05-11-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
May 11, 2021
Scripture: Acts 1:1
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach…

Thought for the Day: As you may know, the “former book” is the Gospel of Luke, the first half of the Luke/Acts saga. It too begins with a reference to Theophilus, the intended audience of both books. Now many of you have heard me suggest that Theophilus was not a person, but a way the author spoke of the community of those seeking and those who were curious. Theophilus means lover of God. The name makes me think of our current culture where the number of people involved in organized religion is declining, but those who speak of having a spiritual yearnings, a desire to connect with the holy or talk of loving the teachings of Jesus has not really dropped. In both the Gospel and in the Book of Acts, Luke (the author) does not try to argue his way into people’s spiritual longings or put forth a Seven Point Plan of Required Beliefs that would guarantee a heavenly entrance. He simply told his audience about Jesus, and then (in the Book of Acts), he presented the faithfulness of those who claimed to love Jesus. I wonder if people are fleeing the church because we have forgotten what Luke wanted to teach us. At the end of the day, the Jesus story and people’s love-filled responses to the Jesus story might just be enough to change hearts, maybe even change the world.

Prayer: I love your gift to the world, O Lord! I love Jesus and the way he lived his life. Challenge me to first assimilate his life into mine, and then allocate his love to all I meet. It is in his name that I pray. Amen.

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