Daily Readings First Thoughts June 22 2007

Daily Lectionary:
Morning: Psalm 51:1-19
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Acts 2:37-47
Luke 21:5-19
Evening: Psalm 142:1-7

Last night our congregation began a season of prayer, called for by a faithful member of our church several weeks ago. Over a dozen responded to the first call to gather in the beautiful sanctuary to seek God's mission for our church. It was a beautiful movement of the Holy Spirit on our diverse band of believers and seekers, none of whom know much, if anything, about the events of the past weekend at Presbytery. We prayed for guidance for us to reach out to the poor and needy with the good news of Jesus. Several prayed scripture, asking for forgiveness, humility and boldness in our witness. Others prayed for our community, and the lost around us. We prayed in thanksgiving for our salvation and the gifts God has granted us. We prayed for resources and partnerships with other churches. We marveled at the true goose-bump experience of the Holy Spirit present with us in worship, and we rejoiced that many in that place had found the Lord at SBPC. Then as Samuel did, we children responded, Speak Lord, for your servant is listening (I Sam 3:10). By affirmation, our elder doing our devotion at session the same night had selected this text for us. God began to speak to us about unity.

Not unity in "right believing", or Presbyterian polity, but unity in relationships, service, and worship in the name of Jesus, that the Acts church had. Simple unity of presence to one another and unity in our mission to the world. You see, SBPC is a band of diverse believers, with very different church backgrounds and experience with the one true God. Very few have been Presbyterians until they joined us this past 5 years. We have 2 services: the "old guard" at 11:00 and the new members at the 9:00. We heard the Spirit calling us to "be all together in one place," gathered around the table and the word, and discerning together our mission. And so we are combining our 2 Sunday services into one - old and new members, old and young, praise band and choir. The other thing we will do is focus on the one thing - reading the Bible together, as we begin covenant groups in the fall, and then we will discover in small groups how each might serve the Lord. Our theme is "Into the Word, Into the world".

As I read today's texts, I was encouraged that the same Spirit that came upon the Acts 2 church has brought us back to the real meaning of unity and mission: ⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

SBPC is planning to focus on The One Thing - Jesus, and let God build up and destroy what He will, stone by stone (Luke 21:6). We will remember God's promises in his covenant to his people. In prayer, fellowship, worship, with humility and repentance, expectation and hope, we will seek only His face, and ask God to save us from this corrupt generation.(Acts 2:40). This is all this pastor and this extraordinary congregation can do, in such a time. Turn our eyes upon Jesus, and leave everything else up to God.