An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

  Philip asked the Ethiopian,  “Do you understand what you're reading?”  He replied,“ How can I, unless someone guides me?”  Acts 8:30-31  I think these short sketches show the God of Abraham planting a desire for growing in God's love without boundaries    I had questions while reading the novel, No Heaven for Good Boys . Questions like, Who are talibe? What is a daara? What is a marabout?  Knowing no one from Senegal, I googled "talibe". They are students, ages 6 to 15, sent to a daara (school) to memorize the Quran taught by a marabout (teacher of Quaran).  A dangerous part of the experience includes begging in city streets for rice, sugar cubes, and money to cover the needs of the daara and marabout. Failure to meet goals often results in punishment. In Philips' story, an Ethiopian eunuch, a passenger in a chariot, is reading Isaiah 53:7-8. He is wealthy, politically powerful, scripture-reading, and God-worshiping. An ange...

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,  “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,  “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7:59-60 In Stephen's story, Luke continues his major theme of traveling the Way and spreading the Word empowered by the Spirit.  Stephen's martyrdom backstory begins in Acts 1:8. Jesus tells the apostles they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses in "Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  The first century church is organizing, leaving the apostles too busy to to distribute food to the widows. Stephen, a minority Greek Christian, is ordained for the ministry of food distribution.  Stephen takes this commission seriously and, empowered by the Spirit, exceeds this ministry by preaching and wonder-making.   Stephen is brought before the council of apostles. He delivers a jeremiad of accusing, betraying and murdering the prophe...

"When he was at the table with them,  he took bread, blessed and broke it,  and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened,  and they recognized him." Luke 24:31,32a To me there there all kinds of road trips. They all have similarities such as destinations and travel experiences. Years ago Elaine and I took a camping trip out West. We drove Utah's Route 12 between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks. This part of the road trip meant enjoying God's beautiful creation. One of the experiences we still laugh about was the constant daily lunch menu of PB&J sandwiches. Luke's major theme is traveling the Way. In the gospel, Jesus travel TO Jerusalem. In Luke's Acts, the disciples travel FROM Jerusalem proclaiming the Word Empowered by the Spirit. On the Emmaus road trip from Jerusalem, two disciples, probably Cleopas and his wife, experience a stranger's presence. The stranger reveals himself as Jesus by explaining what was said about him in the ...

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen”  (Luke 24:5). I am not a morning person. So, leading Sunrise Services was something of a challenge, especially on hilltops, in snow showers, drizzle, around a campfire in fog, and assorted settings. In ways, I'm a lot like Peter, it takes my coffee to get me going or it takes a soul shocking experience. A soul shocking experience happened when Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women arrived early in the morning to prepare Jesus’ body for the grave. They discover an empty tomb and “two men in dazzling clothes” (24:4) who  explain what happened and say, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (24:5).  They tell this unbelievable story to skeptic apostles who don't believe them. Except Peter. He runs to the tomb and sees the unbelievable.  How do we believe the unbelievable? We live in a confusing, violent time with soul sho...