Reading: Acts 19-20, Psalm 128 Today’s reading contains one of the favorite stories of long winded orators. While it is tempting for me to go deep on the significance of (not) sitting on window sills when listening to lectures, I will refrain in the interests of saying something actually interesting
Reading: Acts 17-18, Psalm 127 Yesterday we left Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Philippi, having survived yet another attempt to have them arrested or put to death. In fact, they may have been there for a while, but Luke is not terribly interested in writing about how Paul and company
Reading: Acts 15-16, Psalm 126 So here we are with Paul and Barnabas, returned from their epic tour of the eastern Roman empire. They were sent, and now they get to come tell the people who sent them about the amazing things that happened to them and through them. The
Reading: Luke 11-12, Psalm 124 We have read over and over that the message of the new people of God really is for everyone, everywhere. Luke’s telling of the story of the early Christians has reemphasized the point over and over. Along with it, he has emphasized the opposition to
Reading: Acts 7-8, Psalm 122 Yesterday we left Stephen, the chosen doer of good things for the needy, accused of blasphemy and threatening to destroy the temple. Today we get to hear his response and how that all goes for him. Before we do that though, I want to remind
Reading: Acts 5-6, Psalm 121 Well, so much for the utopia. The story today opens with lies that lead to death, and ends with what amounts to an angry mob intent on committing murder. Just a couple of chapters ago we had humans gathering together daily, learning from one another,
Reading: Acts 3-4, Psalm 120 At the beginning of the book of Acts, there were a couple hundred followers of Jesus. By the end of chapter two there are well over three thousand. By the end of chapter four there are over five thousand. The new people are growing. But
Reading: Acts 1-2, Psalm 119:153-176 Luke begins his second book addressing the same patron for whom he wrote the first book. He issues a sort of quick summary of the last bit of his gospel, reminding the readers that Jesus is alive and has appeared to his disciples. He relates