Morning Grace

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.    ~ Acts 9:1-3 Saul grew up in a word of story and symbol: a single story, awaiting its divinely ordered fulfillment. ~ NT Wright, Paul, a Biography The Jewish story - the one that birthed Saul - was a singular story. It was one that was about a people chosen by God. The early Christians, on the other hand, called themselves the people of The Way. A new "way" to live a God-filled life, one centered on Jesus. For Saul, the very defense of his people was at stake. These new people were the enemy.  Early Christians - these people of The Way - instead believed that they in fact were part of the same s

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south  to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.)  So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship  and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.  Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.”  So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.  Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,      and like a lamb silent before its shearer,          so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him.      Who can describe his generation?

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.  The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit  (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).  Then Peter and John  laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,  saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!  You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.  Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the c

Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.  Philip went down to the city  of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah  to them.  The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did,  for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured.  So there was great joy in that city. Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great.  All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”  And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.  But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.  Even Simon himself b

And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.  Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.  But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison. ~ Acts 8:1-3 The pattern of the prodigal is: rebellion, ruin, repentance, reconciliation, restoration. ~ Edwin Lewis Cole Another word for "ruin" is "ravage." Saul - Paul - was a ravager of the church. What comes to mind when you hear the work "ravage?" In addition to ruin, other synonyms are: devastate, destroy, demolish, wreak havoc on, level, leave desolate, wipe out, and rape. Saul - Paul - was a ravager of the church. Yet that's not the part of the story we remember about Paul. It isn't who we believe him to be at the end of the day. It is

(Stephen said): “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.  Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers.  You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.” When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.   But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”  But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.  Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.  While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,

Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”  They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council.  They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law;  for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth  will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.”  And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. ~ Acts 6:11-15 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The sort of stuff that, let's face it, doesn't always sell. ~ Rachel Held Evans It didn't sell the leaders of the temple. Not interested in your goodness, Stephen. We don't like what you are saying. You can't

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.  Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.  But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit  with which he spoke. ~ Acts 6:8-10 I'm responsible for what (the people in my church) hear. And hearing the gospel - the good news of who God is - slowly forms us over time. ~ Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber Preach the d*** Gospel. ~ Rev. Dr. Timothy Wengert. The Word of God won't be contained. Stephen became the first great leader of the church who came after the resurrection. Even before Saul was Paul, Stephen was out doing his thing. He was the first deacon. And the first leader who, though he hadn't met the living Jesus, preached the gospel as if he knew it couldn't be contained. As it it was ingrained on his soul. My Lutheran confessions p

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.  And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.   Therefore, friends,  select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task,  while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”  What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.  They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. ~ Acts 6:1-6 The first thing that the world knew about Christians was that they ate together. ~ Rachel Held Evans

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them,  saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,  yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”  But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.   The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.  And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.  But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.  Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites,  consider carefully what you propose to do