Easter Week 6

Psalm: Psalm 66:8-20  
Acts: Acts 17:22-31  
Gospel: John 14:15-21  
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:13-22

We have some interesting passages this week. The passage from 1 Peter is notoriously difficult to interpret. In fact, we recently dealt with this passage in a “difficult questions in scripture workshop” I went to. We definitely had a heated discussion between some saying Jesus went to hell, or someplace of the dead, to preach to them before his resurrection and those who believed that Jesus preached to the “spirits” from Genesis 6 after his resurrection. The difficulty with this passage is not just that Peter is not exactly clear what he means, it is also that we almost 2,000 years later are not familiar with the views, beliefs, assumptions, etc. of Peter and his audience. Drawing from another difficult and vague passage, Genesis 6:1-4, certain Jewish traditions created accounts to fill in the blanks.  It is this line of thinking we see in 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, where the wicked angels are said to be in bondage.

Easter Week 5

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
Acts: Acts 7:55-60
Gospel: John 14:1-14
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2-10

This week we continue with the story of the early church. In our reading from Acts we hear of the stoning of Stephen, the first person to die because they followed Jesus. We have all heard the story and know that Saul, soon to be Paul, was there to witness it. We also may be familiar with Stephen’s last words, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” echoing the words of Jesus on the cross. Yet I think what gets lost in this story, at least for me, is that Stephen is forgiving his executioners even as he is being killed. Stephen is often remembered as the first martyr, which he was, and he was willing to standup in the midst of persecution and die for his faith. But for us in the Western world we are not at risk of much persecution of any sort, Stephen stands as a reminder that even what little we do receive is to be returned with forgiveness and love, not vindictiveness and anger.

Easter Week 4

Psalm: Psalm 23 

Acts: Acts 2:42-47 

Gospel: John 10:1-10 

Epistle: 1 Peter 2:19-25

Welcome to the fourth week of Easter, or in the secular calendar Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, the passages don’t mention anything about motherhood. During these last few weeks of Easter, I have felt the Scripture passages have not really had an obvious theme. In thinking about them this week, I think we have two ideas: first, the Church requires some type of community, and that can look different ways, but there is nothing solitary about the Christian life; second, the way to this community is through Jesus.

Easter week 3

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 

Acts: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35 

Epistle: 1 Peter 1:17-23

We continue this week with the Easter season and looking at some of Jesus’ post Resurrection appearances. In Luke this week is the story of the two believers who meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Then in Acts and 1 Peter are two sermons from Peter concerning the salvation received in Christ.

I think actually these passages are actually quite difficult to deal with. Starting in Acts, we have the end of the Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. We kind of jump into the middle of the train of thought with the call to repentance at the end of his sermon.  However, the message of salvation and repentance are clear and about 3,000 people were baptized that day. An important aspect in this passage is that Peter promises the gift of the Holy Spirit for those who repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The ideas of baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit are very early in the Church. It is interesting that even at this time, so close to Jesus death and the receiving of the Holy Spirit themselves, the Apostles and disciples already have an understanding of Jesus somehow being present through the Holy Spirit.