Today’s scripture: Acts 5:17-32 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me in this passage? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (David Zier):
Imagine if you were one of the apostles. You are arrested and told, “Don’t you ever preach in the name of Jesus again!” You are put in prison. At night you are set free, and the angel says, “Now, go back to the spot where you were arrested and do the same thing again.” Could you be that person? What kind of person does something like that? How do you get that way?
When injustice occurs in this world, we’re called to keep speaking out. We need to keep going back to the temple. We need to keep making the establishment angry. We need to keep taking risks. Just think about what Martin Luther King, Jr. and others associated with the civil rights movement had to do. Jesus asks us to be bold in our discipleship walk. Someone needs to speak out for those who have no voice. Whatever we do for the least, we do for Jesus. It is Jesus that “gets us that way.”
Who would have thought that we as a church in Indiana — just little ol’ us — would be radically challenging people by taking bold steps. Like when we placed billboards around the city in 2007 with images of Jesus telling others that God blesses homosexuals? What about the march of coffins representing LGBT people who have died due to injustice and inequality? What about the time Pastor Jeff was escorted out of the Senate Meeting due to leading the crowd in disruptive behavior?
We seem to be returning to the temple and shouting loudly to the world what the world may not want to hear. This is a different time, but as followers of Christ, we are still asked to stand boldly and speak out for Christ, even if it is not popular, and we risk our freedom in doing so. We are standing with the Immigrant Center and Immigrants in Indiana and all over. We are standing with homeless families with DaySpring Center. We are standing with the girls and women of South Sudan. And we are standing with communities in need in Guatemala. I don’t think Jesus would have it any other way. Jesus is how we get that way.
Thought for the day: Where is my “temple” where I need to stand and speak the truth?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.