Unifinished
September 8, 2019-June 28, 2020
Acts is the powerful story of an unfinished Spirit-led community, striving to do the next right thing. Today, we want to live into that same identity; we don’t know all the answers, or even the final picture of who we will become in the ongoing revelation of Jesus Christ. Like the first Christians, we are beautifully unfinished. But we are committed to doing the next right thing, and the next, and the next, as the Spirit leads us.
faith on trial
The conclusion of Acts is an extended trial for Paul (plus travel for more trials) and this is an intentional decision by Luke – as the Gospel ends with the Passion narrative, so Acts ends with Paul’s passion – less intense and powerful than Christ’s but a reflection of his Rabbi’s. How do we see faith on trial in our lives today? Consider apologetics, persecutions, etc.
unafraid and unabashed
Gandhi famously wrote, "The enemy is fear; we think it is hate, but it is fear." In our world today, fear continues to limit our faithfulness and constrain our courage. It is especially timely, therefore, that we find ourselves in a section of the Book of Acts for the next few weeks that highlights Paul's courage and trust in God.
on the road again
This is the next part of our Unfinished story; the open-road adventure to which Jesus calls each of us. This Lent, we will explore our call to be “On the Road Again” with the King of Kings before us and the apostle Paul beside us. And around the next bend, perhaps we will find God’s next extraordinary chapter of our story.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent, a preparation for the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Each year we have a special worship service on Ash Wednesday, which includes both the Sacrament of Communion and the imposition of ashes, where we place a cross of ashes on each person’s forehead. This is a beautiful, special time.
Uncomfortable Change
As the new year begins, it's time for us to think about new beginnings, resolutions, and what changes we want to see in our lives. Sometimes those changes are simple and easy; sometimes, they are downright uncomfortable. But it is often the uncomfortable changes that produce the most dramatic results.
Unexpected Christmas
The season of Advent is all about the unexpected coming of Jesus - first as a baby, born to a virgin, and ultimately as a thief in the night on the last day. But between those two universe-shaping events, Christ comes unexpectedly to people again and again and again.
the next right thing
The church begins a new stage of its story after Pentecost. From Acts 3-7, we see the early church in a season of growth and rapid change. They take each day and respond to the opportunities and challenges that God gives them, committed simply to doing the next right thing, and the next, and the next.
THIS IS US
We begin by looking at the start of the early church in the first part of our Unfinished theme, "This is Us."
