Reflecting on What We Believe

The Spring Chicken BBQ is over and done with. My goodness, it was amazing. I have to say, We know how to do this. Thank you to everyone who did their part – no matter how small. Cakes and squares were produced to feed 400 people. All the purchases were made with hardly any waste. Dinners were delivered to grateful recipients, including more than a hundred folks who picked up their meals in Lion’s Head! A huge thank you goes out to Peninsula Parcel and to Peacock’s Foodland for their assistance. It’s a huge feat to pull this off, but we follow in the footsteps of many generations…

This Sunday, our worship is again focused on a passage from Acts. It’s the account of how Peter comes to believe that God is showing the disciples that the Way of Jesus is open to those beyond the Jewish faith. It is a surprising revelation for Peter, and his astonishment is palpable. “Who was I that I could hinder God?” he asks his friends.

Peter and the other disciples have to let go of all that they believe in to incorporate this new way of thinking. But they do. They open their minds, and they open their faith. With accounts such as this, it is surprising to me how many manifestations of Christianity profess rigid adherence to rules and beliefs, for the story of the early church was one of humbly accepting new ways of being as the fledgling faith took hold.

To prepare, read Acts 11:1-18 and ponder the following:

1. Have you ever had to reconsider something you thought you firmly believed in? What were the circumstances? What did you learn?

2. How important is humility in day-to-day life?