North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  (Acts 2:46–47a)

This story follows on the heels of the first Pentecost story (Acts 2:1–41) as the early Christ-followers set their priorities as a community of faith: they learned from one another (v. 42), they shared fellowship with each other (v. 42), they ate together (v. 42, 46), they prayed together (v. 42), they shared with one another (v. 44), they worshipped together (v. 46), and they developed a deep love and commitment for their local community (v. 47a). Such practices call us to remember that even though we spend a good deal of time emphasizing the internal togetherness of our own group, mission and outreach are also an important part of our core values, central to our identity as Christ-followers. The Church is a missional community, rooted in its particular place, concerned about local issues, and “having the goodwill of all the people” (v.47a) in mind. – rc

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias . . . (Acts 1:26a)

“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b) – these are the last words utter by the disciples before Jesus is taken from them. “It is not for you to know . . . But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7–8) – these are the last words uttered by Jesus before he is taken away; this was Jesus’ response to his friends’ inquiry.

So I find it interesting that the first thing the disciples do is to take it upon themselves to select a new member to their group in order to fill the vacancy left by Judas. Yes, they had criteria that the potential replacement had to meet. Yes, they prayed about it. Yes, they cast lots for him. Yes, they seemed to conduct their business decently and in proper order. But Jesus told them that they would begin to fulfill their mission once they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, eager to move forward and anxious to conduct their business in their way, the disciples made the hasty decision to act on their own. I pray that we learn from the error of their ways and always take the time to wait for God’s Spirit to guide us.            – rc

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites . . . I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil. (Romans 16:17–18a, 19b)

Paul closes his letter to his friends in Rome with one final plea for unity. He calls them to avoid unnecessary dissention, to refrain from unnecessary offense, and to keep a watchful eye out for those who seek to satisfy themselves at the expense of the community. But at the root of Paul’s call is wisdom; he summons his friends to know the difference between the ways of God and the appetites of people. According to Paul, God’s desire is for unity in the community, but it will take a wise and discerning mind to live together as one. May such wisdom come to us, not only in our community of faith, but in our county and country as well. – rc

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

the valleys deck themselves with grain,

they shout and sing together for joy. (Psalm 65:12–13)

So many of the psalms we’ve seen over the past few weeks were written during times of distress and turmoil. But not today. Today, the psalmist sings out about the abundance of God. Today, the psalmist sings out about the harvest of plenty. Today, the psalmist belts our her song about the rich gifts of creation, reminding herself and her community that God is good. So today, when we look around at the bounteous beauty of God’s good earth, let us join our hearts with the psalmist in overflowing gratitude.                – rc

“. . . when was it that we saw you . . .?” (Matthew 25:37, 38, 39, 44)

In the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, deeds of compassion and justice are what distinguish the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the less than upright. Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, and visiting the imprisoned – these are the marks of the righteous life of the sheep and the lack of these acts marks the life of the goats. Yet both groups ask the same question: “when was it we saw you . . . ?” Neither group saw the face of Christ in the hungry or thirsty or naked or sick or imprisoned, so what is it that compelled the sheep to act with compassion and justice? I contend that when those so-called sheep look at the individual standing before them, they see a person, a human, a child of God. That is why we serve as well; it is our common humanity that compels us to serve around us with compassion and justice.                         – rc