Dear Brothers and Sisters,
ALLELUJAH! CHRIST IS RISEN!
There are so many wonderful things about the season of Easter. Especially for me, the excuses to say and write ALLELUJAH at every turning!
One of the things I really treasure, though, is that from Easter Day through and including the Sunday of Pentecost, we read from the Acts of the Apostles. For example, this Sunday, which is the third Sunday of Easter in lectionary year C, we will be reading Acts 9:1-20. In year A, we read Acts 1:14, 36-41. In year B Acts 3:12-19. We often say that if something is repeated in Scripture, we should sit up and pay attention because it’s important. So the fact that we read the Acts of the Apostles in all three years and in all the long weeks of the Easter season, tells us again, “This is important stuff!”
I like reading historical novels and watching movies based on historical events. The more true to history and the life and times of that culture they are, the more I like them. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I am especially fond of Acts. The great thing about it is that it reveals MY history! The stories of MY grandmothers and grandfathers in faith. An insight into how MY church came to be. And, like every good historical narrative, it doesn’t hesitate to uncover some of the uglier parts of that history. Yep, there were some scandals and scoundrels in MY church’s story, too.
Where in heaven’s name did the fantasy that the early church was all peaceable and calm come from??? That everyone laid aside their personal agendas for the good of the Gospel? Reading Acts is quite an eye-opener on that score! There was plenty of controversy in those early days following Jesus’ Ascension. And backbiting. And struggling for power. Conspiracy, too. Lots of stories of death-defying escapes, of amazing adventures and supernatural happenings. And like every good novel, strong and weak characters. Heroes and heroines. Rich people and poor people.
But you know what happens when you read even a thriller a few pages at a time and then set it down for a few days. Or if you skip around a lot. You tend to lose the impact of the story’s events. To read brief sections of Acts here and there over three years means that we don’t get a real understanding of what was happening. So I encourage you to take a few hours and read the Acts of the Apostles straight through. You will never again see the story of YOUR early church with the same eyes. I promise you.
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED. ALLELUJAH!
Mo. Laura+
June 4, 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM St. Margaret’s Annual Community Yard Sale (view/download flyer)