REFLECTIONS – on Acts 10: “Making Space for God in a BIG, BIG way.”

Who Are YOU? And who do YOU want to BECOME? How far would you go to FOLLOW God if he called you to something?

How far will you go today??….because he is calling you and me to live our lives INTO THE STORY I am about to read in ACTS..

Two cases of God-Inspired Preparation. We who hold to a Reformed Theological Perspective have one core belief that drives all of our other beliefs: that belief is that everything that was, is and will be starts and ends with God. God is the prime mover. We are going to look now at two stories of God’s sovereignty as two different men and their communities are drawn together for God’s purpose, by God’s action and to God’s great joy and the expansion of the kingdom of God.

First Let’s meet Cornelius at the beginning of Acts 10 and see what he’s all about and what God is doing in and around him.

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, ² a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. ³ About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” ⁴ And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. ⁵ And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, ⁸ and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Cornelius lives in a town in Northern Palestine about 70 miles from Jerusalem on the Mediterranean Coast. Not only was it a sea port, but it had once been the Roman Capital of occupied Palestine and it was the beginning of a long roadway that stretched all the way south to Egypt. He was a member of the Italian Cohort, sometimes called the “Italian Band”. Nothing to do with Tony Soprano or his ancestors. The Italian cohort was an elite group of private soldiers employed as bodyguards to the Roman Procurator of Palestine. He would have been a respected person like someone in the Secret Service.

The Scripture describes Cornelius as a devout man who believed in God, gave alms to the poor and prayed to God. Throughout world history there have been many people like this. He was a model “good person” with a belief in God, but no direct religious affiliation….at least, not yet. ON THE OCCASION of our text today, Cornelius is thrust into to a stage of spiritual PREPARATION that will lead to his becoming a FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST. An angel appears to him and affirms that his faith in God has been real and that his prayers have been heard. God hears the prayers of people who believe regardless of their exact affiliation with the Christian Faith…but FAITHFUL PRAYERS lead the ones who pray to JESUS CHRIST … and this is about to happen for Cornelius.

MEANWHILE, as Cornelius is being prepared to receive CHRIST, a LEADING CHRIST FOLLOWER, named Peter, is being PREPARED to move CHRISTIANITY from being a JEWISH SECT that believed in JESUS as the JEWISH MESSIAH to a COSMIC CHRIST WHO IS LORD AND SAVIOR OF ALL … let’s read on as PREPARATION CONTINUES…

 ⁹ The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. ¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” ¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. ¹⁷ Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate ¹⁸ and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. ¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” ²³ So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

Peter has been roving about the nation of Israel, south of Caesarea, and is in a port city south and west of Jerusalem, called Joppa. It’s near where the modern day sea port of Tel Aviv is located. He is tired and hungry, and one of the early Christians in Joppa offers him rest on a rooftop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea while a meal is prepared for Peter. Instead of a nap, Peter falls into what scripture calls a trance. The Greek word in the original text for trance is “ekstasis” from which we get ecstasy or ecstatic – in other words, it was a spell-binding captivating experience…

 “…the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

Imagine this: you are a hungry, tired JEW who has for all his life observed the food and ceremonial and purity laws prescribed by your faith – and NOW A BUFFET OF UNCOOKED, BLOOD FILLED FOOD CONSISTING OF ANIMALS NOT ALLOWED FOR CONSUMPTION BY JEWS IS DROPPED BEFORE YOU. It comes down out of heaven in a ship’s sail. Peter is a fisherman, so are many of the folks in Joppa. He must think he is having a joke played on him, except for the voice of his LORD JESUS addressing him by name and telling him KILL AND EAT. Now, for those of you who attend Sanctuary regularly, you know that we just finished a series of messages in the Jesus story as told by Mark. And, that means you know how OFF PETER can be at times. So in good PETRINE form, he forbids God from offering him unclean and forbidden food. God responds: What God has made clean, do not call common. God only had to repeat this three times to Peter before he got it. Any slow learners in the room? Me too. It’s okay.

No sooner does Peter recover from his trance and the strange message from God, than three men from Caesarea and Cornelius’ group arrive –

the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”

Peter immediately says yes … and in doing so, begins the world wide expansion of Christianity as he and several of the men from Joppa journey north toward Caesarea to meet Cornelius, the non-Jew. Peter has undergone a Holy-Spirit extreme-makeover in his view of God and of Jesus and of the Spirit and of all the people of the world in his time of PREPARATION…

What I love about Peter is he can start with his nose out of joint toward God and non-Jews. He can operate like you and I like to do: “God I will do absolutely anything you want me to do and anything you want me to be as long as I don’t have to change.” And….then, he can heard the voice of God and REPENT…which simply means turn around in thinking and posture…and literally walk two days up the road to preach the Gospel to a ROMAN ENEMY.

Here at Sanctuary we describe our vision as MAKING SPACE FOR GOD…We want to participate in claiming every square inch of our lives and all Creation for God. We talk about making space for God in Our hearts, Our relationships, Our world.

So far, this is a classic BIBLICAL PASSAGE ON MAKING SPACE FOR GOD IN OUR HEARTS. Two human being in two very different places spiritually encounter God and make space for God in new ways in their hearts. And, we quickly see that INCREASED SPACE FOR GOD IN OUR HEARTS CHANGES OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND OUR WORLD…Cornelius’ preparation and Peter’s combine to result in the PROCLAMATION OF THE TRUE MESSAGE OF GOD THE CREATOR OF ALL WHO RECONCILES ALL THINGS AND ALL PERSONS TO HIMSELF IN JESUS CHRIST BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT …

²⁴ And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” ²⁷ And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. ²⁸ And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” ³⁰ And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. ³² Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Peter and Cornelius meet in a divine appointment set by the Holy Spirit. They establish that there is only one God and that neither of them is God…and they TALKED. They shared their stories. Peter confessed his sin of ethnocentrism and exclusivism with regard to the message of Jesus. Cornelius confessed his ignorance of the Christ story.

Now are text becomes a classic Biblical example of MAKING SPACE FOR GOD in our RELATIONSHIPS. Two very unique and very different people gather. They gather around JESUS. They transform each other’s lives and will transform the world. THIS TWO-PERSON SMALL GROUP relationship becomes an OPEN GROUP that is inclusive of many seekers, and suddenly PETER finds himself called upon to share his faith..

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

One highly regarded Bible commentator, C. K. Barrett, said at the end of his study of this passage:

Divine participation and control are made clear in the elaborate construction of the story with its complementary visions carefully fitted together, angelic messengers, and finally the spontaneous gift of the Spirit. The importance of the story for Luke and for Luke’s book is thus unmistakable. It marks the final critical stage in the extension of the Gospel and the expansion of the church.^[1]

So, there you have it the PROCLAMATION OF THE PURE GOSPEL, THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS THAT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE…then…and now.. You and I are modern day Cornelius’s, Cornelia’s, Peter’s and Paula’s…This message not only belongs to us in form, but it belongs in our deepest essence… in our hearts…Jesus came, lived, died, rose again…and reigns as our Lord and fills us with the Resurrection Power and Love of the Holy Spirit…and a passion to share HIS STORY.

Many of us get tired in our faith…or distracted…or just want things our way…and if that’s me or you…look out…GOD WANTS TO LIGHT US UP WITH THE SPIRIT…Whether we are exclusivist PETER’s or Clueless CORNELIUS’s. On May 24, 1738, a man named John Wesley, reluctantly attended a small meeting in London where someone was reading aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. “About a quarter before nine,” Wesley wrote in his journal, “while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

John Wesley went on from MAKING SPACE FOR GOD in his HEART to forming quite a band of CHRIST FOLLOWERS  called the Clapham Sect.  This London based group MADE SPACE FOR GOD IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS and shared their lives and their hardships with one another. They led millions to faith in JESUS CHRIST, effect the end of slavery in the British Empire, They Established Child Labor Laws. They laid the groundwork of much of the social justice and relief work you see done today by both church and governments that are models today for what we want out of a good society and what we believe all authentic Christian Churches should be pursuing on behalf of their cities and their world.

Sanctuary is nearing 4 years old. We are endeavoring to MAKE SPACE FOR GOD in our hearts, in our relationships and in our world. Let me ask you this: DO YOU TAKE SCRIPTURE SERIOUSLY? Do the STORIES OF THE BIBLE CONNECT DEEP IN YOUR SOUL AND MOVE YOU? Are THESE THE VERY WORDS OF GOD TO YOU?

If you say, no…that’s okay and honest…let’s keep talking.

If you say, yes Randy, these are the very words of God…then you will see to it that you do three things this week:

#1 Deepen, lengthen and intensify your time of prayer, meditation and Bible Study…and I am going to ask all of us to READ ACTS 10 daily at least once if not more for a week. Ask yourself: Where am I and who am I in this story?

#2 GET in a SMALL GROUP – tell your story, hear the story of others and together ask the Holy Spirit to fall upon you and send you out into your world in a meaningful way.

#3 GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT JESUS IS ALiVE AND WELL TO THE WORLD: Young Life, Taproot Theatre, The Green Bean, Awake, Dust, or some other ministry that stamps on hatred and injustice.

And….if you cannot do all three of these things this week….then your answer to my original question of ARE THESE THE VERY WORDS OF GOD TO YOU is actually NO….and that’s okay…but call me or one of the staff here because we need to keep talking.

PRAYERS –

Lord, be with Lisa and Andy as they approach their wedding date this coming Saturday. We also pray for all those who are newly married and those, like Jeremy and Reba who are planning weddings later this Spring and Summer.

God, grant peace to those who struggle with anxiety, anger and compulsiveness…and we pray for the gift of hope for those who are depressed.

Jesus, we pray that you will guide the leaders  of the world toward peace.

Holy Spirit, empower us to take your word seriously and make space for you in our lives and in our world.

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 64 Kids: 6 Offering: $438 (a new low record, but thank you Lord, we had a good month of April anyway).

New Members: will be introduce in worship next Sunday 5/4 .

All Church Brunch every communion Sunday – that’s next Sunday right after worship at Romio’s.

Now, my dear people, go out there and make it a GREAT WEEK!

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 86 kids: 4 Offering: $3,800

New Members class meet today with about 16 people plus staff and elders. We have another 6-12 who are planning to join in along the way. The class runs two more weeks, 4/20 and 4/27 with a new members introduction and all church brunch at Romio’s Pizza on the first Sunday in May. If you cannot make each of the three classes, your friendly and lunch/coffee-oriented staff members would be delighted to do catch up sessions with you for any of the weeks.

Seeking: full-time manager for the Green Bean coffee house. A non-profit Christian endeavor connected to Sanctuary. Candidates should have management, food service, preferably coffee shop, experience and a desire to devote themselves to the cause of Christ through community building, food service and ministry in the Greenwood neighborhood. Interested candidates should send cover letter, resume and list of professional references to info@sanctuarycrc.org.

PRAYERS –

God, we thank you for the wonderful ministry of  Young Life as it reaches out to unchurched youth in Seattle and around the world. Guide the YL leaders and may they see a great increase in commitments to Jesus Christ through their work on Christ’s behalf.

Spirit, comfort those who are hurt, lost and lonely. We pray you would be with our many Greenwood friends who struggle deeply with issues.

Lord, have mercy on all of us sinners. Grant us grace to seek you for cleansing from our sins and make us quick to forgive, restore and love others who have sinned against us.

Jesus, we pray for peace in the world.

Father, we pray for stability  of the world’s economies and for access to the benefits those economies can bring to one and all. Let your goodness, provision and justice flow down on and toward all.

REFELCTIONS – on Acts 3

Today, I had the wonderful privilege of sitting in the congregation where I serve and hearing Summer Mohrlang’s first sermon at Sanctuary. What a blessing it was!

Her opening story about wanting to be a world changer in the Air Force while be assigned to projects that were dead ends was painfully funny and reminded me how much all do want to make a difference and how much we struggle when we don’t get the chance to do meaningful things.

Summer then spoke about Peter and John in Acts 3, walking up the hill to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray, when they met a paralytic man who sought money from them.

In response to the begging, you all know that Peter answers, “Silver and gold have we none, but such as I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, get up and walk.”

And, of course Dr. Luke, tells us in the text of Acts that Peter reached out to the man who rose to his feet, walked…then leaped and then went to praising God in a very loud and demonstrative way.  Everyone who knew him to be the crippled beggar by the side of the road was stunned and God got lots of glory.

Summer’s point was that it doesn’t take money, position, power, or even a fully buffed body to RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT POWER of GOD and change the world. Ordinary people have appropriated the power and acted at the move of the Holy Spirit for over 2000 years and so many, many great things have been done in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.

I was deeply moved by a tiny spiritual exercise Summer threw into the meditation time this morning. She asked to pause, picture ourselves in this story and identify with it. she asked us to locate ourselves. Who am I? Peter? Silent John? The Cripple? Witnesses to the event? Among the stunned crowd who saw this man after his healing? Who am I? Who and where are you?

I have been thinking about that all afternoon. Really. And, I think I place myself in the role of the paralytic man. Crippled, broken, down and truly not too empowered at all. And, the thing that challenged me was this: “Randy, when you are knocked down and incapacitated are you open to seeing God move in a way that changes you and the world around you?” no sooner than I had heard this challenge come to me, I saw the hander of the Apostle Peter reaching toward me to pull me up and freaked out. I thought, “What if I grab this hand…and I just go tumbling butt over tea kettle because I didn’t understand what was happening, or didn’t get healed, or would lose the power of my powerlessness and hopelessness?”

Yikes. I realized that I have been that man many teams and have failed to recognize the hand of God reaching out to me through the Peters and Johns of the world.

Summer’s challenge from the Word of God, was to realize all that we cannot do…and all that GOD CAN DO in us and through us. As we move into this next week individually, as Sanctuary, as the Green Bean Coffee House, I am anxious to see where we can reach out and either convey the life changing power of the Holy Spirit, or reach out our hands and receive the power to become and do what God has for each of us right now.

God bless your week.

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 105 Kids: 5 Romio’s Brunch: 75 People, 19 Pizaa’s and 2 Gigantic Salads and 24 pitchers of Soda.

Coming Up:  Women’s group events galore. Go to our website www.sanctuarycrc.org or get in touch with Summer Mohrlang for information at smohrlang@sanctuarycrc.org

NEXT SUNDAY 4/13: New Members Class at Sanctuary Office (312 N. 85^th St.) immediately following worship.

REFLECTIONS – on “Clustering” Acts 2:38-47

We’re studying the book of the Acts of The Apostles – the book of the Holy spirit moving through the lives of ordinary people like you  and me to bring transformation to the world. I talked last week about the idea of starting and sustaining fires. The need for aeration (wind) and energy (flame) and fuel (wood) must be met for any fire to take and sustain. The fuel, the logs, must be clustered tight and burn off one another’s energy or else they go cold faster than you might think possible.

We likened this to the coming of the wind and fire we read about in ACTS on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit invades the hearts and lives of believers giving constant energy, power, imagination and love – the PERSONALITY OF JESUS radiated through us so that we may do and be what he does and is in this world. Of Course, you and I are the fuel…the logs of this fire. And, our clustering together and sharing life and ministry together is what creates the fire…

I have mentioned many times before that I was raised outside the church. I had no religious knowledge whatsoever. I did not know anything about Jesus until I was well over 17 years old. I have also told stories that I was a pretty typical child of the 60’s and early 70’s – with a somewhat wild and experimental bent to me. I chose my colleges hoping for a prolonged party atmosphere and 60’s experience. WSU sounded like the place to go. But, in the months before shipping off for my freshman year, I had this amazing, PENTECOST, HOLY SPIRIT, encounter with JESUS that changed my life and made me a total follower of his. Needless to say, following Jesus and being at college that was a real-life version of Animal House, was an interesting and challenging juxtapositioning of values and lifestyles for me. I did okay, but after one semester, I had had it.

I Transferred to PLU where I knew some Young Life folks. Moved to campus and got immediately involved with a youth ministry many of you know…and made friends and colleagues in Young Life that I have known for going on 40 years. It was at PLU an in YOUNG LIFE that I discovered the idea of MISSION and CLUSTER. MISSION – my life is to be Jesus’ witness in all possible ways and places – close to home and across the world. CLUSTER – Mission comes out of a cluster of people, burning hot with the fire and strength of the Holy Spirit.

During my first month at PLU, I was still slowly reading the Bible for the First time. I had stumbled through the Old Testament and was reading the New Testament for the first time ever and was somewhere in the Gospel of John when I attended a Young Life leadership training gathering for Tacoma Leaders and heard my friend Dudley Miller do a study on today’s text. It later became the topic of my doctoral dissertation…don’t sweat it…my dissertation was only about 275 pages long…and I will read quickly..(kidding)

Acts 2:38:47 ( shared today in 3 different segments)

We begin today a the end of the first Christian Sermon recorded. The Apostle Peter has held court before thousands and delivered a monstrously relevant appeal for one and all to come to faith in Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness for sins and a new direction for life. Peter concludes his sermon…and we see the earliest church’s response in today’s text:

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”  ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

I love this portion of ACTS 2, because I am a preacher. What the Spirit leads Peter to in this first message is very important. Peter is relevant. He’s willing to begin with the issue of “Hey, are you guys ripped or something?” – and explain the phenomenon of the Spirit that is absolutely fresh and new to him with boldness and clarity.

As the Spirit moves in Peter, He links what is happening by the Power of the Spirit to Scripture and to Jesus. HE knows this is the Spirit of Jesus … and he knows to tell the story of the ONE with whom he has lived and worked the past several years. Peter knows he has a story. And it needs to be told. We all have God stories, Jesus stories, and they need to be told. I believe the Church is supposed to live in the power and signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. If the church is not Pentecostal or Charismatic, it is not the church. I also believe strongly that whatever the Spirit is doing or leading, can and must be confirmed by integrating it with the whole of Scripture…and, the Spirit’s perceived work must hold Jesus Christ and his Resurrection and Lordship high.

If you go back and read Peter’s sermon from the beginning in Acts 2:14, you will see that Peter is linking everything that has happened and is happening to a historic faith that is faithfully recounted in Scripture. As Peter integrates “Experience” with God’s revelation of Scripture and of Jesus, a large group of people is convinced to gather as the First Christian Church of Jerusalem and to stimulate spiritual passion among themselves and the watching world. I honestly believe that this kind of faith, combined with a loving and inclusive community of people is what our WORLD IS DYING TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE. Romans 8 – “the world groans and travails like a woman in childbirth waiting to see the people of God revealed” -- and to be invited into that family of God.

CLUSTERING TOGETHER AND FANNING THE FIRE OF FAITH IN JESUS LEADS US TO: Spiritual Passion reflected in Essential Spirituality, or spiritual practices.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

I did my doctoral dissertation on Peter’s sermon and these few verses. I think they show the way to increased Spiritual Passion. You can break down spirituality and spiritual direction all you want, but all spiritual exercises and disciplines come back to the elements mentioned in these verses. Spirituality is all about CONNECTING. Connecting with God, Connecting with ourselves, Connecting with others, Connecting with a world that is dying to be reborn in the Spirit of God. Here are the essential forms for connecting at these three levels.

#1 – Apostle’s Teaching

Revealed truth found in Scripture. Know and live the book (Peter is a great example – dumb and obstinate fisherman, but avid reader of the book). Life and teachings of Jesus Christ – predominant tools of interpretation for all of Scripture and faith and life. Not What Would Jesus Do? But…What DID Jesus do? And What’s he doing NOW??? Here? Today? His way of love. His commands: Go and make disciples, Be my witnesses in the power of the Spirit – Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Uttermost Parts of World. The early church’s understanding of the mandate to go and tell and live the Good News of Jesus Christ in service to the world.

The spiritual practice of being devoted to the Apostle’s teaching leads to the development of a thought base or world view that is distinctly Christian. It shapes what we think, what we see and what we value. It also leads to a bias toward action to go out and live what we are learning.

In an INFORMATION AGE of disjointed and jumbled data, we need a foundation for integrating life. The Apostle’s teaching offers a grounding in integrated being, thinking and doing that is a positive countermeasure to the chaos of the information age. The Apostle’s Teaching keeps us CHRIST CENTERED and OUTWARDLY FOCUSED. Alive in HIM, dead to religiosity.

#2 – Fellowship

Being together intentionally in Christ. Time together. Sharing stories. Vulnerability. Prayer. Study. Fun. SERVICE. Life Together is what we call this…and there’s a great little book on this subject bearing the title, LIFE TOGETHER, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I would highly recommend that everyone read. Together can be groups of 2 to groups of 30 or more. It can include mission/service projects. It can include interests like – book clubbing, knitting, running, movie viewing, skiing, running, you name it!

But……In an AGE OF ALIENATION, the spiritual discipline of forming community, healing our deep loneliness and learning to live together and discern the Holy Spirit’s voice together speaks to our need for connecting. Without intentional life together in worship, grouping, socializing and WORK, we cannot stay burning hot. We find it hard to bring in others to the faith. We can isolated and lost and discouraged. We are made for one another…to be family and partners. IF you are not in intentional community with other believers pursuing your faith, please talk to one of us here…About fears…Time constraints…Issues of past hurts…Lack of understanding…Lack of desire or need or interest. You are SAFE to talk with us and we won’t shoe horn or cajole you into anything.

#3 – Breaking of Bread

Worship, Word & Sacraments. Emphatic connection with God. Worship – being aware of God’s presence. Theologian Helmut Thieleke said of worship that is it Rehearsal for the week and forever. Worship is also public witness (you will be my witnesses, says Jesus) to the Risen Jesus Christ.

Sacraments – connecting deeply with the presence of God and God’s YES, YOU BELONG that are spoken to us at the Lord’s Supper and in Baptism. Sacraments as a MEANS OF GRACE. When we break bread…GRACE IS PROFOUNDLY PRESENT and there for each of us. When we baptize – we are all swept up in grace and experience the very Grace of God and re-experience our own inclusion in God’s Family.

In an AGE OF BROKENESS, worship, word and sacraments, open us to the healing power of the Holy Spirit.

#4 – Prayer

Prayer is most simply the act of communication with God…or Communion with God. Prayer is LIKE BREATHING – Our bodies work of life. It has to go on continuously. But, it is largely effortless. It is controllable and breathing exercises not only help us at the moment we do them, but they shape our overall breathing and oxygenation. PRAYER – is a reciprocal in/out act of receiving and purging…and it becomes natural and more powerful with practice.

PRAYER OFFERS US DEEP Roots in an AGE OF ROOTLESSNESS. Discovering who we really are and who God is to us. Seeking the power to live with Courage, boldness and love. Staying sane, centered, energized.

NOTICE THAT THESE FOUR KEY SPIRITUAL PRACTICES ARE THE RUDIMENTS OF ALL CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY AND ALL OF THEM ARE LINKED TO COMMUNITY – THEY ARE NOT SOLOIST OR SEPARATIST ACTS….

WE STUDY THE APOSTLE’S TEACHING AND PUT IT INTO ACTION GOING INTO OUR WORLD TOGETHER. LEARNING AND DOING ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED.

WE LIVE A SHARED LIFE TOGETHER THAT IS DEEPLY SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL…THIS IS THE NATURE OF TRUE FELLOWSHIP.

WE WORSHIP AND COME TOGETHER AROUND SACRAMENTS TO GLORIFY GOD AND ANNOUNCE THE REIGN OF THE KING OF KINGS AND THE INBREAKING OF THE TRUE AND RENEWED ORDER OF ALL THINGS.

WE PRAY TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY…AND EVEN IN SOLITUDE WHEN WE PRAY…WE DO NOT PRAY ALONE JUST US AND GOD, FOR ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN JOIN IN AND AROUND THE WORLD, BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE WILL NOT MEET BEFORE WE MEET IN HEAVEN ARE PRAYING WITH US WHILE WE PRAY…AND WE ARE PRAYING FOR THEM.

Authentic Christian Community – happens when ordinary people open themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit through these four basic Spiritual disciplines…listen to what happens to those gathered in the early church

 ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common.  ⁴⁵ Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This sense of community cannot be held inside the “church” or organized life of the community. It naturally overflows. Gladness and gratitude prevail, even in the face of difficulties. The Authentic Christian community BRINGS AND INCLUDES. People like what they see and want to be a part. There is growth in numbers and growth in love for God and  love for others. WHO WOULDN’T WANT THIS??

Make it a GREAT WEEK!

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org