Looking Forward to April 10, 2016 -- 3rd Sunday of Easter

This Sunday we will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism.

Over the Easter Season we will be hearing stories from the Early Church in the book of Acts and some Passages from Paul's letters.  The Scripture Reading for this week is Acts 3:1-10.

The Sermon title is Get Up And Walk.

Early Thoughts: Immediately before this story is the account of Pentecost.  The church has just been inaugurated. The apostles have received the blessing and gift of the Holy Spirit. ANd they go out and start building the church!

Imagine, no strategic planning sessions, no vision and mission statements, they just go out and do it.

And in the first outing that we hear about Peter and James meet a beggar. Now there are choices.  Ignore him and walk around.  OR just say "sorry can't help you".  How many of us would do those things? But Peter has another option. He can't give what is being asked. But he can give something else. Wholeness.

That is what the church is about. Offering wholeness. It may or may not take the form that people ask for, but we are called to offer wholeness. We are called to share the God we meet in Christ Jesus, to offer wholeness in the name of Christ, to meet the people at the gates of God's kingdom and invite/help them come in and join the community.

Can we do that? Can we challenge people to get up and walk? Do we know what it is we have to offer? Are we willing to offer it? Even when it is not what people are directly asking for?
--Gord