Do You!

ACTS IN 90 DAYS

A reading for Wednesday, May 27, 2020: Acts 6:1-7.

"The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, 

and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

We all understand there are different gifts for different disciples of Jesus. None of us are created the same, and all of us that share belief in Jesus are called to share what we personally have to offer the communities in which we worship and call our church home.

The early church was not different. Today in Acts 6 we see a division of labor in the leadership of the early church. The apostles believe they need help in making sure all the early believers were cared for. They are busy with leading the new communities that are popping up, preaching and teaching and observing the sacraments.  For Presbyterians like me this is the creation of our Deacons, those that have the gift and the responsibility of caring for others in the community. So far so good...

Then in verse 7, there is a strange reference to "many of the priests becoming obedient to the faith." Priests? Why priests? Could it be that the gifting of a specific group in the early church to care for others (much like priests were already doing in Judaism) connected them to Jesus in a new way?

This is the power of gifts. We never know how our uniqueness will connect someone else to Jesus. So be you and live into your gifts. You never know how you might be used by God to make others aware of the Kingdom of God. Do you and watch what happens!

Thanks be to God.