond to that pouring.

Tomorrow during Sunday worship we will look at the next part of Peter’s speech. He has provided a footing for God’s movement, now he points God’s movement to Jesus, the center of his argument, the one who brings the end to light through his resurrection and hope to life through the gift of the Spirit. 

A Kenyan farmer in March 2020

After the Spirit descended on those 120 or so followers of Jesus, they couldn’t hide in an upper room anymore. Everyone noticed because of the power that had come on them to speak in languages Jewish pilgrims from all over the Meditteranean were able to understand. Some of those observers were truly amazed, but others mocked them and suggested they were drunk. This is the impetus for Peter to stand up along with the other eleven disciples and give a speech.

Before we get into the first section, there are some things to know about it. It is very well structured with a clear beginning, emphasis in the middle and end that re-emphasizes the beginning. Here’s the first part, Acts 2:14-21 read from the New International Version:

“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Acts 2:17    “ ‘In the last days, God says,

                           I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

            Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

                           your young men will see visions,

                           your old men will dream dreams.

18        Even on my servants, both men and women,

                           I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

                           and they will prophesy.

19        I will show wonders in the heavens above

                           and signs on the earth below,

                           blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20        The sun will be turned to darkness

                           and the moon to blood

                           before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21        And everyone who calls

                           on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Since Peter was speaking to his fellow Jews, it makes perfect sense to use a prophet from the Hebrew Bible first. This gives some grounding and credibility to his argument. He also uses Joel to add credibility to the event itself that had just occurred. It was a fulfillment of Joel, who was writing about a plague of locusts that had befallen Israel and about the future mercies of God, revealed in a kind of judgement. And so Peter is connecting the dots between Joel’s prophetic words about God’s future movement with the event that had just occurred.

I can’t help but think about this pandemic when I think about why Joel wrote what he did. He was dealing with a crisis that affected everyone and everything. His reality had been completely disrupted. Some of you may have seen the news about the massive swarm of locusts that recently devastated parts of East Africa and the Middle East last month about this time. And this in the middle of a pandemic. I can’t imagine the feelings of those poor rural farmers as they see their crops destroyed by locusts and a looming virus forcing a change in behaviors all at the same time. Here is more information about the locust swarm. It seems kind of absurd and even patronizing to preach some kind of future hope in the midst of this present reality. But I think that is the main takeaway for us today.

Peter referencing this passage in Joel should light a fire under those of us who know that we are called by Christ and empowered by the Spirit to promote well-being for all creation. If we have the hope of Christ, how are we sharing it not just in word but also in deed? What can you do in your everyday social distancing present existence to care about Kenyan farmers whose sorghum crops have been destroyed? Maybe at the very least it’s a shift in thinking. To recognize that there still incredibly high multi-cultural barriers that humans have put up against hope and that we as Christians need to accept the call of power in the Spirit to break down those barriers. Maybe it’s at the very least recognizing that those afflicted in Yemen should have the same access to resources as we do. Or maybe it’s, at the very least, recognizing that there really is racial disparity in healthcare access in this country, and that the church should be about the business of breaking down that cultural barrier.

Sometimes we need to be convinced of the things we already say we believe. But belief isn’t stagnant - it gives space to the Spirit, which calls us by Christ into action. “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” But we each have to respond to that pouring.

Tomorrow during Sunday worship we will look at the next part of Peter’s speech. He has provided a footing for God’s movement, now he points God’s movement to Jesus, the center of his argument, the one who brings the end to light through his resurrection and hope to life through the gift of the Spirit. 

A Kenyan farmer in March 2020

In Acts 2 we have the story of a promise kept. The Spirit, the advocate that Jesus spoke about enters the 120 or so people that had been followers of Jesus, both women and men. And the Spirit miraculously takes the first step in the multicultural mission Jesus gave them by breaking down a significant cultural barrier: language. It was perfect timing as thousands of pilgrims had flooded Jerusalem for Shavuot, one of the three annual festivals that required pilgrimage to the temple. Jews were living all over the Mediterranean and spoke all kind of regional dialects. And there were many more languages than there are now.

The Spirit of God descended on the group and gave them the ability to speak in other languages. Hearing the sound of it, a crowd began to gather and they each heard their language being spoken. 120 people just started speaking in languages they couldn’t just a few minutes before and the people around them noticed. They said, “Aren’t all these people from Galillee? How are we hearing them in our native language?” Even though all the people there were Jews, they had different languages, regional dialects, different types of clothing – small but significant cultural distinctions that made for a really strange experience. Some were amazed by it, but others thought they were drunk. 

And so Peter, who seems clearly prepared for this because of the incredibly robust rhetorical structure of his speech, creates an audience. He is ready to tell his story. Are we ready to tell ours?

We’ll pick up tomorrow with the first section of Peter’s speech, which is a reference to Joel, the Old Testament prophet, but what are your thoughts for today? This story reminds me of how small and fragile that initial group of Jesus followers really was. And it makes me think about our small group as well. We at PBC are a small, fragile ecosystem, but we also represent that first group in a way - we are multicultural and we represent that purpose of Jesus, to include all people. And the promise of Jesus for them is the same as it for us. They believed it. And power came upon them and barriers began to be broken down. Do we still believe in the multi-cultural mission of Jesus? Do we still believe in the power of the Spirit to do miraculous acts through us that bring people together? Are we looking up at the skies with worry? Or are we on the move by the power of the Spirit, adapting to the barriers we now face with this virus, confident in the promise of Christ’s call? I think if we’re being honest, we are striving to be faithful, but we are struggling with it. I can’t imagine what those early followers, just 120 huddled together at great risk of persecution by the same forces that killed Jesus; I can’t imagine their stress. But they held on to each other and they were as faithful as they knew how to be. And that faith was rewarded with the power to speak the very words of God. I pray for that kind of togetherness even now for Peachtree Baptist Church, and the church universal. Let’s name our stress, and then let’s be as faithful as we know how to one another and to God, confident in the power of the Spirit indwelt within us to be witnesses to the well-being God promises in Christ Jesus.

—Paul

Pentecost, Jesus Mafa

In Acts 2 we have the story of a promise kept. The Spirit, the advocate that Jesus spoke about enters the 120 or so people that had been followers of Jesus, both women and men. And the Spirit miraculously takes the first step in the multicultural mission Jesus gave them by breaking down a significant cultural barrier: language. It was perfect timing as thousands of pilgrims had flooded Jerusalem for Shavuot, one of the three annual festivals that required pilgrimage to the temple. Jews were living all over the Mediterranean and spoke all kind of regional dialects. And there were many more languages than there are now.

The Spirit of God descended on the group and gave them the ability to speak in other languages. Hearing the sound of it, a crowd began to gather and they each heard their language being spoken. 120 people just started speaking in languages they couldn’t just a few minutes before and the people around them noticed. They said, “Aren’t all these people from Galillee? How are we hearing them in our native language?” Even though all the people there were Jews, they had different languages, regional dialects, different types of clothing – small but significant cultural distinctions that made for a really strange experience. Some were amazed by it, but others thought they were drunk. 

And so Peter, who seems clearly prepared for this because of the incredibly robust rhetorical structure of his speech, creates an audience. He is ready to tell his story. Are we ready to tell ours?

We’ll pick up tomorrow with the first section of Peter’s speech, which is a reference to Joel, the Old Testament prophet, but what are your thoughts for today? This story reminds me of how small and fragile that initial group of Jesus followers really was. And it makes me think about our small group as well. We at PBC are a small, fragile ecosystem, but we also represent that first group in a way - we are multicultural and we represent that purpose of Jesus, to include all people. And the promise of Jesus for them is the same as it for us. They believed it. And power came upon them and barriers began to be broken down. Do we still believe in the multi-cultural mission of Jesus? Do we still believe in the power of the Spirit to do miraculous acts through us that bring people together? Are we looking up at the skies with worry? Or are we on the move by the power of the Spirit, adapting to the barriers we now face with this virus, confident in the promise of Christ’s call? I think if we’re being honest, we are striving to be faithful, but we are struggling with it. I can’t imagine what those early followers, just 120 huddled together at great risk of persecution by the same forces that killed Jesus; I can’t imagine their stress. But they held on to each other and they were as faithful as they knew how to be. And that faith was rewarded with the power to speak the very words of God. I pray for that kind of togetherness even now for Peachtree Baptist Church, and the church universal. Let’s name our stress, and then let’s be as faithful as we know how to one another and to God, confident in the power of the Spirit indwelt within us to be witnesses to the well-being God promises in Christ Jesus.

—Paul

Pentecost, Jesus Mafa

A couple of years ago I read a commentary on the book of Acts by Craig Keener, and it was incredibly helpful in understanding the culture in which the early church existed. It made the multi-cultural missional command that Jesus gave in Acts 1:8 even more of a challenge. Today we live in a global world where practically everything is connected. With the privilege of technology we can conduct all kinds of business even during a pandemic while we can’t be physically connected. We still deal with nationalism and religious nationalism, and we also deal with significant economic disparities, but not like it was in the first century. Crossing cultures then was a kind of betrayal of one’s roots even if one had the resources to do it; romantic love didn’t exist in the form we have now so choosing a spouse was extremely rare and available only to the wealthiest; being ‘born’ into a religion was the norm for both Jews and Romans alike, and class distinctions were enforced, such as being born into slavery or into the priesthood. Some of those standards even had the law behind them. If someone broke a cultural standard, it could be considered a criminal offense and governments could impose punishments.

In the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church, the main mission was to break down cultural barriers that hindered the message of Jesus. And the message of Jesus was and continues to be that all people can be a part of God’s work in the world, work that is essentially represented by loving others as we might love ourselves. This great command of Jesus was a massive challenge and as I mentioned yesterday, we still get it wrong most of the time. We put ourselves ahead of others by making our standards the standards by which others should be judged. Jesus had been judged even to death but that didn’t stop him from breaking that barrier down too, revealing God’s plans of restoration through his resurrected body. And one day, we believe Jesus will return to judge both the living and the dead.

Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days following his resurrection, and as he mostly did before his death and resurrection, he spoke about the kingdom of God. He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and when the disciples asked him if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel at that moment, he responded with a similar statement as he did in Luke 24, that the disciples were to be given power to proclaim Jesus’ incarnational message of redemption throughout the world, starting in Jerusalem. When Jesus ascends two men dressed in white say to the disciples in Acts 1:11: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” With that assurance, the disciples, along with about 120 other followers stayed together. They prayed constantly and they also selected a new apostle to replace Judas.

Think about that group of 120 followers then and the millions now. Think about the complete lack of any buildings dedicated to the worship of God through Christ then and the millions all over the world today. I don’t want to overplay the idea that things will never be the same after this pandemic. We could say that about every day that passes. I also don’t want to pretend that this is some kind of great opportunity for the church. Millions are suffering and I think sitting in that lament is totally legitimate. But I also believe in the risen Christ. And I believe in the same power that was present at Pentecost. I believe in the promise that was given to those disciples that Jesus will return, and so I rely not on my own strength to face the challenges ahead, but I rely on the power of the Spirit in me. That’s the promise I hold on to, and so I step into it as best as I know how.

Tomorrow we’ll take a brief look at Pentecost before diving into Peter’s speech. The Spirit had moved and Peter had some explaining to do.

—Paul

A couple of years ago I read a commentary on the book of Acts by Craig Keener, and it was incredibly helpful in understanding the culture in which the early church existed. It made the multi-cultural missional command that Jesus gave in Acts 1:8 even more of a challenge. Today we live in a global world where practically everything is connected. With the privilege of technology we can conduct all kinds of business even during a pandemic while we can’t be physically connected. We still deal with nationalism and religious nationalism, and we also deal with significant economic disparities, but not like it was in the first century. Crossing cultures then was a kind of betrayal of one’s roots even if one had the resources to do it; romantic love didn’t exist in the form we have now so choosing a spouse was extremely rare and available only to the wealthiest; being ‘born’ into a religion was the norm for both Jews and Romans alike, and class distinctions were enforced, such as being born into slavery or into the priesthood. Some of those standards even had the law behind them. If someone broke a cultural standard, it could be considered a criminal offense and governments could impose punishments.

In the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church, the main mission was to break down cultural barriers that hindered the message of Jesus. And the message of Jesus was and continues to be that all people can be a part of God’s work in the world, work that is essentially represented by loving others as we might love ourselves. This great command of Jesus was a massive challenge and as I mentioned yesterday, we still get it wrong most of the time. We put ourselves ahead of others by making our standards the standards by which others should be judged. Jesus had been judged even to death but that didn’t stop him from breaking that barrier down too, revealing God’s plans of restoration through his resurrected body. And one day, we believe Jesus will return to judge both the living and the dead.

Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days following his resurrection, and as he mostly did before his death and resurrection, he spoke about the kingdom of God. He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and when the disciples asked him if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel at that moment, he responded with a similar statement as he did in Luke 24, that the disciples were to be given power to proclaim Jesus’ incarnational message of redemption throughout the world, starting in Jerusalem. When Jesus ascends two men dressed in white say to the disciples in Acts 1:11: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” With that assurance, the disciples, along with about 120 other followers stayed together. They prayed constantly and they also selected a new apostle to replace Judas.

Think about that group of 120 followers then and the millions now. Think about the complete lack of any buildings dedicated to the worship of God through Christ then and the millions all over the world today. I don’t want to overplay the idea that things will never be the same after this pandemic. We could say that about every day that passes. I also don’t want to pretend that this is some kind of great opportunity for the church. Millions are suffering and I think sitting in that lament is totally legitimate. But I also believe in the risen Christ. And I believe in the same power that was present at Pentecost. I believe in the promise that was given to those disciples that Jesus will return, and so I rely not on my own strength to face the challenges ahead, but I rely on the power of the Spirit in me. That’s the promise I hold on to, and so I step into it as best as I know how.

Tomorrow we’ll take a brief look at Pentecost before diving into Peter’s speech. The Spirit had moved and Peter had some explaining to do.

—Paul

Acts 2, for me, has become one of the most important chapters in all the Bible. Faith is an ever-evolving thing: growing, shifting, adapting. And part of that adaptation has been a clearer view of resurrection and the role of the Spirit. Growing up Southern Baptist, most sermons and Bible studies pointed to salvation and the cross. Little attention was given to the role of the Spirit and resurrection was taken for granted. But faith in Christ is not just a salvation check box or a ‘get into heaven free’ card. Faith in Christ means that I am being saved; that my will, my desires are being slowly subsumed by God’s will for this world. That work in us is done by the Spirit, certainly not by us. And God’s will for this world, which is to restore and renew it to a state of perfect well-being, like it was in the very beginning, begins to be reflected through us by that faith. On Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus – Easter. We do that every Sunday when we worship as a body of faith, whether it’s in a building or from our homes. The resurrection of Jesus shows us what our future will be like by faith in Jesus. A future world restored back to full life, just like Jesus was restored. When we gather, we seek to catch a glimpse of that future.

The lectionary passage for the next two weeks is from Acts 2, focusing on the sermon of Peter following the miracle at Pentecost. And I think it’s as good a place to go as any right now while we are adapting our faith traditions during this pandemic. Luke, who wrote both the gospel of Luke as well as the book of Acts, was concerned about history but also about what it meant for the church to represent the work of Jesus in the world, that work of salvation. In some very real ways, we are still living in that book, as the church, struggling with life on earth while at the same time seeking to be faithful to Jesus. And we read about the failures of the early church too in Acts, just as we know of churches now who get it wrong all the time. Sometimes it feels like we all get it wrong all the time, but we are works in progress by faith in Christ.

Creation, rebellion, Jesus, Spirit, (Jesus). The last one is in parentheses because it hasn’t happened yet. By faith in Jesus, we believe it will; we believe Jesus will return and restore God’s creation to an original state of perfect well-being. Peter’s sermon in Acts was one that launched people with faith in Jesus into action towards that future hope. We call that movement the church. Let’s look in and see what God can do through us over the next several days, starting with some questions:

What are we as the body of Christ doing to represent God’s purposes of redemption, restoration and renewal even while the earth seems to treat us like antigens? What are we doing right now to represent a future that we believe will be a state of perfect well-being for all creation even while we are having to keep our distance from others because of disease? What does it mean to be focused on a future hope so that we can better act on our present when we feel so displaced by this virus? I believe that even while we feel stuck at home, we, as the church, are called to be on the move. When Jesus ascended, about 120 people were not sure what to do next. But God had plans and reached them by the Spirit Jesus had promised. That Spirit continues to reach us and continues to call us to act.

— Paul

Acts 2, for me, has become one of the most important chapters in all the Bible. Faith is an ever-evolving thing: growing, shifting, adapting. And part of that adaptation has been a clearer view of resurrection and the role of the Spirit. Growing up Southern Baptist, most sermons and Bible studies pointed to salvation and the cross. Little attention was given to the role of the Spirit and resurrection was taken for granted. But faith in Christ is not just a salvation check box or a ‘get into heaven free’ card. Faith in Christ means that I am being saved; that my will, my desires are being slowly subsumed by God’s will for this world. That work in us is done by the Spirit, certainly not by us. And God’s will for this world, which is to restore and renew it to a state of perfect well-being, like it was in the very beginning, begins to be reflected through us by that faith. On Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus – Easter. We do that every Sunday when we worship as a body of faith, whether it’s in a building or from our homes. The resurrection of Jesus shows us what our future will be like by faith in Jesus. A future world restored back to full life, just like Jesus was restored. When we gather, we seek to catch a glimpse of that future.

The lectionary passage for the next two weeks is from Acts 2, focusing on the sermon of Peter following the miracle at Pentecost. And I think it’s as good a place to go as any right now while we are adapting our faith traditions during this pandemic. Luke, who wrote both the gospel of Luke as well as the book of Acts, was concerned about history but also about what it meant for the church to represent the work of Jesus in the world, that work of salvation. In some very real ways, we are still living in that book, as the church, struggling with life on earth while at the same time seeking to be faithful to Jesus. And we read about the failures of the early church too in Acts, just as we know of churches now who get it wrong all the time. Sometimes it feels like we all get it wrong all the time, but we are works in progress by faith in Christ.

Creation, rebellion, Jesus, Spirit, (Jesus). The last one is in parentheses because it hasn’t happened yet. By faith in Jesus, we believe it will; we believe Jesus will return and restore God’s creation to an original state of perfect well-being. Peter’s sermon in Acts was one that launched people with faith in Jesus into action towards that future hope. We call that movement the church. Let’s look in and see what God can do through us over the next several days, starting with some questions:

What are we as the body of Christ doing to represent God’s purposes of redemption, restoration and renewal even while the earth seems to treat us like antigens? What are we doing right now to represent a future that we believe will be a state of perfect well-being for all creation even while we are having to keep our distance from others because of disease? What does it mean to be focused on a future hope so that we can better act on our present when we feel so displaced by this virus? I believe that even while we feel stuck at home, we, as the church, are called to be on the move. When Jesus ascended, about 120 people were not sure what to do next. But God had plans and reached them by the Spirit Jesus had promised. That Spirit continues to reach us and continues to call us to act.

— Paul