March 14, 2021
In the first century church, there were many victories and challenges as the men and women who chose to follow Christ and His teachings discerned what it means to be the Body of Christ. There are teachings about the gifts and graces of the community, the value of each member of the community as part of the community, the ways to behave within the community, on and on and on.
One of the biggest challenges was how the predominantly Jewish Christ followers were to interact with Gentile Christ followers – what were the rules? Were there rules?
Sometime, read Acts 15 and what happened at the Council of Jerusalem as the ‘sides’ in this issue came together. The Spirit moved throughout this neighborhood of caring and God’s unconditional love and acceptance prevailed.
A prayer from the writer of Hebrews:
Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain (that is, through His flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:19-25
Preacher Woman 