Friday, April 23, 2010
By Dave Sonnenberg
Today is a very important text. The early church was called to extend the good news of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. They were to be a “ripple effect”- going deeper and deeper into the world. The problem they faced today was important. Some in their midst were experiencing need. They weren’t getting enough attention or tangible care. The community turned to the apostles with a spirit of “you fix it”. “You take care of it” for us. Doesn’t that happen a lot in this world- --- people notice a need and then they delegate it away from themselves!
What is so cool is that the apostles listened and recognized that the widows needed to be cared for yet they chose to show the community that the “solution was in their midst”. Seven were selected to solve the problem and show “hands on care”. The apostles were free to keep reaching out and spreading the word further and further.
How many times in life do we notice a person in need, a person missing, a person who seems to be struggling and then say, “someone should do something about it!”---- It happens a lot. However, when we “notice” a need, I suggest to you that God is nudging us to be the solution or an assistant- much as the 7 were nudged to “be the solution” in today’s text.
One final thought today is that we must also recognize that in community, some have the gift of care, social justice, and compassion and others may have the gift of proclamation or evangelism. We need both gifts (and the multitude of gifts). We are wired differently. Which one are you more like—the apostles who actively proclaim the good news with words/writings or those who care for others behind the scenes and out of the spotlight? Perhaps a hybrid of the two?
Acts 6: 1-7
6Now 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. 2And 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 at tables. 3Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’ 5What 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. 6They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
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